Photographer Namwoong Kim has been awarded the Gold Award in the Architectural & Urban Photography – Cityscapes category at the Best Photography Awards UK 2025 Autumn Season for his evocative work “A Home Away from Home.”
The photograph captures a quiet, luminous moment in Sydney—framing not only the city’s architectural charm but also the emotional experience of returning to a place once called home. Through delicate light, subtle stillness, and honest atmosphere, Namwoong transforms a familiar urban scene into a poetic reflection on belonging, memory, and time.
Interview
Q: Could you share the background and setting of this award-winning photo?
Namwoong: This photo was taken from the Sydney Observatory, a quiet hill that overlooks the Harbor Bridge and the shimmering waters of the harbor.
It was one of those clear afternoons when the light feels honest — neither harsh nor soft, just right. Below the observatory, a narrow street lined with houses and trees stretched gently toward the bridge. Cars were parked neatly, the leaves swayed with the sea breeze, and a cruise ship passed slowly in the distance. It was a familiar view, one I had seen countless times while living in Sydney, yet that day, it felt different — like the city was whispering a quiet welcome back.
Q: Is there a particular detail in this photo that you especially love?
Namwoong: What I love most is the way sunlight lingers on the rooftops — a thin layer of gold that turns the ordinary into something timeless. The trees cast gentle shadows over parked cars, and the bridge in the distance stands steady, like a memory that refuses to fade. Every corner of the frame feels alive, yet peaceful, as if the entire city is taking a quiet breath between the rush of days. That subtle stillness is what draws me to this image again and again.
Q: Did you have any specific inspiration or artistic concept in mind during the creation?Namwoong: The inspiration came from a quiet sense of belonging — the feeling of recognizing a place not with the eyes, but with the heart. When I lived in Sydney, I often passed by this spot without a second thought. But after leaving, I began to realize how deeply the city had rooted itself in me. So when I stood there again, years later, it didn’t feel like visiting a foreign land — it felt like returning home. Through this photo, I wanted to express that gentle transformation — how time turns distance into affection, and how a city can quietly become a part of one’s identity.
Q: What do you hope viewers will feel or reflect upon when they see this photo?
Namwoong: I hope viewers feel a soft nostalgia — not necessarily for Sydney, but for their own version of a second home. Perhaps it’s a city, a person, or even a fleeting moment that once made them feel they belonged. I want them to sense that warmth between the light and the air, to remember how beauty often hides in ordinary streets, and how time quietly teaches us to love the places we once took for granted. This photo is a reminder that home is not always where we live, but where our heart gently returns.
Q: Would you like to share your website, biography, photos, and any social media links for showcasing and promotion?
Namwoong: Earlier this year, I created my first Instagram account to begin sharing my photography with others. It’s been a new chapter for me — a space to connect, to learn, and to see the world through fresh eyes. I try to look at everything, even the most familiar scenes, with a renewed sense of wonder. Through my photographs, I hope to continue discovering quiet stories hidden in everyday life.
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