Asanka Ratnayake, Bracing for Alfred (DOCUMENTARY & STREET 2026)

As Tropical Cyclone Alfred approached Australia’s east coast, three people at Tweed Heads were caught by a wave crashing over the seawall. I kept the frame wide and allowed the turbulent ocean to dominate, reducing the figures to a small and vulnerable presence at the bottom of the image. Each person reacts differently within the same split second, creating a sequence of movement across the frame. The photograph captures the raw scale of the conditions and the uneasy relationship between human curiosity and natural danger as communities across northern New South Wales prepared for the storm.

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