Richard Bennett's new Yachting Photo website

by Ian Grant on 21 Feb 2001 Yachting photography has taken a step forwards with the launch of
Richard Bennett’s new e-commerce photography web site.

For 26 years sailors have been placing water on their walls through the
skill of World famed Tasmanian photographer Richard Bennett.

His photographs, associated with a long-term history of the renowned
Australian Sydney to Hobart yacht race, hold pride of place in numerous
homes, boardrooms, and yacht clubs around the World.

He is without doubt one of the World’s finest in his profession with a
skill created from taking an image and turning it into an art form of
reality.

This skill surprisingly gained it’s ‘grass roots’ a long way from
picturesque Tasmania.

It all began in the equally challenging geographic and photographic
heartland of Peru when Richard Bennett joined the 1969 Australian
Andean Expedition.

Five years later in 1974 Richard Bennett’s passion for photography
changed dramatically onto a new course when the well-known landscape
photographer turned his talent towards capturing the mood of sea off
Tasmania's East Coast.

This flight over the Christmas-New Year holiday period, coincided
with the final stages of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race and a new phase
in the life and profession of Richard Bennet was born.

He created a demand for his unique art by becoming the unofficial
Sydney-Hobart race photographer capturing aerial photographs of the
entire fleet the following year.

Since then Richard Bennett with his skill and
vision has captured some remarkably ‘live’ images on still film.

Many of the photographs are legendary in the sport of blue water yacht
racing including the shot of Jim Kilroy’s ketch Kialoa as she power
sailed down the Tasmanian coast to her 1975 race record of 2days 14hours
36minutes 56seconds.

In December 2000 Richard Bennett completed his 26th consecutive Sydney
to Hobart race in the air capturing another graphic display of racing
yachts fighting against natures elements as they tracked a course from
the start in Sydney Harbour, across the notoriously rough Bass Strait to
the finish off historic Battery Point.

His personal credentials and achievements speak for themselves.

Including - Best Sports Photograph 1999 in the Nikon Kodak Press
Photographer of the Year award.

(Dramatic aerial image of AFR Midnight Rambler during her struggle in
the tragic Bass Strait storm to win the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race.)

- Second Best Series Photographs 1999

Finalist Eisenstadt Awards for Press Photography, New York 1999

Australian Institute of Professional Photography
- Master of Photography
- Fellow of the Institute
- Past National President
- Chairman, Australian Professional Photography Awards

International Photography Hall of Fame
- World's Largest Photograph.
Maatsuyker Diorama, over 8m in length.


This site already contains classic photographs from many of the last 26
Sydney to Hobart race, along with all the photos from the 2000
Sydney-Hobart, and 2000 Strathfield Pittwater to Coffs Harbour Race
2000, along with his books, posters, postcards.

Richard commented today. “Over time an even larger number of my
favourite images from all this years of Yachting photography will be
able to be purchased from our website, either as traditional mounted
photographs or as high quality JPEG images.”

The new e-commerce website address is http://www.RichardBennett.com.au
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The attached image can be used, in its current form, with this story.

For High quality Yachting images for printed media use, contact
Richard or Alice Bennett

Contact Details: Telephone (03) 6229 2559 Fax (03) 6229 7725.
International Telephone 61 3 6229 2559 and fax 61 3 6229 7725.

mailto:richard@richardbennett.com.au