Participants pay $140 each to view the 90 photographs up for grabs and – when their name is pulled out of a hat – put a red dot on their favourite shot, with the photographer’s name later found on the back.

Ballarat International Foto Bienale festival and creative director Fiona Sweet said it was the first time the fundraiser had been held locally instead of Melbourne in the past four years.

She said well-known photographers such as Seamus Murphy, who works with PJ Harvey on her film clips, Helga Leunig, who won the prestigious Bowness Award, Eddie Botha, who currently has his work exhibited on an art tram as part of the Melbourne Festival, and post WWII photographer Maggie Diaz have works entered.

Local photographers taking part include Michelle Dunn, Aldona Kmiec, Paul Lambeth, Craig Holloway, Jeremy Bannister and Ian Kemp.

“All money raised will go into the commissioning of more photographic work for the 2017 biennale which will be held from August 19 to September 17,” Ms Sweet said.

The fundraiser will be held at the Backspace Gallery in Camp Street from 6pm. For tickets go to the website, ballaratfoto.org.

A $25 drinks and nibbles option will also allow people to view the works without bidding, unless they wish to pay the $115 difference to join in.