Quilty’s work centres on street photography and social documentary photography on subjects ranging from Australian youth and beach culture to daily life in rural and outback Australia.

He is particularly known for his pre-eminent coverage of the Cronulla Beach race riots in 2005. In recent times, Quilty has been capturing communities and environments struggling for survival, notably the historic mining town of Catherine Hill Bay, where residents are locked in a battle against over development, and the aftermath of the Victorian bushfires.

Quilty was awarded first prize in the World Press Award in 2008 and the same year was named Young Australian Photojournalist of the Year by the Walkley Foundation.

He was also named among Australia’s top 25 young artists in 2006 by the young artists’ network, Noise, and Art in Australia magazine. Quilty’s work was commended in Sydney Life: Art and About in 2007.

He was a finalist in the Centre for Contemporary Photography Documentary Photography Award in 2009, the Moran Prize in 2007 and 2008 and the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards (SOYA), a leading grants program for emerging creative talent, in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

His work screened at Reportage in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Quilty is a staff photographer for the Australian Financial Review Magazine. His work appears in national and international publications and is held in private and public collections including the Museum of Sydney.

Quilty lives in Sydney and joined Oculi in 2007.