About the Artist
Wendy McDougall wendypollymak@gmail.com
Wendy McDougall is an award-winning freelance photographer and photo based artist.
With over 40 years of experience, Wendy started her photographic career in the music business in 1979. She sold her first photo to The Angels and went on making iconic pictures of iconic musicians such as INXS, Crowded House, Paul Kelly, Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes, Diesel, Divinyls, Ross Wilson and many others. From this platform Wendy branched into other creative arenas such as theatre, film & television and documentary photography.
Wendy won the inaugural ‘Best Photographer’ AWMA [Women in Music Awards]. A retrospective exhibition of her work was then shown in Sydney and Melbourne. From the success of the show Wendy released a book under the same title - ‘it’s only rock’n’roll but I like it..’
Since 1984 Wendy has exhibited her work in 19 solo and over 57 group exhibitions.
Photographs by Wendy are held in collections of National Library of Australia, NSW State Library, Museum of Sydney and the Powerhouse Museum
Wendy resides in the Snowy Mountain region of NSW.
Current Personal Series -
‘Organic Matters’ - mixed media series of images inspired by nature in the NSW Snowy Region
Full list of exhibitions here:
a Exhibitions UPDATED 2023.pdf
Positions Held:
2022 to current day - Charing Cross Photo [working remotely and in person] - Photography Competition Curator & Judge, Social Media Manager, Marketing, Photo Consultant & Workshops, Q8 Gallery co-ordinater
1979 to current day - Freelance Photographer
Volunteer Work
2023 - to current day - elected to the Raglan Gallery Board in November 2023, Cooma NSW
Exhibitions & Awards [including but not limited to]
19 solo and 57 group exhibitions since 1984 including:
2024 ~ SEMI FINALISTS - Landscapes ‘HEAD ON Portrait Prize’ - Sydney
2024 ~ WINNER - Australia Day Award - Arts & Culture - Snowy Monaro Region
2022 - FINALIST - Blue Mountains Portraits - Katoomba
2021 ~ FINALIST - ‘Number One/Gudinski’ - Ballarat Biennale Foto Festival
2021 ~ FINALIST - ‘Olive Cotton Portrait Award’ - Tweed Regional Gallery
2019 ~ SEMI FINALIST - ‘Moran Prize’ - Sydney
2018 ~ WINNER - AWMA [Australian Women in Music Awards] – Best Music Photographer
2013 & 2006 ~ FINALIST x 2 - ‘HEAD ON Portrait Prize’ + Shortlisted x 5 other times, Sydney
2003, 2004, 2007, 2008 ~ FINALIST x 4 - ‘Art & About’ - Sydney Life
2008 ~ FINALIST - ‘National Portrait Prize’ – National Portrait Gallery in Canberra
2004 ~ FINALIST / WINNER - `Josephine Ulrick Photography Prize’ - WON Highly Commended prize
1988 ~ FINALIST - ‘Brussels Awards’ - Brussels, Europe
2024 - ‘Just For Members’ - Raglan Gallery, Cooma NSW group show
2023 - ‘Shot’ - State Library of NSW - group exhibition
2023 - ‘Time For A Moment’ - Raglan Gallery, Cooma NSW - solo show
2023 ~ Viewfinder - photography from 1970’s to now - group show, National Library of Australia, ACT
2022 ~ Sydney Contemporary Art Fair - Carriageworks, NSW
2021 & 2022 ~ ‘See The Music’ - group show Focal Point Gallery, Geelong Vic
2020 ~ 2024 ‘Pub Rock’ - National Portrait Gallery, ACT, and various touring venues around Australia
2019 & 2021 ~ ‘it’s only rock’n’roll but I like it…’ – solo show Sydney, Melbourne, Wollongong
2013 & 2014 ~ ‘Paul Kelly Portraits’ - National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. Exhibition
2011 ~ ‘Alice - through my Looking Glass’ - Part of Head On Festival
2009 ~ ‘An Unread World’ - solo show - Head On Festival
2005 ~ ‘Architectural Dreaming’ - solo show - Australian Technology Park
2001 ~ ‘So You Wanna Be A Rock Star’ - National Portrait Gallery, ACT
2001 ~ ‘Portrait of a Park’ - Museum of Sydney
1996 ~ ‘WOW’ - group show & co-curator, Stills Gallery
1996 ~ ‘S’urreal Thing’ – group show with Lewis Morley, Brendan Read & Bill Mosely
1995 ~ ‘…and then there was man’ - solo show, Toast Gallery
1994 ~ ‘Real Wild Child’ - Powerhouse Museum
1993 - ‘Love & Instincts… the Girls’ - solo show, POD Theatre Gallery
1991 ~ ‘Still Noise’ - group show Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Paris
Books [including but not limited to]
~ ‘it’s only rock’n’roll but I like it...’ - music photography of Wendy McDougall, released 2020
~ ‘Taytas Lebanese & Mediterranean Kitchen’ – cookbook released Dec 2018
~ ‘Collecting For The Nation’ Australiana Fund – Showing the Collections and furniture in Kirribilli House & Admiralty House in Sydney, The Lodge and Government House in Canberra.
~ ‘This Will Explain Everything’ – Jeff Duff. Life story
~ ‘Something Buzzing’ & ‘Can I Come In?’ – 2 ebooks published by Rhinoceros Publishers.
~ ‘Classical Destinations – an armchair guide to classical music’ published to coincide with the SBS TV series of the same name. This coffee table book shot in Europe, Scandinavia and Russia following the lives of classical composers.
~ ‘Taytas Lebanese Kitchen’ – cookbook published by Writelight Publishers.
~ Indij Readers create contemporary Indigenous literacy material for students learning to read and write. Wendy is a collaborative author of five books from series 2 and series 3.
~ ‘Still Noise’ – Australian Rock’ n’ Roll photography. Wendy is one of 5 photographers in this title.
Films, Television and Documentaries – stills [including but not limited to]
2017 – ‘Wayne’ – Feature documentary directed by Jeremy Sims
2016 – ‘Bonds’ – Commercial directed by Jeremy Sims
2014 - ‘Last Cab To Darwin’ – Feature film directed by Jeremy Sims
2013 - ‘Z Special’ - SBS documentary
2012 – ‘Aim High’ - Feature documentary written & directed by Anna Broinowski
2011 - ‘Crownies’ – ABC TV – Television drama series
2010 - ‘COPS LAC’ - Channel 9 – Television drama series
2010 - ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Feature film written & directed by Julia Leigh
2009 - ‘Beneath Hill 60’ - Feature film - written by David Roach, Directed by Jeremy Sims
2009 - ‘Polly & Me’ - Short film - Written & Directed by Ian Darling, Shark Productions
2005 - ‘Classical Destinations’ – an armchair guide to classical music
Client – Bredon Wells - Europe & Russia - Book produced of the same name.
2002 - ‘Hymns of the Forefathers’ – history of hymns - shot in England
Client – Bredon Wells Pty Ltd / TV series - Book produced of the same name.
1998 - ‘Sore’ - Short film - Written & directed by Jeremy Sims
THEATRE [including but not limited to:]
Clients include:
Pork Chop Productions - worked 25 years with PCP
Bell Shakespeare, STC, Griffin Theatre, Tamarama Rock Surfers, Australian Opera Company, ACTT, ATYP
VIDEO - most iinks found via You Tube
2020 - ‘Rest In Peace’ music video by Men From Earth. Director and camera operator
2020 - ‘Fallen Angel’ - music video by Melissa Black. Camera operator
2019 - ‘Eden’ - music video by Melissa Black. Camera operator
2019 - ‘I Want My Money back’ - music video by Sherene & Jono Abo. Dir & Camera
2018 - ‘Red Blood Moon’ - music video by Melissa Black. Camera operator
2018 - ‘FOK ROK teaser for Blue Mountains Uke Festival 2018’ - Director, camera and editor
2018 - ‘FOK ROK Blue Mountains Uke Festival 2018 teaser 2 - Director, camera and editor
2017 - ‘L’ETape at Dalgety’ - short doco on the Le’Tape event NSW- Director, Camera Operator & edited
2017 – ‘Not Another War Story’ [working title] – Documentary by Chris Wilcox [Director & Writer] Camera operator
2017 – ‘Jenquine’ – advertising interview series. Director and camera operator
2016 – ‘Jenquine’ – advertising interviews & stills. Director and cameras
2016 – ‘No One Knows’ – FOK ROK - Music Video. Director and camera operator & editor
2016 – ‘Abracadabra’ – FOK ROK - Music Video. Director and camera operator & editor
2016 – PSA Conference – Camera operator
2016 – ‘Shake & Stomp’ - Circle Music – advertising video for children’s music program. Camera operator & editor
2015 - ‘Gaps Between The Stars’ – Last Cab To Darwin, the ‘making of’ video. CO-Director and camera operator
2015 - ‘Slowly Slow’ - Music video by Felicity Fox - Co Director and camera operator
2015 – Riversong – ‘Men From Earth’ - Music Video shoots x 3. Director & camera operator
2014 – ‘Because’ – art video – Director and images
2012 – ‘Bears With Guns’ – Music Video. Director
2011 – ‘Evolution’ – Vote For Mary - Music Video. Director
SKILLS
Photography – portrait, documentary, stills, art
Photoshop - retouching
Workshops & One on One Photography Sessions
Mentoring
Curator
PRESS on Wendy McDougall:
https://sunstudiosaustralia.com/sunroom/a-career-without-compromise-wendy-mcdougall
https://theindustryobserver.thebrag.com/wendy-mcdougall-interview/
http://www.culturemad.com/2019/04/24/an-interview-with-music-photographer-wendy-mcdougall/
https://www.qt.com.au/news/tears-tributes-at-inaugural-australian-women-in-mu/3546522/
