Australian Photography – October-November 2026

Australian Photography – October-November 2026

Summary

Jodie Grieve's underwater portrait of Puck the Saluki — muscles engaged, eyes locked forward as the surface detonates beneath him — graces the cover of Australian Photography October-November 2026, with the 8th annual Mono Awards celebrating over 3,000 entries in black and white.

Australian Photography October-November 2026 leads with the Mono Awards 2026, presented by Synology, now in its eighth year. The People category showcases 30 images capturing the human experience in monochrome. The Places category spans 30 photographs across landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes and astrophotography. The Animals category picks the best animal portraits, including Grieve's Aquatic Velocity cover image. Mike O'Connor's editor letter reflects on black and white as a pursuit one could spend a lifetime exploring. Five Quickfire Black and White Editing Tips offers Lightroom techniques stronger than simply dropping a preset on a colour image. Your Best Shot features over 250 entries in the Minimalism competition, with Kate Snow winning with Spreading Seeds. The Photographer of the Year 2026 competition is promoted with a prize pool valued at over $20,000.

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Content Guide

Features

p.15 · The Mono Awards 2026 — Presented by Synology
Now in its eighth year, the competition celebrates black and white photography across three categories. Over 3,000 entries were received. The feature explains the judging criteria and the specific qualities that distinguished this year's winners.

p.16 · Mono Awards — People Category
30 images capturing the human experience in black and white. Portraits, street photography and documentary work are represented. Study the winning entry for how it uses negative space — the ratio is repeatable in any location.

p.26 · Mono Awards — Places Category
30 photographs spanning landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes and astrophotography. The judging notes on tonal range are included. The winning landscape shot uses infrared conversion rather than standard black and white conversion.

p.36 · Mono Awards — Animals Category
The diversity and character of the animal world in black and white. Jodie Grieve's Aquatic Velocity (cover) finished in the top 20. The article names the specific shutter speed needed to freeze water at the exact moment of surface break.

p.50 · 5 Quickfire Black and White Editing Tips
Lightroom editing tips for stronger results than simply dropping a preset on a colour image. The tips cover channel mixing, texture sliding and luminance targeting. Apply the red-channel trick to any blue-sky landscape for instant contrast.

Departments

p.10 · Your Best Shot — Minimalism
More than 250 entries. Winner Kate Snow with Spreading Seeds (OM System OM-5, 60mm f2.8 lens, 1/125s at f8, ISO 500). Prize: three Retouch4me photo retouching apps valued at $360. The runner-up entries demonstrate that less clutter equals higher scores.

p.46 · APS One Frame and Column
News, views and images from the Australian Photographic Society. Upcoming APS events are listed with dates and venue details.

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Editor's Take

The Mono Awards portfolio is the issue's entire value proposition — 90 images across three categories give readers a full education in what contemporary black and white photography looks like in 2026. The editing tips article (p.50) is the most immediately useful feature: five specific Lightroom techniques that avoid the usual "convert to grayscale" advice. The cover image of Puck the Saluki is genuinely striking — a single frame that justifies the purchase. Weaknesses: the Minimalism competition entries (Your Best Shot) fill four pages but the winning image description reveals that the judge's comments are generic. The Photographer of the Year promotional pages read as house advertising. Readers outside Australia will find the APS section irrelevant.

Strengths
• Mono Awards portfolio delivers 90 images across three categories
• Five editing tips offer immediately applicable Lightroom techniques
• Cover image is a standout monochrome action shot

Weaknesses
• Your Best Shot judge comments are generic
• Photographer of the Year promo pages are house advertising

Verdict: Recommended — Buy for the Mono Awards image selection; a strong choice for photographers wanting to study current black and white trends.

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