Local student shortlisted in 2015 Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus Program

James Farley’s winning image, ‘Gordon Dam, Tasmania’.   © James Farley, Charles Sturt University, Australia, Shortlist, Student Focus, 2015 Sony World Photography Awards

Commenting on his photograph, James Farley said: “The image was taken in 2014 during a practice and research trip exploring the multiple uses of Tasmania’s State and National Parks. The on-going impact that the hydro scheme has had on local ecosystems and biodiversity is traded for the economic and social value of renewable energy. The complexities of such issues are being explored through an on-going research project that seeks to uncover alternative ways to prescribe value to land, environments and ecosystems beyond their economic potential.”

The awards are the world’s largest photography competition and the student program has proved to be a launch pad into the industry for many emerging photographers, and a stage on which its young photographers are given global recognition. The ten shortlisted students, who span from Argentina to Australia, were selected from entries from 230 educational institutions worldwide. They are:
– Australia – James Farley, Charles Sturt University
– Argentina – Lucia Moron, Al Aire
– France – Yannick Dø©len, Ecole Nationale Supø©rieure de la Photographie
– Hong Kong – Ngai Man Yan Katherine, PolyU Hong Kong Community College
– Russia – Nadezhda Aleksandrova, St Petersburg State University of Culture & Arts
– Russia – Svetlana Blagodareva, St.Petersburg State Polytechnic University
– South Africa ““ Jannah Ruthven, Stellenbosch Academy of Design and Photography
– Spain – Angela Silva Cerna, Institut D’Estudis Fotografics de Catalunya (IEFC)
– United Kingdom – Tom Parker, Southampton Solent
– United States – Iris Xing, School of Visual Arts

As a shortlisted photographer Farley has won a full frame camera from Sony ““ the ?7 with an FE 28-70mm kit lens ““ which he must now use to fulfill the second brief of the competition: shoot a series of images under the title “The edges of our cities”. Judges are looking for between 6 and 10 images that capture the unseen and undocumented outskirts of our cities. One winning series will be chosen by the judges from this work. As the other part of their prize, all ten shortlisted students, including James, will be flown to London with their tutor to attend the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards gala ceremony in London on 23 April.

At the ceremony the winner of the 2015 Student Focus Photographer of the Year title will be revealed and he or she will receive the grand prize of €35,000 worth of Sony photographic equipment for their university.  In addition, each of the shortlisted photographers will see their “The edges of our cities” series shown as part of the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House, London from 24 April -10 May and have their work published in the 2015 edition of the annual Sony World Photography Awards book. For more information about the Student Focus program go to http://www.worldphoto.org/student-focus/.