Gori, Bougainville
by Stuart Miller 2009
"The name of this man is Gori and at thirty-five years of age he is an active environmentalist and youth leader among his own Hako community in north Bougainville. When Gori stood for this portrait on the beachfront of the Buka passage a storm had just begun and I was struck by his confidence. Gori, and youth living in Bougainville are an incredibly resilient group of people, which is remarkable considering their hardship living in a post-conflict and troubled environment."
I feel that Stuart Miller's photograph should have won the National Photographic Portrait Prize this year. In my opinion, portraits should not only portray the emotions of the subject, but also tell their story. The colours and the lighting set the mood of the picture, and a high shutter speed has captured the rain drops falling around him. The picture is very detailed, and you can see the water running down Gori's chest as he stares intently into the camera. I am also very impressed with the way that although there is so much in this picture to see, the subject remains the main focus. This photograph tells the story of a man who stands resilient while hardship "rains down" upon him. Miller uses symbolism in an original way.
I was angered by this photo and feel that it shouldn't have even been entered in the competition. There is nothing about the composition that is relevant, the colour is pretty standard and there is even a flash that has been reflected off the poster in the background. As far as "photojournalism" goes, the fact that there are journalists and radio announces everywhere proves that this photo was taken on a whim, with no artistic intent behind it. A better photo would have been taken on the red carpet. Perhaps, the photo was chosen because it shows and innocent little boy being harassed by Journalists... perhaps the photo was chosen because he is the "walk about" boy... I WILL PROBABLY NEVER KNOW!
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