Sam Ferris, Off Quay (Doco/Photojournalism (2019))

This ongoing series first took shape in 2014 when I realised that during the winter months I'd always end up at Circular Quay to catch the final shards of light as it spears through the architecture of the train station, ferry terminals, and harbour bridge. The harbour precinct, Opera House and its surrounds attract an array of local and international visitors. Equally, I became fascinated with the vibrancy of the terminus at peak hour where ferried commuters glide by, seemingly immune to the harbour's charms. As such, this body of work has become increasingly focused on the passengers disembarking the Manly ferry on the quarter-hour. The terminal conduit through which commuters are corralled forces people from all ages, backgrounds and walks of life into the same condensed public space. When a ferry docks, wave after wave of people come streaming through and the chiaroscuro light serves as a disclosing tool that exaggerates and magnifies the sheer chaos and multitude people caught up in this daily ritual.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.