Little photographers see the big picture: what children can teach us through a lens

Children notice things adults can miss. The City of Sydney’s Little Sydney Lives photography competition offers a glimpse of the city from a different vantage point, through the eyes of some of its youngest residents.

Children can be keen observers of the world around them, noticing the people, places and everyday moments that hold meaning for them.

The City of Sydney’s Little Sydney Lives photography competition puts those observations in focus, inviting children aged five to 12 years to capture their own perspectives of Sydney.

More than 450 entries were submitted this year, with 20 photographs selected as finalists.

At the heart of the competition is a simple idea: children decide what is worth capturing.

Through photography, they have an opportunity to document the people, places and moments that matter to them and share their view of the city with a wider audience.

The finalist photographs have been described as cheeky, cheerful, surprising and delightful, depicting playful and imaginative moments from everyday life.

City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO said the photographs encouraged adults to look at the city differently.

“It’s talented young photographers like these whose images remind us to slow down, look closer and appreciate our city through fresh eyes,” Ms Moore said.

“This is their perspective of our city, and I’m looking forward to their work going on exhibition so everyone can share in their joy.”

For the early childhood education and care sector, the competition offers an interesting example of what can happen when children are given the tools and opportunity to communicate what matters to them.

A photograph can provide a starting point for conversation. What did the child notice? Why did they choose that moment? What does the image tell others about the places, people and experiences that are important to them?

These are questions that can help educators look beyond the finished image and consider the thinking, choices and perspectives behind it.

The competition also gives children’s work a highly visible public platform.

The 20 finalist photographs will be exhibited at Customs House from Friday 25 September, where visitors will be able to experience Sydney through the perspectives of its young photographers.

The exhibition will remain on display for 12 months.

The finalists were selected by a judging panel comprising award-winning photojournalist and The Guardian Australiavisuals editor Carly Earl, film and television producer Melissa Azizi, and Yorta Yorta photographer and photojournalist Joseph Mayers.

The competition winner will receive an OM System camera pack valued at $2,199, while the runner-up will receive an OM System camera pack valued at $1,299.

Prize winners will be announced at the formal exhibition opening on Saturday 26 September 2026.

While Little Sydney Lives is a photography competition for children aged 5 to 12 years of age, rather than an early childhood education initiative, its premise has relevance for educators: what becomes visible when children are given greater opportunity to document their own experiences?

Photography is one way to explore that question, but the same principle can extend to drawing, storytelling and other forms of creative expression.

Rather than adults deciding which moments are significant, these approaches can create opportunities to find out what children themselves notice, choose and want to share.

Sometimes the most revealing part of a photograph is not simply what is in the frame, but why a child decided it belonged there.

The Little Sydney Lives finalist photographs will be on display at Customs House from Friday 25 September. More information and the finalist images are available through the City of Sydney website.