Emma D'Agostino, The Sun Coast (Documentary/Photojournalism)

OF the hundreds of thousands of people that visit Fiji annually, few travel to the largest island's north-west coast. The Sun Coast is the heart of the nation's sugar cane industry. I traveled there from December 28 to January 6 to photograph Vatia Beach Eco Resort. The recently opened resort is luring people to the area. Pictures 1, 2 and 6 were taken at the resort, which is popular with residents from the neighboring towns of Ba and Tavua. Picture 1 is of two young girls enjoying the beach during a family picnic on the resort grounds. Picture 2 is of a young guest entreating me to play with him on the swings. Picture 6 is of Pita, one of the resort's workers, with a kayak. Pictures 3 - 5 were taken at Tavua market. Tavua is a modest place with a population of 2,400. It's not generally considered a tourist destination. I was nervous about photographing people in the market, but need not have worried. They were just as curious about me and my camera as I was about them. I had expected them to be shy, but found them keen to be photographed.

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