/ 2026 / Portraiture / Personality

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Brian Cassey, Australia
• Date of Photograph
  19/09/2025
• Website
  http://www.briancasseyphotographer.com
• Instagram
  @brian_cassey

I met “Snow” whilst on assignment for Australian Geographic at the ‘Winds of Zenadth’ cultural festival on Thursday Island in the Torres Strait Australia last September. Uncle Saila ‘Snow’ Savage is a traditional Kaurareg Elder - essentially Torres Strait 'Royalty' - and the partner to Betty Mabo, daughter of the Murray Island activist legend Eddie Mabo. “Snow” - as the locals fondly call him - is an utterly charming character and great visual subject matter.
(Australia's Torres Strait is in the remote far north area of the continent bordering Papua New Guinea.)

BRIAN CASSEY / based Cairns, Australia

Long based in Australia's northern tropical city of Cairns, Brian was born in London UK almost with a camera in his hand. (First camera a VP Twin 127 Bakelite camera - 2/6d at Woolworths)

Since making Cairns home a few decades ago Brian has been freelancing for National and International media including News Ltd, Fairfax and 'The Wires'.

Brian has covered major news stories in Australia and around the planet ... and has been awarded for his work World wide.

Awards See ... www.briancasseyphotographer.com/awards