More than 75 large-format photographs by over 25 photographers now line the Waterfront at Shell Cove, transforming the harbour promenade into a free open-air gallery until October 30. PromenART 2026 brings together renowned and emerging artists covering the landscapes, wildlife and people of the Illawarra region, alongside live music and family-friendly activities.

The exhibition's strength lies in its mix of professionals and devoted amateurs, each contributing one story-driven image. Four featured photographers reveal the thinking behind their selected works.

What drives a wildlife image like 'Sunrise Cockatoo'?

Alana Taylor, based in Jamberoo and originally from Warilla, has spent 15 years in photography after discovering visual storytelling in high school. Her featured piece, Sunrise Cockatoo, marks a deliberate shift in her practice after a year living in the area.

"I remember seeing the cockatoo in the morning and just thinking how extraordinary and beautiful it was," she said. "Cockatoos are prolific amongst the beautiful nature we live in and they almost look iridescent because of the way the light reflects off them."

She frames the photograph as an argument against habituation. "We see them all the time and we take them for granted because they are so familiar," she said. "This photo is a reminder to just look up and pay attention because we forget how lucky we are to live here."

How does a family moment become an exhibited work?

Sarah Mann, who runs a photography business with her husband specialising in family moments, exhibits Macie — a portrait of her daughter, then five years old, watching a sunset from a stool dragged to the window.

"I was cooking dinner and I paused when I noticed the light and how beautiful the sunset was," she said. "When I asked what she was doing, she told me she was watching the sunset. I felt like I was doing something right as a mum because she was sitting there actually appreciating it."

Her intent for the community audience is straightforward. "I think it's important that in our busy lives we take a moment to notice the little things," she said.

Why travel photography sits beside local work?

Nathan Perretta, a Shell Cove resident who has pursued photography as a hobby for 15 years alongside a full-time job, draws his subjects mainly from travel. His featured piece, Norway Sunrise, is his favourite from a Norway trip he had long planned alongside a hoped-for Iceland journey for the northern lights.

The image was found by looking down from a bridge famous among photographers. "I saw a red hut sitting on the rock shelf with a nice water channel and the mountains in the background," he said.

"I was watching the water flow in and out and I thought I'd try to capture the mood with the mist, water and mountains in contrast to the red hut," he said. "I wanted it to be dramatic and draw people into the landscape."

What does an aerial view of rock pools say about memory?

Blair McMahon, a Shellharbour resident and full-time photographer, picked up her first camera at 11 and worked in a photographic lab in Kiama by 14. Her aerial piece, Everybody In, grows out of a personal attachment to the South Coast's rock pools.

"I have become fearful of swimming out in the ocean so I'm personally obsessed with rock pools," she said. "I love places that are still very much connected to the ocean because the salt and fresh air is what I grew up on and it's good for the soul."

The title, she notes, is a phrase freighted with shared experience. "I want people to think about those hours that disappear, afternoons that stretch on forever with lots of laughter, connections with loved ones and that feeling of never wanting to get out of the water," she said.

Taken together, the four works sketch the exhibition's larger ambition: inviting visitors to reconsider familiar places and everyday moments from perspectives they might otherwise walk past. With free entry, live music and family programming running through October 30, PromenART 2026 positions the Shell Cove waterfront as a recurring public venue for regional photography.