Heritage Tairāwhiti photo competition: Taranga Kent wins top rivers prize

Taranga Kent and her winning entry in the Heritage Tairāwhiti photography competition. Photo / John Pennington

The inaugural winner of Heritage Tairawhiti’s photo competition says her success has given her the confidence to enter more competitions in the future.

Taranga Kent won the open section of the photography competition, which focused on the rivers of Tairāwhiti, and won $500, sponsored by Eastland Port.

One of the judges, photography tutor John Pennington, said Kent’s entry of a night scene looking across the railway bridge towards Kaiti struck the judges as “a little mysterious’ with its shadowy figures emerging out of the dark, almost as if they were walking from the past into the present.

“This air of uncertainty added another dimension to her photograph, allowing the viewer to become part of shaping the narrative of the image. These elements added layers of complexity, which are the hallmarks of a good photograph.”

Kent told the Gisborne Herald she only got into photography three years ago when joining the Gisborne Camera Club and was surprised to win the competition.

“I thought I didn’t have a chance, as I would be up against far more experienced photographers.

“My strategy was to take a photo that was a little bit out of the ordinary so it would stand out against the others, and it obviously worked.

“What I love about photography is that it allows you to see the world through a different lens, literally.

“You tend to take more time to notice what’s around you, as you are constantly looking for interesting photo opportunities.’

Kent is a teacher and poet who, two years ago, published a book, Not Just a Teacher, which has been described as being like “a love letter to educators from all professions in the form of poetry”.

She said writing and photography were her passions.

“They are great creative outlets which allow me to express myself in quite different ways, but are similar in that they can both tell a story.”

Other judges were former Gisborne Herald photographer Paul Rickard, photographer and former museum director Mike Spedding and Heritage Tairāwhiti chair Sheridan Gundry.

Five-year-old Riley Marshall won the school-age section with a photo of his brother “catching things” beside the Taruheru River, winning $300, also sponsored by Eastland Port.

Gundry said the photo had action, colour, and perspective, and provided a slice of life in Tairāwhiti today from a child’s viewpoint.

Runner-up in the open section was Peter Quax with an image of wildlife in the Waipaoa River, and in the school-age section, Bodhi Cowper, 9, with an image of kayakers in the Taruheru River.

Both prizes were sponsored by Rochdale Advisory Group and, for Quax, by Personality Framers.

The winners and highly commended entries feature in an exhibition open to the public at Heritage Tairāwhiti’s Centre for Heritage at 173 Palmerston Rd (former Plunket Building) every Saturday from 10.30am until 2.30pm.

“We expect to run the competition again next year with a different theme,” said Gundry.

“This is part of our plan to keep telling stories of people and place, and to add to the photographic collection of tomorrow.”