Student photographer, Mathew Lynn, won 'Best in show' at this year's Melbourne SlideNight. His controversial and titillating series is titled "The Correction Centre".

The Walkley Photography Slide Night brought together photography enthusiasts to view an amazing collection of photographic essays on display in the foyer of The Age.

The event included work on a range of themes and subjects, including political protests, go-karts, the ongoing threat of climate change, and iconic Australian shenanigans at the Elmore Summer Send-off B&S Ball.

The Slide Night showcased some devastating but brilliant photography, such as Jason South’s shocking series Mentally Ill in Indonesia, and Joseph Feil’s After the Earthquake. Also popular on the night was the stunning portraiture of Martin Watters’ series Faces of our Diggers.

At the end of the night, attendees voted on their favourite entries and chose the 'Best in show', 22-year-old student photographer, Mathew Lynn. With thanks to Nikon, he took home a COOLPIX S8000 for his vivid series The Correction Centre.

Lynn’s series portrays the goings-on in a Melbourne-based dungeon. Lynn says that during his research into the sex industry, he learned there were dungeons operating in Melbourne.

He then contacted The Correction Centre, an establishment which ended up lending its name to the title of the series.

“I wanted to see the life of the girls and the type of clients they attract… some of the men are actual clients and some are personal slaves of the mistresses - not paying clients - which are like boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, but different… it’s a whole other world.”

The final-year student at Photography Studies College, Melbourne, was raised near Footscray, which he likens to Sydney suburb Cabramatta in that it is very culturally diverse and has a lot of interesting people with interesting stories.

“I do a lot of street photos. I just like meeting people and talking to people.”

As for being awarded ‘Best in show’, Lynn says it still hasn’t sunk in yet.

“I was stoked even to get into the show, so to win… it’s great.”

For his next project, Lynn is interested in working on a series on the underground punk rock of the 1970s.

Congratulations must also go to all of the photographers on display on the night:

Robert Banks – Eye Candy: Recent Portraits

Fiona Basile – Mothers in Malawi

Eva Collado – I vote I tote

Rodney Dekker – i Bam Boxing

Andy Drewitt – Armenia

Stephen Dupont – Port Moresby

Alex Ellinghansen – Going to the Ball

Adam Elwood – Untitled

Joseph Feil – After the Earthquake

Mathew Lynn – The Correction Centre

Justin McManus – Kiribati

Jenni Mitchell – Untitled

Jason South – Mentally Ill in Indonesia

Penny Stephens – Some People and a Platypus

Dave Tacon – IKEA in China

Martin Watters – Faces of our Diggers

Lisa Wiltse – The Mennonites of Menitoba (Sydney Slide Night ‘Best in show’ winner)