Local photographer Tal Lemmens has gained the international recognition he so deeply deserves.
Victorian seascape photographer, Tal Lemmens, has claimed a prize in the 2021 Vienna International Photo Award (VIEpa) for the second year in a row.
The Surf Coast-based surfer and bodyboarder thrives on the captivating ocean as his canvas, capturing the arresting beauty of the open waters through his hypnotic ocean wave photography.
Originally from Warrnambool and having taught himself the ins and outs of photography, Tal has well and truly established himself as an avid Ocean artist at an international level, taking out the Special Prize in the VIEpa International Photo Awards this year. The contest is open to professional and amateur photographers from around the world, where the top winners from each category of the VIEpa Vienna International Photo Awards are awarded in the yearly VIEphoto Exhibition, which will be held during the Vienna Summer Photo Festival in Summer, with the selected pictures and collections exhibited in Vienna.
The key takeaways
- Local photographer receives recognition in international photo awards
- Victorian seascape photographer, Tal Lemmens, has claimed the Special Prize in the 2021 Vienna International Photo Award
- His photograph ‘Precipice’ placed 4th in the Our World category, the same category where he managed to claim first prize last year for his image ‘Apex’
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His photograph ‘Precipice’ placed 4th in the Our World category, the same category where he managed to claim first prize last year for his image ‘Apex’.
“I am super stoked to have received the Special Prize in the VIEpa International Photo Awards 2021. ‘Precipice’ placed 4th in the Our World category. My image will be exhibited with the other winners at this year’s Summer Photo Festival in Vienna, Austria. I don’t think we will be leaving Australia anytime soon, but if you’re in the region please go check it out,” the award-winning photographer shared to social media this week.
“I’m so grateful to share these moments with you. It’s an even doper feeling when art communities from the other side of the world appreciate and witness my work. If you’re reading this, thank you for being a part of this journey of mine. Forever stoked.”
‘Precipice’ was captured on the NSW South Coast, and shows an ocean wave taking on multiple peak form moments before crashing, exploring the complexities of water and light and capturing the last burst of energy as a wave completes itʼs journey.
A credit to his work, Tal was the only Australian entrant in his category amongst a sea of talented photographers from across the globe and entered the image knowing it was different compared to the other pictures typically entered in landscape photo contests.
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His signature style of moody seascapes captured the attention of the art world and nature lovers across the globe and can be witnessed by all through a variety of shots on Instagram (@tallemmens) and via his website, with his most compelling compositions revealing up-close views of the water and the waves with white-capped crests, swirling colours, translucent tubes and crashing tides frozen in time.
“I started off taking photos of surfers and bodyboarders, but now I like taking more artistic shots,” he explains. “I like really dark, moody tones, and scenes that portrays a bit of emotion. There’s a lot of different elements, but for me, I strive for something that has a story behind it. I want to create an image that stirs up some emotion in people,” he continues, “either making them go ‘wow, that’s beautiful’, or ‘wow that looks cold’.”
Heading out into the water with only a pair of flippers and a very strong waterproof housing for his camera, Tal will spend hours floating in the salty sea chasing that perfect shot while getting pounded by bone-crushing waves, over and over and over again. The waves he shoots can be dangerous, but his love of the water keeps him coming back for more.
It’s this connection between Tal and the ocean that has resulted in an array of breathtaking wave imagery, capturing those unique moments where the water loses gravity and delivers its raw power.
You can purchase this image or browse other photos via tallemmensphoto.com
