HOTA, Home of the Arts, has announced the winners of the Young Crop Photography Award 2022, a new award launched to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award.

The winning photographers are awarded a share in a prize pool valued at $2000. Following a nationwide call out, young photographers aged 5-17 were encouraged to explore their surroundings with a camera in hand and submit works that shared their own unique perspectives. Tracy Cooper-Lavery, Director, Gallery and Visual Arts, HOTA shared her thoughts on each winner.

Winner 5 – 7 years: Looking from the car window by June Chapman. Age 5, NSW.

“The strong composition and verticality in Looking from the car window are heightened through the upward perspective of this young photographer. We’re looking at the everyday in a new and novel way, captivated by the relationship between nature and constructed form. Nicely captured, June!”

Winner 8 – 11 years: Possum Magic by Bella Rojas. Age 9, QLD.

“Bella’s Possum Magic at first glance shows a cute familial connection. Upon closer inspection and with a hint from the title, we see that reality is stretched and a little technical trickery is at play. The humour in this photograph simply made me smile. A fun photograph Bella!”

Winner 12 – 14 years: Two boys walk around school by Cameron Spencer. Age 14, NSW.

“The straightforward representation of this familiar scene and conscious choice to present Two boys walk around school in black and white leans into documentary-style photography. The composition of horizontal and vertical lines infused with the subtle interplay of students frames a traditional schoolyard as a time-honoured place to navigate school life. A strong image Cameron!”

Winner – 15 – 17 years: State Lights by Dominic Waite. Age 16, QLD.

“What I liked about Dominic’s photograph State Lights is the idea of contemporary image-making through abstraction and action. The light drawing radiates a sense of liquid motion and intensity. There is energy and tension between light and dark and the shades in between. A wonderfully charged image Dominic!”

The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award Exhibition is open now until 8 Jan, HOTA Gallery, 10am-4pm daily. For the full school holiday program visit https://hota.com.au/news/explore-hota-these-school-holidays

Readers also enjoyed our story on The Bowl opening Boonah