Shot in the Heart of Australia

Street Photography Exhibition 2025

Kindred Gallery, Docklands

454 Docklands Drive (Cnr Docklands Drive and Pearl River Road), Docklands, VIC, 3008

Gallery Open: Saturday to Tuesday 11 am to 4 pm

The Australian Association of Street Photographers is proud to bring the thirteenth “Shot in the Heart of Australia” exhibition.

Held in the Kindred Gallery in Docklands, the exhibition is focused on each photographer’s interpretation of street photography within Australia.

Key dates:

  • Submissions are now open!                

  • Hero Images Entries Close               Sunday 30th, March 2025

  • Entries Close Sunday 13th, April 2025

  • Date for Curation Outcome               Sunday 27th, April 2025

  • Exhibition Fees Due                       Wednesday 30th, April 2025

  • Exhibition Opening Night                 Friday 9th, May 2025

  • Gallery Open Saturday to Tuesday 11 am to 4 pm

  • Exhibition Closes                    Tuesday 20th, May 2025

About "Shot in the Heart of Australia" 2025

The Australian Association of Street Photographers Incorporated (AASPi), who exhibit under the banner of 'Shot in the Heart of Australia', are a group of avid photographers in the "street photography genre", or as it's commonly called, just "street”

Shot in the Heart of Australia is a street photography and photojournalism exhibition that celebrates the decisive, often indecisive, but always graceful moments on the streets of Australia.  

This will be the 13th annual AASPi exhibition showcasing individual captures from a diverse and enthusiastic collective of street photographers focusing on Australia.

They capture ephemeral moments. Raw, candid and unique. Shot in the Heart of Australia is a candid homage to the people, architecture and street life that bring this country to life every day.

In recent times, it seems that the time-honoured traditional form of street photography has been overshadowed by a flood of more contemporary, staged, digitally manipulated and over-processed genres of photography.

Those who love the genre of "street", know the elation inside, when they capture the moment of something truly unique, fleeting, decisive, and never to be repeated!

What is "street photography"? This definition is subjective and varies from person to person, but at best, it's a visual documentation, focusing on a moment in time, of everyday life of society, un-manipulated and usually without the subject's awareness. Street photography doesn't necessarily need people in it. An object, shadow, or ray of light can be the subject, rather than a human form.

 “I love the people I photograph. I mean, they’re my friends. I’ve never met most of them or I don’t know them at all, yet through my images I live with them.” – Bruce Gilden

A Definition of Street Photography

Street photography is difficult to define and is constantly evolving and being debated. It does however have a number of traits that have been associated with it throughout its history.

Street Photography is about capturing a spontaneous, candid moment from the energy and chance juxtapositions of life. Street photography distinguishes itself from reportage and photojournalism in that it contains the artist’s intent and interpretation of observations of everyday life caught as it unfolds in front of you.

Despite its name, these moments need not necessitate the presence of a street. ‘Street’ simply refers to a place where human activity can be seen, a place to observe and capture social interaction.

While street photography usually involves people it can be of object that projects a human character or an environment that is decidedly human.

Framing, composition and timing are key aspects of the genre, with the aim of creating images at a decisive or poignant moment.

Guide to Curation for Shot in the Heart of Australia

SITHOA is a curated exhibition that aims to capture Australia in the street photography genre.  Submitted images are reviewed by a curation team who consider the following points when evaluating an image. 

  • Style - Street photography, documentary or urban poetry style

  • Location - Must be shot in Australia. Traditionally limited to urban, town or suburbs.

  • Urban - Traditionally limited to urban, town or suburb. Submissions will be considered for which the photographer considers to represent Australia in their own heart.

  • Candid - Images should be un-staged where the subjects will mostly be unaware that their picture is being taken

  • Dignity - should not demean or ridicule any person, so please no homeless people or local ‘characters’

  • Natural - black and white or natural colour only and limit processing to minor cropping and other minor adjustments. Effects such as HDR, selective colouring, double exposure or distortion will most likely not be accepted. We want to see the image in its most realistic, yet artistic form

  • Original - must be your work and photographing another artist’s artwork may not be accepted, including images of street performers performing their art.

Full details on curation criteria can be found in the Shot in the Heart of Australia Terms and Conditions, and if any image is rejected by the curation committee you will be given the opportunity to resubmit.