Morgan Jackson, The City (URBAN 2026)

After being inspired by the works of Japanese photographer Toshio Shibata, who captures somewhat unsettling photos of large-scale civil engineering works in landscapes devoid of people, I wanted to see if I could do the same in my city. Brisbane is a bright city full of trees, wildlife, people, and light, so this was a challenge. Thankfully I found a viewpoint that allowed me to compress a view over the city into a flat layer of hard edges, colours, and reflections - a patch of inhuman urban architecture in a city often defined by its life. Although I wasn't able to create an image devoid of any sky - a common feature of Toshio Shibata's work, which helps to enhance the unsettling feeling - I was able to find a view that was devoid of any green. The trees, gardens, and parks that Brisbane is known for are not found in this view. To my pleasure, I was also able to create an image without people in it. Well... except for one individual, hidden in the frame.

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