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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

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Back to earth, 2019

Julian Dolman

Living Memory Finalist

I took this portrait of my father Michael a few weeks before he passed away. The moment when taking it felt quite surreal, as if I somehow knew it would be the last shot taken of him. He is standing under his mother's oak tree, which grew from an acorn taken from their home town of Flint, Wales. He seemed at peace (perhaps for the first time in all the time I knew him), and ready for whatever journey awaited. I took the photo on my Contax G2 using Kodak Portra film.

Courtesy of the artist
© The artist

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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

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