A tender photograph capturing a Palestinian grandmother caring for her grandson in a coma has earned recognition at Australia's premier photography festival, bringing international attention to both personal struggles and broader humanitarian issues. Kate Geraghty, chief photographer for The Sydney Morning Herald, has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious portraiture category at the Head On Photo Festival for her moving image of Najah al-Rajabi and her grandson Awad in occupied East Jerusalem.

The photograph tells the heartbreaking story of the al-Rajabi family in the Silwan neighborhood's Batn al-Hawa area. Najah al-Rajabi, a 69-year-old widow, tenderly cares for her grandson Awad Nasser al-Rajabi, who has been living in a coma for six years. The family faces an imminent eviction deadline of November 14, with Israeli authorities threatening to forcibly remove them if they don't vacate voluntarily. The weight of potential homelessness for 18 family members living in the house terrifies the elderly woman, who constantly worries about who will care for Awad after she passes away.

Awad's bedroom has been transformed as part of a neighborhood art project called "I Witness Silwan," created by pro-Palestinian artists who covered the walls with vibrant yellow and orange flowers. This artistic initiative aims to draw attention to the ongoing displacement of Palestinian families from their homes. The family's decision to allow Awad to be photographed for the first time wasn't just about highlighting their personal plight, but about representing the broader struggles faced by Palestinians throughout the region.

"It's an incredible honor to be a finalist among such talented photographers," Geraghty said about her nomination. "The main thing for me is that it's another opportunity for their story to be told. I'm proud that the Herald continues to tell stories like this." Her work exemplifies the power of photojournalism to give voice to those facing seemingly impossible circumstances while maintaining the dignity and humanity of her subjects.

The Head On Photo Festival, which begins Friday with its award ceremony, represents Australia's largest photography celebration. Running throughout November, the festival showcases an impressive array of independently selected images from 700 photographers representing countries around the world. The exhibition spans 110 free displays across Australia, making world-class photography accessible to diverse audiences in multiple locations.

Bondi Beach's promenade will host one of the festival's most popular exhibitions, featuring a collection of Walkley Award-winning sports photography. Among the featured works is a piece by Herald photographer Wolter Peeters, whose image appears in "Sporting Moments through the lens: 70 years of Walkley Awards" along the iconic beachfront. Other major exhibition venues include the Bondi Pavilion Gallery and Paddington's Reservoir Gardens, each offering unique settings for experiencing powerful visual storytelling.

The festival will also present the Australian premiere of "The Stringer," a controversial documentary that investigates disputed claims surrounding one of the most recognizable images from the Vietnam War. The film examines allegations that "The Terror of War," commonly known as the "Napalm Girl" photograph, may not have been taken by the photographer who sold it to Associated Press, raising questions about authenticity and attribution in photojournalism.

Head On director Moshe Rosenzveig founded the festival after feeling that photographic exhibitions in the early 2000s were exclusionary and inaccessible to many artists. His team now reviews thousands of submissions annually, all judged anonymously to ensure fair evaluation. "The variety is huge," Rosenzveig explained, noting that Geraghty's portraiture prize finalist stood out as "a beautiful portrait, lots of emotion in a very powerful, intimate moment between the grandmother and grandson."

The festival's commitment to showcasing diverse voices and stories from around the globe reflects photography's unique ability to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers. From intimate family moments in conflict zones to celebrations of athletic achievement, the selected works demonstrate how photographers continue to document the full spectrum of human experience, ensuring that important stories reach audiences who might otherwise never encounter them.