AN homage to Princess Leia, a pelican’s gaping mouth and a ute abandoned on a salt lake are some of the captivating photos in this year’s Perth Amateur Photographers Exhibition.
Now in its seventh year, the exhibition showcases the works of 50 amateur photographers at the Kidogo Arthouse in Fremantle.
The range of photos is diverse, with everything from wildlife and architecture to vivid portraits and candid snippets of everyday life.
Highlights include Peter Dyer’s stunning photo of an open-mouthed Rainbow Bee-eater about to devour a dragonfly at Gwelup.
Pin-sharp and perfectly timed, the photo is one of those moments when the stars align.
A wildlife fan, Dyer also has shots of a family of Tawny Frogmouths at Herdsman Wetlands and a colourful Rainbow Lorikeet in South Perth.
• (above) Abandoned by Hilary Forgan and (below) Corporate Decay and Isolation 1 by Jodie Holwill.
“This year, wildlife remains a strong theme, but there’s a shift towards behaviour, personality and authentic moments rather than simply documenting an animal,” says exhibition founder Travis Satur.
If you like seeing hidden beauty in the so-called “ugly”, you’ll love Jeanette Sarnowski’s shots of abandoned vintage trucks.
In her photos, rusted-out 1930s pick-ups are pitched against a moody sky in a deserted patch of scrubland at the Mangowine Homestead in Nungarin.
They conjure up feelings of yesteryear, when perhaps farming and the pace of life were less frantic and more community-based.
“Her photos of the vintage car graveyard are really impressive,” Satur says. “There’s something about the old cars, decay and character of the location that makes this set stand out.”
This theme is further explored by Hilary Forgan, who captured a boat and vehicles languishing on a beach and a salt lake.
Her best shot is a tradie’s ute caked in pink graffiti, marooned on a salt lake near the old potash mine at Chandler.
There’s a sort of urban poetry to it all, and it wouldn’t be out of place in Mad Max 6: The Bogan Burnout.
“Her series on abandoned vehicles is interesting, vibrant and full of character,” Satur says.
“A really eye-catching take on a subject that could easily be overlooked.”
There are some great landscapes in this year’s exhibition, including a creepy black-and-white shot of trees shrouded in mist in Sussex, England, by Patrick Kay (it looks like a still from a classic Hammer horror film).
“One of the biggest trends I’ve noticed this year is photographers presenting their three images as a connected series rather than individual photographs,” Satur says.
“There’s a stronger emphasis on visual storytelling, which I think will continue as photographers look to create a point of difference from AI-generated imagery.”
The best stories in the exhibition are told by the close-up portraits of animals and humans.
Jodie Holwill’s shot of a well-dressed but glum-looking man, crouched against a wall with graffiti, conjures up all sorts of questions about failed dreams and what could have been.
“We’re seeing more experimentation with movement and more cinematic, character-driven portraiture,” Satur says.
“For me, the defining trend of 2026 is intentional visual storytelling.”
The Perth Amateur Photographers Exhibition is on from November 8–12 at the Kidogo Arthouse on Bathers Beach in Fremantle. Entry is free. For more details see perthamateurphotographers.wordpress.com.
by STEPHEN POLLOCK