Head On Photo Festival 2012

Overview

It's been a few years now since Head On first reared its head on the Sydney art scene. For a third year, it's covering Sydney in exhibitions, photos in parks and railway stations, and even a two day marathon seminar that covers a weekend with workshops enough to leave you full of photographic knowhow (assuming you're quick enough to book).

In the art, Adam Sebire shows buried desert roads, Sun Studios examine the face of roller derby and indigenous themes hail from Manuwangku (our review of its previous showing), Tennant Creek and West Australia's Conversations with the Mob. Kids get let loose on cameras in a trio of shows spread around the suburbs with Penrith's Kingswood, the Japan Foundation's Messages For Our Children and MLC's Vintography at Chatswood's Concourse. Teacher Leslie Oliver, meanwhile, turns the camera onto her students and their own returning Love Stories.

The Nikon-Walkley Photographer’s Slide Night returns for a third year (6pm May 9, RSVP) while in Leichhart Library, a trio of shows focus on Vietnamese Market Gardeners, the iconography of teenage bedrooms and the ubiquitous sky. MiCK Gallery explores other urban wastelands, Maunsell Wickes takes in some William Yang and Rowena Hall combines pregnancy with some freaky cool imagery at Pine Street.

Not enough? Get some rock, immobile homes and aliens at Gaffa, a night in Rio in Paddington and a slice of Queensland's best at Depot's North by Northeast.

Image from Manuwangku: Under the Nuclear Cloud by Jagath Dheerasekara.