Amateur and professional photographers from across the nation are invited to submit their interpretation of life in Australia for one of the country’s most prestigious photography exhibitions and prizes at the City of Sydney’s Australian Life photography competition.
The City of Sydney is calling for submissions that reflect Australia’s diversity, from remote landscapes, to family celebrations, thought-provoking images or humorous takes on life. The competition offers a $10,000 cash photography prize and the opportunity to be featured in an outdoor exhibition in Hyde Park.
“Australian Life began 20 years ago this year, and we’re very proud that it’s now established as one of the country’s most renowned photography competitions,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
“We’ve seen dramatic changes across the nation in the two decades since the competition was launched, including a pandemic and unprecedented disasters. Photographs are a vital way of capturing and recording life from the most heart-breaking moments to the most celebratory and joyous.”
“Each year we’re delighted to receive hundreds of unique images that tell non-stereotypic, everyday stories of life in Australia, from the lives and struggles of ordinary people to the dramatic landscapes of the outback.”
“And after a two-year hiatus due to Covid, it will be wonderful to once again see a selection of images exhibited through Hyde Park for everyone to enjoy and learn more about the stories behind each image,” said the Lord Mayor.
The City is calling for images taken over the past 12 months that illustrate Australia as a place that offers many varied and unique experiences for everyone. 28 finalist images will be selected by a panel of judges to feature in the Hyde Park exhibition, which runs from 15 September to 9 October.
The Australian Life winner will be announced at the opening of the exhibition. A People’s Choice award winner will also be announced at the opening of the exhibition and receive a $5,000 Olympus professional pack.
In 2021, the competition’s youngest entrant was the winner. At just 19, Georgia Brogan from Stanmore, NSW was selected for her work Youth.
The image shows a pensive young girl in the back of a dimly lit car. The judges described Georgia’s work as “nostalgic, romantic and beautiful” and something they’d “want to put on the cover of a book.”
Australian Life is part of the City of Sydney’s year-round Art & About program of events and temporary art projects in unusual spaces throughout the city.
Entries for the Australian Life competition are now open and close at midnight on Tuesday 24 May 2022. For more information, including competition terms and conditions, visit: www.artandabout.com.au for details.
Image: Georgia Brogan, Youth – winner of Australian Life 2021