Victoria Mcneill, The Height of Summer, 2019 (People and Portrait 2019)

In the height of Summer, Bondi Beach in Sydney is a melting pot of different cultures. Chaos reigns in the water between the flags, it’s never a dull moment – tourists, locals, board riders, body surfers, even those that cannot swim. The crowded ocean you see here is not perfect, or sharp or neat and tidy. It is a blur of movement – a myriad of textures of salt, sand, sun rays, sun seekers and splashes. People go to the beach to wash away their problems, to strip themselves of all that is worrying them and it works. There are moments in between of quiet too, before the next roar of a wave or a yell from a youngster. This series is photographed from in the water in late afternoon sun and temperatures are still blistering. What was surprising was the level of engagement towards me with the camera, I found people are less inhibited than if shooting on dry land with many asking to be in the shot. I want these images to be accessible, so the viewer can understand what it feels like to swim in the busiest part of the beach. To ask themselves – should I go in?

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