2021 : 04 April Alex Mao Youth Photo Award

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
Hayden Potter; Autumn
Hayden Potter; Busy night
Aileen Chen; Mum in our bathroom
Marco nehme; Gone fishing
Mattheus Elwood; Teenage morning routine; This is a photo for my year 12 board I'm currently working on about Derealization
Mattheus Elwood; BLM Protest Queen Street ;The closer you look the more emotion and meaning you can see, from the anarchy symbol on the road sign to the expression of the passionate protesters.

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