Richard Bennett OAM
The Tasmanian landscape had an impact on Bennett from a very young age. Growing up in the small country town of Geeveston, Bennett was in close distance of Hartz Peak, the highest point in immediate region and the source of the Arve River. In 1960, at the age of 15, he made his first trip to the peak with a youth group. The experience proving to be life changing - prompting a deep appreciation for the immediate natural surrounds. Throughout the 1960s Bennett began an extensive period of bushwalking throughout the southern parts of Tasmania and bought his first camera, documenting his journeys.
In 1966 Bennett attended climbing school in New Zealand, and proceeded to scale most of the 10,000 ft. peaks in the country, including Mt. Cook. He received his first major photographic assignment in 1969, selected as the Australian Andean Expedition's official photographer. This saw the achievement of five first ascents, one second ascent, and a new route in the Peruvian Andes. It was further pivotal in marking the point in Bennett's career when he decided to become a professional photographer. Bennett identifies the hardships and achievements of the expedition as important lessons that he could achieve anything in his photographic practice. This mindset, in addition to Bennett's love of wild places, acted as a catalyst for his career, and key traits that he brought to his first documentation of the Sydney to Hobart race in 1974.
Sailing was a natural subject matter for Bennett, having sailed on the Huon River with his father as a boy, and eventually gaining thousands of miles of offshore experience. Here he frames the Sydney to Hobart as a perfect fit for his practice
"I love everything about the Sydney to Hobart: the many moods of the sea, the sense of participation in a great adventure, the camaraderie, the tactics, sensing the proximity of the elements, the wildness … the gales, the different light and the dramatic coastline. It’s about putting all those elements together. My most compelling moments photographing the Sydney Hobart are when it is blowing hard. The harder it blows the happier I am…within reason. There is an organisational challenge in being in the right location to capture the peak of the action. (I am not there often enough, according to the yachties!)".
What began as a scenic flight over the race fleet evolved into a career long practice for Bennett, where he has photographed every Sydney to Hobart yacht calling off the Tasmanian coast since 1974, and developed his own special flying and photographic techniques. Here he details his approach and most memorable moments in the history of the race
"The technical challenges of aerial photography are many. Capturing the moment requires many hours in the air and a close working relationship with my pilots.
Digital technology has helped with image stabilisation and faster shutter speeds. The best camera and lens combinations compliment the latest high resolution image sensors. GPS enables us to find the boats more easily although they are not always where they appear to be. There is a lot of water mixed up with them!
I love the endless mood variations over the water. The light in southern latitudes is more oblique and there is an edge to Tasmanian light which is quite unlike other locations. I love combining aviation with the ocean, racing yachts and photography. That is the perfect combo and one of the greatest pleasures for me is then producing a beautiful photographic print. Making the digital print requires different skill set which I really enjoy.
My most compelling moments are photographing KIOLOA III and WINDAWRD PASSAGE in 1975, The SHOGUN picture off the Tasman Passage 1984, photographing the 1998 storm.
There have been some beautiful moody moments just before sunrise. Finding the perfect shot with the cliffs of Tasman Island in the background is special."
Bennett has received numerous awards for his photography. In 1985 he won the Ilford trophy (shared with Ken Redpath) for the highest scoring print in the AIPP National Print Awards, and in 1999 he won the Nikon-Kodak Australian Press Photographer of the Year Award for the best sports photograph with his awe inspiring image of Midnight Rambler during the tragic 1998 Sydney to Hobart. In 2003 he was awarded a Centenary Medal for
his promotion of Tasmania through his decades of photography, 2005 the Epson AIPP
Tasmanian Professional Photographer of the Year, and in 2006, most notably, the Photo Imaging Council of Australia’s highest award, the Gold Tripod, for his long and outstanding contribution to the Australian photography industry.
Bennett is a past National President, Master of Photography IV, Honorary Fellow and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography. He is further a past chairman of the Australian Professional Photography Awards. He has self-published 12 books and his work has been shown in numerous exhibits worldwide.
