Ben Apfelbaum

WORLD PRESS PHOTO 2016 EXHIBITION @ THE STATE LIBRARY

Sydney is one of the cities privileged to host the World Press photo exhibition, thanks to Canon Australia and the State Library of New South Wales.

As one would expect the bulk of the exhibition dealt with the two biggest news stories of last year, the Nepal earthquake and the plight of the refugees.

The exhibition was held at the State Library between 21 May and 19 June 2016.

Featured photo – Australian photographer Warren Richardson won the World Press Photo of the Year Award for this photo entitled- Hope For The Future. A baby is handed through a hole in a razor wire barrier, to a Syrian refugee who has already managed to cross the border from Serbia into Hungary, near Röszke.

Pic by South African photographer Brent Stinton. The trade in poached ivory continues to finance rebels armed by militia across Africa. SStirton captures a poacher in action.
Pic by South African photographer Brent Stinton. The trade in poached ivory continues to finance rebels armed by militia across Africa. SStirton captures a poacher in action.
Italian photographer Dario Mitidieri. A Syrian refugee in a refugee camp in Lebanon stands beside a chair representing a missing family member.
Italian photographer Dario Mitidieri. A Syrian refugee in a refugee camp in Lebanon stands beside a chair representing a missing family member.
Pic by Australian photographer Daniel Berehuza. A woman weeps as her 3 year old daughter's body is recovered from the rubble of her family home in Gumda after the Kathmandu earthquake.
Pic by Australian photographer Daniel Berehuza. A woman weeps as her 3 year old daughter’s body is recovered from the rubble of her family home in Gumda after the Kathmandu earthquake.
American photographer John J Kim captures a young black man staring down a policeman during a march againt police racial violence in Illanois.
American photographer John J Kim captures a young black man staring down a policeman during a march againt police racial violence in Illanois.
Italian photographer Matic Zorman captures refugee children covered in rain capes waiting to be registered in Presevo, Serbia.
Italian photographer Matic Zorman captures refugee children covered in rain capes waiting to be registered in Presevo, Serbia.
A pic from home.. Australian photographer captures a wild storm approaches Bondi Beach.
A pic from home.. Australian photographer captures a wild storm approaches Bondi Beach.

Published by Ben Apfelbaum

My photography began when my father handed me the proverbial brownie box camera as a child. As cameras developed I went through Fujica and Olympus range finders graduating to my first single lens reflex camera, the Minolta SRT101, the latter being the greatest facilitator to my growth as a photographer. Digital photography has only added to this. I was a regular contributor to Camera Craft magazine (Australian Camera ) for over three years. During Australia’s Bicentennial year (1988) I made it a personal project to document the celebrations. This culminated in the creation of a book of my photos which was published in 1989. The book was called CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA and came with an accompanying calendar. My works have appeared in a number of publications including the coffee book entitled MY AUSTRALIA (1989), publisher Robertsbridge Severn. This book had a preface by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke. I was a co-photographer on a book entitled SYDNEY- DISCOVER THE CITY with text written by Robert Treborland. Major Mitchell Press was the publisher. Also for two years I was the photographer for calendars celebrating Sydney’s multicultural communities. The two calendars were entitled MULTICULTURAL SYDNEY. My work appeared in a group exhibition held at Sydney’s Town Hall pertaining to the diversity of life in South America to raise money for orphanages there. I have over one hundred photos stored in the New South Wales State Library archive. I had a solo exhibition held in 2007 entitled Ben’s Lens at the Sydney Jewish Museum which celebrated the vibrancy of the Sydney Jewish community. Some of these photos are on the Museum’s permanent display. I have exhibited internationally firstly at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta Georgia, united states, and in an exhibition entitled Kosher and Co at the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Currently I am a regular contributor to J-Wire and this esteemed publication.