2021 : 04 April Alex Mao Youth Photo Award

Andy Tao; Early bird in the backlight
Andy Tao; Beauty outside window
Andy Tao; Life
Angel Jacobson; Seeing Double; A singular photo, seemingly taken using double exposure, showing the inside of the house and the view.
Sharon Sun; A small pretty thing ; People are often perceived by others in a certain way
Sharon Sun; Paranoid 2.0; Being trapped by germophobia
Sharon Sun; Paranoid; Being trapped by germophobia
Tre Brett Merlo; “Blind to Nature’s Torch” “Matapo ki te rama taiao”;I wanted to capture a photograph that portrays a unique perspective of “Xenophobia” or more commonly known as “Fear of the Unknown”. “Blind to Nature’s Torch” captures a beautiful shot of the milky way, with a figure positioned in the foreground, using a head torch to illuminate a narrow area before them. The title “Blind to Nature’s Torch” is influenced by the xenophobia I felt when I captured this photograph, the fear of the dark, the unknown. My first instinct was to wear a head torch so the surrounding area was visible, however the light limited my perspective of the stars (nature’s torch) above. It wasn't until I turned the head torch off that I awoke to the beauty of the night sky as it illuminated the surrounding environment. This experience of being awoken to the beauty in the unknown, has become a common occurrence in photography for me. Photography has not only allowed me to tame fears, but has opened my e
Tre Brett Merlo; Boundless Journey
Tre Brett Merlo; White Faced Heron Matuku Moana;This photograph has a simplistic setting in which I was able to capture the elegance of this beautiful bird, a white faced heron. In post editing I chose to make the required adjustments to create a plain background, building on the foreground leading into the main focus of the image. The rock was positioned to the left of the main focus in an attempt to break up the image slightly. The composition of the photograph gives it an ethereal feeling, creating the perspective of a heavenly presence.
Angel Jacobson; Pearly Gates
Angel Jacobson; Saturday Night

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