Candid Camera (Australian photographic exhibition) facts for kids

Candid Camera: Australian Photography 1950s–1970s was a special art show. It took place at the Art Gallery of South Australia. The show ran from May 28 to August 1, 2010. It featured many photos that showed everyday life in Australia. This type of photography is called social documentary photography. It captures real moments and people as they are.

What is Candid Camera?

The Candid Camera exhibition was all about "candid" photos. This means pictures that look unposed and natural. The photographers tried to capture people without them knowing they were being photographed. This made the pictures feel very real and honest.

The show featured over 80 photos. Most of these pictures were taken in Australia. However, some photos by Australian artists working overseas were also included.

Who was in the photos?

The photos showed many different kinds of people and moments. You could see young people in different subcultures. There were also pictures of new migrants to Australia. Even some prime ministers were photographed!

Musicians like Bon Scott from AC/DC were also featured. Most photos showed everyday people. They were captured doing normal things. This included working, relaxing at the beach, or waiting at bus stops.

Photographers in Candid Camera

The exhibition featured the work of many talented photographers. These artists helped shape how we see Australia's past. Their photos are now part of the National Gallery of Australia's collection.

Here are some of the photographers whose work was shown:

• Max Dupain
• David Moore
• Jeff Carter
• Max Pam
• Robert McFarlane
• Mervyn Bishop
• Rennie Ellis
• Carol Jerrems
• Roger Scott

Important Artists

Mervyn Bishop is a very important artist. He was the only Aboriginal Australian photographer in the show. His work often focused on life in New South Wales.

Robert McFarlane was born in South Australia. He was the only photographer in the exhibition from that state. He also used to write about photography for the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.

Different Styles of Photography

The Candid Camera exhibition showed how Australian photography changed over time. In the 1960s, a new style called photojournalism became popular. This was about telling stories through pictures in newspapers and magazines.

Later, in the 1970s, photographers started taking more personal pictures. They explored themes like everyday life and protest movements. Street photography, which captures life in public places, was also a big part of the show.

The exhibition also highlighted Australia's growing connection with Asia. This showed how photography can record big changes in a country.

Why is Documentary Photography Important?

Robert McFarlane believes that documentary photography is more important than ever. He says Australia is changing a lot. Our work habits, different cultures, and politics are all shifting.

He thinks cameras are vital tools. They can record these constant changes. This idea goes back to the first group of photographers who started this style. They believed cameras should capture how our lives and appearances are always changing.

The Candid Camera exhibition also had extra events. There were talks by experts and screenings of Australian films from the same time. One special screening was Girl in a Mirror. This award-winning film was about the photographer Carol Jerrems. She passed away at a young age in 1980.