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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.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

Muni, 2024

Raoul Slater

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 Finalist

wet plate collodion tintype (image: 24.5cm x 19.5cm. sheet: 50.0cm x 40.0cm. frame: 42.2cm x 36.8cm depth 4.4cm)
Muni, 2024

‘Wet plate collodion was the pre-eminent photographic technology of the 1860s. The images exist as highlights of pure silver metal on a black background. The process is arcane, alchemical and potentially explosive. Fickle too, as a tiny deviation in the workflow may result in the complete absence of emulsion. Muni kindly sat for a portrait in my Pomona studio. We relinquished our control to the process, and it imposed its will upon us. In our flaws we find our greatest strength.’

Raoul Slater is a photographer from Pomona on the land of the Kabi Kabi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He has recently been working in the medium of wet plate collodion.

People's Choice Award

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025

The People’s Choice Award is generously supported by the Calvert-Jones Foundation, with the artist who wins the most votes receiving $10,000.

Voting closes Sunday 28 September 2025.

Submit vote

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025
(More information, View all 48 photos)

Megan's place
Mary at Momob
Dylan & Sarah in bed
Past, PRESENT, Future

Other NPPP photos from Raoul Slater
(More information)

Halloween – Sam Slater and Andy Lavender, 2009 by Raoul Slater
2011 Finalist

Related information

Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot), 2024 Hoda Afshar
Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot), 2024 Hoda Afshar
Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot), 2024 Hoda Afshar
Untitled #01 (from the series Code Black/Riot), 2024 Hoda Afshar

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025

Current exhibition

from Saturday 16 August

The NPPP is an annual prize for Australian photographers. The year’s most outstanding photographic portrait is awarded a $30,000 cash prize and photographic equipment valued at $20,000 courtesy of our Imaging Partner, Canon Australia.
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The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance
The National Portrait Gallery building front entrance

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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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