The Orloff Awards is an amazing photography competition that was founded and coordinated by Pro Photography WA. This competition is exclusively open for Western Australian student, amateur and professional photographers and it is fittingly named after one of W.A.’s significant photographers, Abraham ‘Izzy’ Orloff. This photography competition has a range of categories to enter, including Portrait, Wedding, Landscape, Commercial, Environmental, Documentary, Travel and Student.
I entered my portfolio of 4 portrait images into the inaugural Orloff Awards in 2023 and I was elated to be selected as a Finalist in the Portrait Category that year. I was keen to enter my latest portfolio of 4 portrait images into this years competition. Following the judging of images in June 2025, I was notified that I was a Finalist in the Portrait Category. The 2025 Orloff Awards ceremony was held in July and I was overjoyed when I discovered that I won The Orloff Awards Portrait Photographer of the Year 2025!
Thank you to both Pro Photography WA for creating this local competition and the main sponsor, Ilford. Sincere thank you to the sponsor of the Portrait Category, Jorgenson Albums. I began using W.A. based Jorgenson Albums when I commenced Wedding Photography, over 20 years ago. Their bespoke Albums are extremely high quality and their service has always been outstanding.
All of the category winners and finalist images are displayed in the State Library of Western Australia until mid January 2026. If you are visiting Perth in the next few months, I highly recommend viewing this incredible exhibition. The gallery of winners and finalists in every category are so inspiring.
I am truly so honoured to be given the title of The Orloff Awards Portrait Photographer of the Year 2025. Below is my winning portfolio of 4 Portrait images.
Who is Izzy Orloff?
Abraham “Izzy” Orloff is one of Western Australia’s most prolific and avant-garde professional photographers throughout the 1920 to 1940’s. Based in Fremantle, he is known for his images of urban life around Fremantle and Perth with his business focusing on portraiture, architecture, streetscapes and captivating images of people.
Born in Ukraine, Izzy migrated to Fremantle in 1912 and later worked at Dease Studios in Barrack Street, Perth where he also developed film for customers. He set up his own business in 1922, La Tosca Studios at North Fremantle where is specialised in portraits, group photos, candid photography at dance halls and provided the Sunday Times with news photographs up until the 1960s.
For well over three decades, Izzy amassed a variety of images that depicted the life of the state at a time of great social upheaval and at a time where producing photographs was time-consuming and expensive.
Although he worked as a portrait artist and worked for the press, Orloff was arguably best known for his streetscapes, for which he used a large format camera to produce high quality panoramic images. Working in Fremantle he also captured many maritime arrivals, including this image of the HMS Hood arriving in the harbour in 1924.
As one of WA’s premier professional photographers, it is fitting that the Western Australian Professional Photography Awards be named after Abraham “Izzy” Orloff and be known as the “The Orloff Awards”.
