Ben Apfelbaum

My photography began when my father handed me the proverbial brownie box camera as a child. As cameras developed I went through Fujica and Olympus range finders graduating to my first single lens reflex camera, the Minolta SRT101, the latter being the greatest facilitator to my growth as a photographer. Digital photography has only added to this.

I was a regular contributor to Camera Craft magazine (Australian Camera ) for over three years.

During Australia’s Bicentennial year (1988) I made it a personal project to document the celebrations. This culminated in the creation of a book of my photos which was published in 1989. The book was called CELEBRATING AUSTRALIA and came with an accompanying calendar.

My works have appeared in a number of publications including the coffee book entitled MY AUSTRALIA (1989), publisher Robertsbridge Severn. This book had a preface by the then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

I was a co-photographer on a book entitled SYDNEY-DISCOVER THE CITY with text written by Robert Treborland. Major Mitchell Press was the publisher.

Also for two years I was the photographer for calendars celebrating Sydney’s multicultural communities. The two calendars were entitled MULTICULTURAL SYDNEY.

My work appeared in a group exhibition held at Sydney’s Town Hall pertaining to the diversity of life in South America to raise money for orphanages there.

I have over one hundred photos stored in the New South Wales State Library archive. I had a solo exhibition held in 2007 entitled Ben’s Lens at the Sydney Jewish Museum which celebrated the vibrancy of the Sydney Jewish community. Some of these photos are on the Museum’s permanent display. I have exhibited internationally firstly at the Spruill Gallery in Atlanta Georgia, united states, and in an exhibition entitled Kosher and Co at the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

Currently I am a regular contributor to J-Wire and this esteemed publication.

709 posts by Ben Apfelbaum

jagged little pill : a great night out

JAGGED LITTLE PILL comes to Australia with stellar credentials having garnered fifteen Tony nominations and winning two awards for Best Book of a Musical for Diablo Cody and Best featured Actress in a Musical for Lauren Pattenand a

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a new beginning for the theatre royal

There has been some form of the Theatre Royal on or near its current site since 1833. There have been four iterations of the Theatre Royal including the rebuilding from a fire and the current theatre which rose from the

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valerie marshall strong olsen : a rare sensibility

The Rainer Hof Gallery at the National Art School was the setting for the opening of the exhibition of Valerie Marshall Strong Olsen’s work entitled A Rare Sensibility on Thursday 18th November, 2021.

Rainer Hof was the artist who did

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lisa wilkinson shines @ dymocks literary luncheon

When Lisa Wilkinson spoke at the Dymocks Literary Lunch, the luncheon attracted a very different demographic from the usual silver haired women with the occasional silver haired man. 

The new demographic ranged from a three month old baby girl to

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dick smith : my adventurous life : book launch

The preceding Dymocks Literary Lunch and the current one I am writing  about, have a striking thing in common – both Thomas Keneally and Dick Smith are listed by the National Trust as ‘National ‘Living Treasures’. 

Dick Smith’s early childhood

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thomas keneally : is this his last bloody good rant?

The latest appearance in the series of Dymocks Literary Luncheons at the Four Seasons Hotel was Thomas Keneally. He is unique for many reasons. He has officially been designated as one of Australia’s ‘Living Treasures’. He has appeared on a

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valerie marshall strong olsen : a rare sensibility

As is often the case a great male artist will often overshadow the talents of his wife or partner.

Indeed, John Olsen is still pouring out works well into his nineties. In an ABC’s  ‘Australian Story’ Olsen lamented the fact

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