From the Nominator

Flynn Sweeney is a Bond University bachelor of commerce student and former Australian BMX champion who hopes to compete in the BMX Racing World Championships in South Carolina in May 2024. Flynn is studying at Bond on an ADCO Sports Excellence Scholarship, which allows elite student-athletes to balance their studies with training and competition schedules. The photo was taken to accompany a story about Flynn's love of BMX, his comeback from an injury following a stellar junior career, and his hopes of making the World Championships and becoming a professional rider. Bond University newsroom photographer Cavan Flynn set out to take a picture that would attract media coverage and raise the profile of Flynn, Bond University, and the scholarship sponsor. Cavan says: "The idea came from a long-exposure shot I've been wanting to take of one of our environmental scientists under the stars. Somehow that morphed into sparks coming off a spinning BMX wheel." Cavan used sparklers and lighting to achieve the shot, assisted only by Flynn's girlfriend, Tahlia Zarb, over the course of 1.5 hours. The photo was published on the back page of the Gold Coast Bulletin with a feature-length article inside. It also ran in the state newspaper, on Bond University's social media channels, and on the university's website. The story was picked up by the national broadcaster ABC radio, which interviewed Flynn, and we provided the series of photos to the scholarship's sponsor for their use.

From the Judges

This is a wonderfully executed long-exposure, capturing the spark effect with impressive technical expertise and creativity. The lighting, composition, and striking effect of the sparklers make this a standout image. We appreciated the persistence it took to get this shot.