Refocus Retreat

20/08/2025

17/08/2025

101 Lydiard … right in the middle of the action and where you’ll find us later this week!

Final tickets now on sale!

Your ticket includes:
📸 - All your keynotes and workshops selections for both Retreat days - by some fantastic female speakers!
📸 - Morning Tea on Thursday and Friday, Lunch and Afternoon Tea Thursday
📸 - Thursday Cocktail Dinner at Grainery Lane ( drinks at bar prices)
Lots of fun freebies and new friends!

Ballarat International Foto Biennale - Extra Perks
📸 - Biennale’s Friday Night Trivia ( collab with RR & Nikon presenting)
📸 - Refocus VIP discounted rate on Biennale Opening Weekend Pass

14/08/2025

We are beyond thrilled to have Forough join us again at Refocus Retreat … this year kicking us off with the opening keynote address!

Forough Yavari is a Melbourne-based visual artist, fine art portrait and fashion photographer, and educator. With over 20 years of experience in the art and photography industry, and a foundation in painting from art university, she has built a distinguished career since establishing her photography business in 2013. Her work draws on her Iranian heritage and Australian life experiences to create compelling visual narratives that bridge cultures and perspectives.

Her works have been exhibited globally in solo and group shows, as well as in prestigious art fairs and competitions. A master of studio lighting, she frequently shares her expertise through workshops and presentations for photographers worldwide.

Forough’s dedication to transforming life’s stories into art has earned her numerous accolades,
including the ICC Mentorship Award, two International Portrait Photographer of the Year titles,
two Grand Awards from The Portrait Masters, and two Grand Awards from WPPI. She is also the winner of the Capture magazine Advertising & Fashion category, a finalist in the National Portrait Gallery Portrait Prize, the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, the Martin Kantor Art Prize, and recipient of multiple national and international awards.

In recent years, her artistic practice has expanded beyond photography to encompass largescale sculptures, installations, and video art. Through these works, she continues to push the boundaries of visual storytelling, capturing the layered emotional landscapes that define her
personal and artistic journey.

11/08/2025

Watch this space … schedule to be announced soon!

11/08/2025

And our final speaker announcement for 2025 is the freshly minted Australian Nature Photographer of the Year (NZIPP) … oh yeah and the overall Australian Professional Photographer of the year (NZIPP) … Jo Howell!

You won’t want to miss this workshop!

Based in Melbourne, Victoria, Jo Howell is an award-winning photographer specialising in wildlife, nature, and illustrative photography. With extensive experience across Australia and abroad, Jo’s portfolio captures fleeting moments with a mix of technical precision and heartfelt storytelling.

Her accolades include 2025 Australian Professional Photographer of the Year at the IRIS Awards, alongside multiple national and international honours. Jo also works with Zoos Victoria, creating images that inspire conservation and connection with wildlife.

Warm, approachable, and endlessly curious, Jo brings an infectious enthusiasm to her photography.

11/08/2025

We are nearly there and just two speakers left to announce!

Everyone give it up for the incredible Kate Atkins … presented by .pro.lab!

Kate Atkins has run an award winning graphic design business before working with husband Paul to re-branding and run Atkins Lab. Kate is a life-time practitioner (and teacher) of graphic design and design led innovation as well as having worked in the photographic industry for over 30 years. We can’t wait to listen to her talk about all things personal branding!

03/08/2025

A super special opening weekend offer is available for all retreat attendees … we can not wait!

03/08/2025

Have you booked your ticket … yes we are still announcing speakers - an amazing couple of days are coming for us!

Jody Haines (palawa) is a Naarm (Melbourne)-based artist whose practice emerges from a deep connection to Country, memory and time. Rooted in Indigenous feminist known materialism, her works form a dialogue between the past and present, and between Country, body, and self. Through large-scale public art, projections, and photographic installations, Jody explores themes of identity, representation, and the complexities of the female gaze.

Image credit: Self portrait, 2025, Jody Haines, photomedia artist.

27/07/2025

Did you think we were finished with speaker announcements … not a chance!

Meet Holly Difford …

Holly, through her craft, invites women into more than just an intimate portrait session—she conjures a rebellion. Bo***ir Queen works with women to step into their own spotlight, curve their own narrative, and kiss outdated beauty standards goodbye. Her work is a love letter to her own journey of self-acceptance and a rallying cry for every woman ready to reclaim her image—and her damn power. Each session is a glorious unveiling of story, scars, softness, and laced with grit, drenched in glamour.

We can’t wait to have Holly along next month!

19/07/2025

Introducing …

Christina de Water
Photographer | Visual Storyteller | Creative Director

Christina de Water is an Australian-Dutch photographer renowned for her organic, freehand style that captures life’s nuances with visual surprise. Graduating with First Class Honours in Photography from Prahan College in Melbourne, she honed her craft in esteemed fashion studios before venturing into editorial and travel photography in Sydney. Her journey led her to London, where she managed one of the city’s top advertising photography studios.

A pivotal moment in her career was co-founding Wildlight Photo Agency in 1985, Australia’s first photographic agency dedicated to promoting authentic Australian imagery globally. Under her leadership, Wildlight showcased the nation’s diverse landscapes and cultures to international audiences.

Can not wait to hear from Christina this !

13/07/2025

She’s back!

With an enquiring mind and a desire to explore Janis is a multidisciplinary photographic artist working within the professional and creative realms of her craft.

Joining is for her 5th retreat she will be leading the morning photowalk and hosting a workshop to explore all things Polaroid!