Serena Kirby, Denmark Bulletin

Photographer Nic Duncan recently collected the best portrait print award and the Izzy Orloff award for overall best portrait in WA’s 2023 Pro Photography competition.

The winning image for both awards was of Denmark man Andre Steyl who Nic said had been one of her all time favourite faces to photograph.

“I’ve photographed Andre many times over the years and you could say he’s my muse,” Nic said.

“He’s a unique character and very easy to photograph and we both always enjoy the experience.”

Nic said that the strong graphic composition of the photo was designed to reflect parts of Andre’s life and personality.

Andre, who had polio as a child and spent a long time in an iron lung, suffers from paralysis of his upper limbs.

“Andre doesn’t get out much now so I shot the image at his home in front of a circular window to show a connection to the outside world,” Nic said.

“The big white square on his wall is where he brings the world to him by screening movies at home and I wanted to show Andre as if he were coming out of the box as you definitely can’t contain Andre in a box.”

Andre said he was getting used to the fact that his face is now famous and that Nic’s win was no surprise.

“I knew she’d win,” he said.

“I just didn’t know with which photo.”

This article appeared in the Denmark Bulletin, 26 October 2023.