Finalists for City of Sydney Photography Competition Revealed

30 finalists have been selected from nearly 3000 entries across Australia for the City of Sydney’s annual Australian Life photography competition.

Impressively, and for the second year in a row, ten of the finalists are aged 13 to 17.

Matt Horspool, award-winning photographer and one of this year’s judges, said the quality of the entries left the panel with a difficult task.

“It was really challenging to narrow down the shots this year, as the shortlisted group was so strong that we needed to nitpick to whittle the finalists down to their current number,” Horspool said.

“The thing that stood out to me this year was the quality of the under-18 works. The creative eye that some of these young people have is astounding.”

Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore said the breadth of styles across the entrants was admirable. 

“We’ve been running this competition for more than 20 years and the quality of the work as well as the sheer range of subjects captured leave a deep impression,” the Lord Mayor said.

“It really is a privilege to be able to share these often incredibly intimate moments captured through the lens.”

“This incredible collection will be on display at Customs House Square in Circular Quay and the finalists will also be exhibited on our digital screens across the city.”

A panel of three judges – Matt Horspool, photographer Milly Hooper and last year’s winner Hank Paul will have the difficult decision of choosing the final winners.

The winning adult entry takes home a $10,000 cash prize while the under 18 winner receives $2,000 and an OM System camera pack worth around $2,500.

Hundreds of works from the city’s littest snappers

Australia’s youngest artists have also taken the opportunity to show the world from their point of view, with 360 entries from children aged 5 to 12 for the Little Sydney Lives photography competition.

Pictures of family life, sport, play and more were reviewed by a judging panel of professional photographers who selected this year’s finalists.

“It is such a delight to see the city through the eyes of these budding photographers,” the Lord Mayor said.

“Our youngest residents have such a unique, uninhibited take on life. It’s fantastic to see them letting their imagination run wild in this year’s competition.”

Australian Life and Little Sydney Lives are part of the City of Sydney’s Art & About program, which presents events and temporary art projects in unusual spaces.

All finalists will have their images exhibited at Customs House Square from 31 July to 24 August and the winner will be revealed during the exhibition opening.