Hamish Appleby, Stuart at Pellegrini’s (PEOPLE & PORTRAIT 2026)

Stuart Bruce is a Melbourne-based actor, writer and director. For this portrait we wanted a location that felt unmistakably Melbourne, choosing Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar as both setting and visual character. Photographed through the front window, the portrait incorporates reflections, neon light and the layered interior of the café, creating a more cinematic and ambiguous image than a conventional actor portrait.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.