Photographers covering conflicts from Gaza, Iraq and Lebanon to Sudan and East Timor discuss the ethics, risks and power of photographing conflict, trauma and civilian lives across war-affected regions. As photography reaches its 200th birthday, this conversation examines its enduring role in making violence visible. Photojournalists who have worked in Gaza, Sudan, Iraq, Lebanon, East Timor, Ukraine and other conflict zones talk about what it takes to document war and what it costs. Together, the panel will explore who gets to tell the story, how images are verified in the age of AI, and what we owe the people in front of the lens. A powerful, thoughtful conversation.
Contains discussion of war, death and trauma.
Note: All tickets include light refreshments and drinks served from 5pm.
Presented in partnership with the Embassy of France in Australia.
Secure your tickets today: https://events.humanitix.com/head-on-conversations-2026-celebrating-200-years-of-photography
Presenters:
Giles Clarke (UK): an award-winning visual storyteller focused on conflict, displacement, and survival under constant threat. Documenting underreported conflicts across Sudan, Somalia, Libya, Iraq, Yemen and Syria, his practice is grounded in bearing witness to dignity and resilience.
Giles’s work features in Head On Photo Festival 2026 at Paddington Reservoir Gardens.
Kate Geraghty (NSW, Australia): a five-time Walkley winner war photographer, and photojournalist for The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age. Kate was the first Fairfax woman photographer to cover a war. Kate has embraced multimedia platforms as a vehicle in which she has “complete control of the story being told”, being able, alongside a trusted journalist, to edit and provide audio and visuals unencumbered.
Abdelrahman Alkahlout (Palestine/Turkiye): an award-winning Gazan photojournalist. Since beginning his career during the 2014 Gaza war, he has dedicated his practice to capturing the lived reality of civilians under conflict. Joining online.
Abdelrahman’s work features in Head On Photo Festival 2026 at Paddington Reservoir Gardens.
Moderator: Dr Alison Stieven-Taylor (VIC, Australia), a Monash University lecturer and former journalist whose research examines visual journalism, human rights, climate communication and photography’s role in social change. Presented in partnership with the Embassy of France in Australia.
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