Honorable Mention

House on the Hill
DESCRIPTION
A simple, rectangular house catches the sun on an elevated site set in native coastal scrub or "fynbos" near Betty's Bay, South Africa as the foothills of the Kogelberg range looms steeply behind it. It is easy to identify with the romantic notion of a private little house surrounded by the grandeur of nature. A reminder of how we all once lived in our distant past, even though our dwellings have a lot more creature comforts now of course. We yearn to be in nature, to live surrounded by it, albeit with Wi-fi! Architecture doesn't have to be grand to be emotionally impactful in a landscape like this, quite the opposite, if in fact we want to immerse ourselves in the natural world. AUTHOR
I am a professional photographer based in Wellington, New Zealand, specialising in images of the built environment - residential, commercial and community spaces. Photography is also a hobby, although sadly neglected in recent years I must admit. For me, the latter is a means of more authentic and creative expression and an opportunity to connect with the natural world. That's the way I got into photography in the first place, almost 30 years ago now. It helped me to navigate the turbulent waters of early adulthood as I struggled to find and ground myself. It gave me purpose and a way to connect with the world that was not so analytical, or thought based if you like - learning to see the physical world as shapes, lines and textures was a revelation to me, instead of just objects with conceptual labels. It was many years later before I started working as a professional photographer, after trying and failing to live in the 9 to 5 world with my science and technology background and I feel much more balanced as a result. But I miss those early days of experimentation and discovery. Earlier this year and after a long absence, I travelled to my spiritual home of Southern Africa, where I grew up and rediscovered some of that earlier magic of photographing for the joy of it. All of the images submitted here are from this recent trip.