The final week saw us delve into the world of street photography. It’s not a genre that I’ve had lots of practice in, and I found photographing the street a confronting and at times frustrating experience. Opportunities can emerge from anywhere and disappears as quickly as they come, and it’s difficult to be always ready to capture them. Hence, I admire the work of photographers who are masters at it: check out the work of Trent Parke, Martin Parr, and classic photographers Eugene Atget and Vivian Maier. Such work must demand years of practice on the street.

Part of the assignment was to spend two hours on a cold winter’s night photographing Taylor Square. I contrasted these shots with photos taken in an hour one afternoon in the Central Coast suburb of Ettalong. Surprisingly, there is a definite thread running through it – one of social decay – hence the series title, Degenerate.