Michael Rayner (photographer)
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Michael Rayner (born 1951) is an Australian press photographer and photojournalist.


Biography

Michael Rayner was born in
Stockport Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...
UK in 1951, 18 months before his parents Alan and Dorothy migrated with him to the industrial Melbourne bayside suburb Altona, as "
Ten Pound Poms Ten Pound Poms were British citizens who migrated to Australia and New Zealand after the Second World War. The government of Australia initiated the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme in 1945, and the government of New Zealand initiated a simil ...
". During his teenage years Rayner worked a newspaper delivery round. His education at Altona Primary and Altona High limited his study options in his areas of interest; current affairs and news.


News photographer

Having failed his
Matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term ''matriculation'' is seldom used no ...
, Rayner responded to an advertisement for a cadet photographer in ''
The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
'' requiring a lesser qualification of a school
Leaving certificate A secondary school leaving qualification is a document signifying that the holder has fulfilled any secondary education requirements of their locality, often including the passage of a final qualification examination. For each leaving certificate ...
. Though his photographic experience was minimal, Rayner's knowledge of politics secured him a position along with four others from a field of 250 applicants. He commenced on Tuesday 31 December 1968. Ron Lovitt, the pictorial editor who employed him and took a famous picture of the last ball of the tied
Test cricket Test cricket is a Forms of cricket, format of the sport of cricket, considered the game’s most prestigious and traditional form. Often referred to as the "ultimate test" of a cricketer's skill, endurance, and temperament, it is a format of i ...
match between Australia and the West Indies, was an influence on Rayner's photography. In 1972 he won the Sydney E Pratt Award for the best photograph taken by a cadet Australia-wide; it showed VFL footballer
Sam Newman John Noel William "Sam" Newman (born 22 December 1945) is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Geelong Football Club in the Victorian Football League (VFL). A talented and athletic player who served his apprenticeship unde ...
being struck square in the face by the ball he had just missed. For the newspaper Rayner covered news such as the
Franklin River The Franklin River is a major perennial river located in the Central Highlands (Tasmania), Central Highlands and Western Tasmania, western regions of Tasmania, Australia. The river is located in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at ...
blockade. In 1980 he gained a second place in the
Nikon (, ; ) is a Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer. Nikon's products include cameras, camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes, ophthalmic lenses, measurement instruments, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and equipment related to S ...
Awards, the following year winning its Best Sports Photograph of the Year for his graphic and comical capture of
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne Local government ar ...
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
David Dench David Dench (born 23 August 1951) is a former Australian rules footballer in the (then) Victorian Football League. He played his whole career with North Melbourne Football Club during one of its most successful periods. VFL career Dench play ...
's effective smothering of a kick by
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...
's John Roberts, and a second prize for 'Sports' in the 1981
Rothmans Rothmans may refer to: * Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, a Canadian tobacco company * Rothmans International, a former British tobacco manufacturer, founded by Louis Rothman See also

* Rothman, a surname * Rothmans 12 hours, a series of sports car r ...
National Press Photo of the Year, and merit awards for his news and sports images in the Press Photographer of the Year Awards of 1982. Even his earlier editorial photographs provoked an emotional response, and on one occasion he found himself caught up in criminal investigations of corruption in
municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough cou ...
elections. Major influences on his approach were ''Age'' colleagues John Lamb, a multiple
Walkley Award The annual Walkley Awards are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. They cover all media including print, television, documentary, radio, photographic and online media. The Gold Walkley is the highest prize and ...
winner, and Clive McKinnon and Terry Phelan of ''
The Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot Plasma (physics), plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as ...
''. From 1983 to 1999 his remit covered all of the Fairfax-owned media. He meanwhile directed 'Impressions Photography' from a shopfront in
North Melbourne North Melbourne is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north-west of Melbourne's Melbourne central business district, Central Business District, located within the City of Melbourne Local government ar ...
with partner the press photographer Tony Feder for four years from 1983 for around two hundred clients including ''Time'' magazine and ''The
Telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
'' in London, then briefly worked freelance on his own 1987- 1988. Rayner was employed on ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' during 1988–1991, on one assignment photographing socialite
Susan Renouf Susan, Lady Renouf (''née'' Rossiter; 15 July 1942 – 15 July 2016) was an Australian socialite. Her title was acquired through her third marriage to New Zealand businessman Sir Frank Renouf. Early life Renouf was born Susan Rossiter in Mel ...
in a women's refuge, before once again freelancing 1991–1994. He rejoined ''The Age'' in 1994, covering such disparate stories as a ' boot camp' on the
Snowy River The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It originates on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mainland peak, draining the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, before flowing through the ...
for troubled teenage girls, rehearsals of the musical ''
A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...
''. the repurposing of Melbourne's notorious
Pentridge Pentridge is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Sixpenny Handley and Pentridge, in the Dorset district, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England, lying in the north-east of the county. It is situated on the edge of Cranb ...
jail as apartments, and the opposite sides in the battle over logging in old growth forests.


Freelance

Rayner remained with Fairfax until 1999 moving, after a period of teaching, to ''The Weekly Review'' in April 2015 until late 2017, concurrent with freelance assignments for
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
UK, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' USA, and ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'' UK.


Mentor and educator

Rayner served as a judge on The Age/Nikon school photography competition. From 1999 his professional experience in photography enabled a change of direction and an opportunity to mentor others in his role as manager of Feral Fine Art Gallery & Cafe (1999–2004) in rural
Forrest Forrest may refer to: Places Australia *Forrest, Australian Capital Territory *Forrest, Victoria, a small rural township *Division of Forrest, a federal division of the Australian House of Representatives, in Western Australia *Electoral distric ...
, alongside his teaching in the medium at
Photography Studies College Photography Studies College, commonly abbreviated to PSC, is a privately owned independent tertiary photography college established in 1973, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. History 1973 founding Photography Studies College was first ...
(1999-2008) and
Mallacoota Mallacoota is a town in the East Gippsland region in the state of Victoria, Australia. At the 2021 census, Mallacoota had a population of 1,183. It is the last official township on Victoria's east coast before the border with New South Wales. ...
ACFE (2008–2011).


Portraitist

Rayner's approach to pictures of people in the news is influenced by the environmental portraits of
Arnold Newman Arnold Abner Newman (March 3, 1918 – June 6, 2006) was an American photographer, noted for his "environmental portraits" of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images. In 2006, he was induc ...
and
Bill Brandt Bill Brandt (born Hermann Wilhelm Brandt ; 2 May 1904 – 20 December 1983)Paul DelanyBill Brandt: A Life was a British photographer and photojournalism, photojournalist. Born in Germany, Brandt moved to England, where he became known for his ...
and the photojournalism of
W. Eugene Smith William Eugene Smith (December 30, 1918 – October 15, 1978) was an American photojournalist.Peacock, Scot. "W(illiam) Eugene Smith." ''Contemporary Authors Online'', Gale, 2003. ''Biography in Context''. He has been described as "perhaps the si ...
. Alongside his sports photograph, one portrait was awarded a first in the 1980, and a second in the 1982 and 1984 Rothmans Press Awards. His subjects have included
Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...
,
Bob Hawke Robert James Lee Hawke (9 December 1929 – 16 May 2019) was an Australian politician and trade unionist who served as the 23rd prime minister of Australia from 1983 to 1991. He held office as the Australian Labor Party, leader of the La ...
when he resigned from the ACTU and launched his Federal election campaign,
Eddie McGuire Edward Joseph McGuire (born 29 October 1964) is an Australian television and radio presenter, journalist, Australian Football League commentator and former TV executive. He is also an occasional ''Herald Sun'' newspaper columnist. He hosted C ...
,
Paul Keating Paul John Keating (born 18 January 1944) is an Australian former politician and trade unionist who served as the 24th prime minister of Australia from 1991 to 1996. He held office as the leader of the Labor Party (ALP), having previously ser ...
,
Jean Bedford Jean Bedford (born 4 February 1946) is an English-born Australian writer who is best known for her crime fiction, but who has also written novels and short stories, as well as nonfiction. She is also an editor and journalist, and has taught cre ...
,
Kate Langbroek Katherine Langbroek is an Australian comedian, radio and television presenter. Langbroek currently hosts Nine Network's reality program ''My Mum Your Dad''. She is also a regular presenter on '' The Project'' and co-hosts the show on Tuesday nig ...
,
Steven Berkoff Steven Berkoff (born Leslie Steven Berks; 3 August 1937) is an English actor, author, playwright, theatre practitioner and theatre director. As a theatre maker he is recognised for staging work with a heightened performance style known as "Be ...
,
Tony Greig Anthony William Greig (6 October 194629 December 2012) was a South African-born cricketer and commentator. Greig qualified to play for the England cricket team by virtue of his Scottish father. He was a tall () all-rounder who bowled both ...
Guy Pearce Guy Edward Pearce (born 5 October 1967) is an Australian actor. List of awards and nominations received by Guy Pearce, His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award, and nominations for an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy Film Aw ...
,
David Gulpilil David Dhalatnghu Gulpilil (1 July 1953 – 29 November 2021) was an Australian actor and dancer. He was known for his roles in the films Walkabout (film), ''Walkabout'' (1971), Storm Boy (1976 film), ''Storm Boy'' (1976), ''The Last Wave'' (1 ...
, Peter Carey,
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is a British actor. He is the recipient of six Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards (AACTA) and has been recognised as an Honorary Officer of the Order of Australia. Born in Colonia ...
,
Rachel Griffiths Rachel Anne Griffiths (born 1968) is an Australian actress. List of awards and nominations received by Rachel Griffiths, Her accolades include a Golden Globe Award, three AACTA Awards, and nominations for an Academy Award and four Primetime Em ...
,
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,
Andrea Stretton Andrea Stretton (11 March 1952 – 16 November 2007) was an Australian arts journalist and television presenter. She was known as a major advocate for the arts in Australia. Career Andrea Stretton began her major network broadcasting career ...
and Adam Elliot, though not all such assignments went smoothly;
Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival ...
was reported as having treated Rayner 'aggressively' when he attempted to photograph singer
Jimmy Barnes James Dixon Barnes ( Swan; born 28 April 1956) is an Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-selling Australian music a ...
in 'casual clothes'. The resulting images were run by ''The Age'' regardless, with useful publicity for Barnes.


Personal life

Rayner has married once and is divorced, with a son and a daughter.


Books

Aside from numbers of publications in which his photographs are illustrations, Rayner has published; *''Ticket to Ride'', the Australian continent photographed on train journeys with text by Anthony Dennis; * ''Caribbean Odyssey'' showing cricket culture in the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
; * ''Contact Renewed; Australia versus the new South Africa''; on
Test cricket Test cricket is a Forms of cricket, format of the sport of cricket, considered the game’s most prestigious and traditional form. Often referred to as the "ultimate test" of a cricketer's skill, endurance, and temperament, it is a format of i ...
after
apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English:  , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
. * ''Sydney since the Opera House: an architectural walking guide'' *


Collections

*National Library of Australia *State Library of VictoriaRayner, M., & Sunday Observer. (1988). Tracey Curro / Michael Rayner.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rayner, Michael 1951 births Australian photojournalists Australian newspaper people The Age (Melbourne) people Living people