Alana Holmberg
Photographer
Oculi
Melbourne VIC, Australia
Alana Holmberg is an Australian photographer known for emotive portraiture and multimedia projects. In 2019 she won Australia's National Photographic Portrait Prize.
Alana is a member of Oculi Collective and Women Photograph. She is an alumni of RMIT University, Melbourne (2014) and Danish School of Media and Journalism, Aarhus, Denmark (2015).
Alana has worked extensively for NGOs across Asia-Pacific since early 2016. In 2019 she switched focus and currently works as a photojournalist for major international media including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, de Volkskrant (NL) and TIME Magazine.
Alana lives in Melbourne and is currently working on two independent projects in her home state of regional Victoria. She available for commissions and assignments in Australia & Asia-Pacific.
Alongside freelance photography, Alana teaches visual storytelling at Photography Studies College (Melbourne), writes for LensCulture and is one-half of Unless You Will Studio, a new design and communications agency for the photography industry.
2019 - National Photographic Portrait Prize, 2019 - World Press 6x6 Global Talent - Asia and Oceania , 2017 - High Commended Maggie Diaz Photography Prize, 2017 - Finalist - William and Wilfred Bowness Prize, 2017 - Finalist - National Photographic Portrait Prize, 2016 - Pool Grant Recipient, 2014 - LUMIX Festival of Young Photojournalism, 2014 - HeadOn Photo Festival Multimedia Prize, 2014 - ACMP Student Documentary Photographer of the Year, 2020 - Nominee - World Press Joop Swart Masterclass
- Arts
- Audio capture
- Crisis
- Editorial
- Interview
- Portrait
- Video capture
- Video editing
The Price of Conflict
Alana Holmberg
In 2016 I was commissioned by World Bank to produce a series of photo essays, portraits and supporting feature articles to complement a series of 360 degree virtual reality films exploring the price of conflict in four East Asia Pacific countries: Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and Philippines.
In addition to the photographic and written content, I was a key part of the film crew, providing narrative and interview support for each film. For more information and to see the films, visit www.worldbank.s1t2.com.au
And Holland Has Tulips
Alana Holmberg
There was only one person who had Down Syndrome in the town I grew up. His name was Brian and he lived with his family near my high school. Our paths didn’t cross much but when they did, I never knew what to say or how to act around him. Fear of saying the wrong thing usually prevented me from saying anything at all.
I had few opportunities to spend time with people like Brian in my twenties. My discomfort remained intact and unchallenged; a lump in my throat I had done nothing to budge. In that sense, shame was where this work began.
I mentioned the idea to my Aunt and she suggested I call her cousin Lois to discuss the possibility of a project with her daughter, Alyssa. And so it began.
And Holland Has Tulips is multimedia journal, a collection of thoughts and events gathered about my cousin Alyssa, our relationship and what it taught me.
Photographed from April - October 2014 in Melbourne’s western suburbs.