2025 : 06 Alex Mao Youth Photo Award

Mars Cook;Spectrum;This is of someone I know called Riley, we met at a volunteer run camp focused on nature, collective action and political organising. It was full of all kinds of people including queer and trans people and I felt very at home. I was running around the camp at the last hour of the camp asking everyone if they wanted a portrait and she said yes. I used firework glasses I got for $2 to turn the sun into a rainbow star and to soften the image.
Uriel de Proença Ruiz;In Between Spaces;A quiet moment captured between inside and outside, presence and reflection. This image explores how stillness can hold many layers, like light, memory, and emotion dissolved in everyday intimacy.
Winny He;The road to...;where? the road to where. Frost starts to build on the very surface of concrete and dead grass. Consumed by a thick blanket of mist.
Winny He;Dried Fishes;Salt. it smelt like salt everywhere. I mean it was a fishing village but every time i took a breathe and inhaled it felt like i was swallowing an abnomal amount of salt water.
Winny He;kuddling kittens;
Winny He;The 'Summer' Palace;My brother had taken us to the Summer Palace during the peak of winter. Yes. My teeth were chattering and fingers were frozen as we sprint towards the bridge to make it in time for the sunset.
Mars Cook;Ritual;This is a photo taken of noise artist MDTH at Whammy Bar. The performance was even more intense than this photo looks, it felt like a summoning ritual of some kind. I used a low angle to emphasize his sillhouette and to make the viewer feel small.
Mars Cook;Hit;I find that drummers often forget theyre being watched when performing and as a result it's a fun challenge to get dynamic looking photos of them. I like how this one from Fullnoise 2025 turned out.
Mars Cook;Queen;This is a photo from a time I put my friend Evie in drag for the first time. We took this in my bathroom. I love putting other people in drag because I get to dig deep into what gender presentation the other person thinks would be the most affirming, or fun, or interesting. It's a way to espress who you truly are just as much as it's a way to become someone totally different.
Mars Cook;Jack Crowdsurfing;This photo was taken at an all ages gig during a performance by local Tāmaki Makaurau band Ratso. The red lights outside are from a fire truck that called in the middle of the show. The photo is taken after we were all let back in after evacuating to continue the show so people were pretty hyped. I jumped onto the stage to take it because I'm a bit short. My favourite details are the hands. It was a pretty rough pit but the hands in this shot look graceful and relaxed even though theyre helping carry a person.
Uriel de Proença Ruiz;Next Stop: Home;Shot on a calm night ride through Central Auckland, this photo represents more than the journey. It’s about a moment of quietness, a comforting look shared between souls, depicting the kind of companionship that makes even a bus ride feel like belonging. Home is where the heart is.
Winny He;Streets of Hong Kong;It was my first time back in Hong Kong in a while. Every corner we turned reeked of sewage water. As we come to a stop, my brother tells me he likes the sound the lights make when waiting to cross. I look out into the distance of busy workers and scurrying kids. Maybe it wasn't as bad as i imagined.

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