Turning the lens on Australian Life

Amateur and professional photographers are invited to submit images that depict their interpretation of life in Australia for one of the country's most prestigious photography exhibitions and prizes.

Snappers across the country can enter the City of Sydney's Australian Life photography competition with the chance to win $10,000 and have their work showcased in an outdoor exhibition in Hyde Park.

The annual competition and exhibition profiles everyday stories of Australia in all its forms, from the lives of everyday people to the rugged landscape of the outback.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the much-loved competition provides an insight into the unique and varied lives of people from across the country.

"This is our 17th year running the Australian Life competition and the quality and range of entries we receive just gets better and better," the Lord Mayor said.

"This is an opportunity for both established and emerging photographers to share their most engaging and intriguing images that depict Australian life in all its beautiful diversity and complexity."

A panel of judges comprising Mags King, managing photographic editor for Sydney Morning Herald;artist and First Nations Creative Producer at Australian Design Centre, Dennis Golding; and artist and UTS Director of Photography, Cherine Fahd, will select 28 finalist images.

The images will be blown up to large-scale portraits for the exhibition. Curated by photographer Sandy Edwards, the exhibition will run along St James walkway in Hyde Park from 19 September to 6 October.

In 2018, Joshua Morris from Marrickville won the $10,000 prize for his image of a flamenco dancer performing to residents of an aged care home. Titled Pepa Molina, and some of the residents of the Parque Habitacional, the judges described the image as "a real celebration of a female artist in the centre of practice".

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 close at midnight on Sunday 16 June.

Read more about the competition, including terms and conditions, at artandabout.com.au

For media inquiries or images, contact City of Sydney Senior Media Advisor Elaine Kelly. Phone 0477 362 550 or email [email protected]

For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Julia Lenton. Phone 0410 748 039 or email [email protected]