Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2021 winners and finalists The South Australian Museum recently announced the winners and finalists for the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2021 competition.
Over 2,200 images were submitted from photographers around the country. An image of a leafy seadragon hiding in shallow reefs located in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, was declared the Overall Winner.
'The nation-wide lockdown was declared and we were stuck for six weeks at a small campground in the Fleurieu Peninsula. This ended up being a blessing in disguise,' winning photographer Scott Portelli explained.
'Over the course of the six weeks I had the opportunity to dive regularly, becoming familiar with the terrain, getting to know the dive site and spotting a few individual Seadragons. I became acquainted with the resident dragons of Second Valley and this is how I managed to get the shot,' he adds.
The pandemic has hit Australia extra hard. The judging committee was delighted to see such a vast array of stunning images being submitted. Winners will be exhibited at the South Australia Museum through October 31st and in an exhibit with The Australian Museum in Sydney through January, 2022. All winning and finalist images can be viewed on the competition's page of the South Australian Museum website.
Landscape Finalist: 'Lunettes' by Callie Chee (New South Wales)
About this Photo: Lake Mungo was once an icy lake, but it dried more than 10,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age. Today its stark unearthly formations resemble a moonscape. Mungo is also a site of prime significance culturally and archaeologically, bearing evidence of the oldest civilisation on earth.
Location: Mungo National Park, New South Wales
Gear and Specs: Canon 6D Mk II, Tokina 11–17mm, 1/320, f/7. 1, ISO 500
Overall Winner, Animal Portrait: 'Leafy Night' by Scott Portelli (New South Wales)
About this Photo: Leafy Seadragons hide in the thick kelp to camouflage themselves to avoid predators. The vibrant flamboyant adults blend perfectly with their surroundings. At night the backlighting on a Leafy seadragon accentuates their features and the delicate bodies that appear translucent.
Location: Second Valley, South Australia
Gear and Specs: Olympus OMD EM1 Mk II, 60mm macro, 1/250, f/22, ISO 100, Olympus strobes, underexposed to highlight details in the appendages
Landscape Finalist: 'Above The Darkness' by William Patino (New Zealand)
About this Photo: Light and atmosphere, separating the steep multitude of valleys that define Fiordland. I released this image at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, during a time of much uncertainty and concern for us all. This image and title represent resilience and, that even in life’s darkest of valleys, light and hope can always be found.
Location: Fiordland, New Zealand
Gear and Specs: Sony A7R III, Sony 100–400mm, 1/1250, f/7. 1, ISO 100
Our Impact Finalist: 'Tohor
About this Photo: Two centuries after near extinction, southern right whales, also called Tohora, thrive deep in the subantarctic. In 2020 a University of Auckland expedition, led by Dr Emma Carroll, visited to study the recovering population, using cutting-edge genomic techniques that will allow us to understand the complexities of these animals.
Location: Port Ross, Auckland Islands, New Zealand
Gear and Specs: DJI Mavic 2 Pro, 28mm equivalent, 1/200, f/2. 8, ISO 100
Animal Habitat Runner-Up: 'Stilted Reflections' by Georgina Steytler (Western Australia)
About this Photo: I was at a location overlooking these pied stilts feeding in shallow waters when the wind died and the sunset cast incredible reflections. I changed to a 100–400mm lens and zoomed out to capture as much of the stilts ‘walking in the clouds’ as I could.
Location: Bremer Bay, Western Australia
Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mk III, Canon EF 100–400mm f/4. 5–5. 6L IS II USM, 1/1000, f/8, ISO 1600, handheld
Botanical Finalist: 'Signs of Recovery' by Douglas Gimesy (Victoria)
About this Photo: Burnt eucalyptus trees start to show signs of life a few weeks after bushfires by sprouting epicormic growth/shoots from their blackened trunks. Once they sprout, all going well, the tree will begin to gradually regrow all its lost foliage, and (hopefully) recover over time. Sadly, not all trees have this capability.
Location: Between Orbost and Goongerah, Victoria
Gear and Specs: Nikon D750, Nikon 70–200mm f/2. 8, 1/320, f/4. 0, ISO 160, handheld
Botanical Runner-Up: 'Swamp Secrets' by Paula McManus (South Australia)
About this Photo: Mullinger Swamp Conservation Park is a protected area just outside of Kybybolite, on the South Australian and Victorian border. On our final day in the area, we lucked out with clear skies, still water, no wind and low-lying fog.
Location: Mullinger Swamp Conservation Park, South Australia
Gear and Specs: Olympus OM-D E-M1, Olympus 40–150 Pro 100mm, 1/1000, f/9, ISO 200, tripod
Our Impact Runner-Up: 'Single-use Drifter' by Justin Gilligan (New South Wales)
About this Photo: Face masks arrived at Lord Howe Island from a cargo ship that lost 50 containers in rough seas off Sydney. Over 1100 masks were collected during lockdown. In this image, a Columbus crab finds shelter in a plastic bag of face masks. The environmental impact will never be fully quantified.
Location: Lord Howe Island
Gear and Specs: Nikon D850, Sigma 15mm +1. 2TC, 1/15, f/22, ISO 400, Nauticam underwater housing, twin Ikelite strobes
Monochrome Winner: 'Incoming' by Jeff Freestone (Victoria)
About this Photo: Captured in Omeo, Victoria, looking out towards Ensay as the 2019–20 fires in east Gippsland began to develop. The rising smoke cloud symbolised the impending doom these fires were to bring and the havoc they would cause as they ravaged this beautiful region.
Location: Omeo, Victoria
Gear and Specs: Sony A7Riii, Sony 24–105mm f4 G OSS, 1/250, f/11, ISO 100, tripod
Landscape Runner-Up: 'Beneath the Surface' by Ashlee Karas (Western Australia)
About this Photo: For some, sunsets are a time for reflection and meditation. For me, pairing a fiery sunset with the pristine coral gardens of the Ningaloo Reef under the glassy ocean surface brings a whole new level of tranquillity. Combining two worlds to create a perfect moment.
Location: Ningaloo Reef, Coral Bay, Western Australia
Gear and Specs: Sony A7Rii, 16–35mm f/2. 8 G Master lens , 1/250, f/14, ISO 500, 2 x Inon z330 strobes, Nauticam housing
Landscape Winner: 'Moon Rise' by William Patino (New Zealand)
About this Photo: It took almost 12 months to finally capture this aerial image of the full moonrise at dusk. With the sun sinking down to the horizon, the mountains were painted in a rosy hue as the moon began to ascend out to the east. A surreal moment to experience, drifting in the air at 9000 feet.
Location: Mount Aspiring, New Zealand
Gear and Specs: Sony A7R III, Sony 100–400mm, 1/320, f/8. 0, ISO 200
Animal Habitat Winner: 'Outback Mirage' by Christian Spencer (Victoria)
About this Photo: A surreal moment of a kangaroo magically walking on water in the pink lakes of the mallee. I saw a kangaroo in the middle of the lake and he made a run for it as I walked towards him. I managed to capture a harmonic shot of him in full flight.
Location: Mallee region, North-western Victoria
Gear and Specs: Canon T4i, Canon 135mm, 1/1250, f/14, ISO 400
Landscape Winner: 'Bioluminescent Shores' by Jordan Robins (New South Wales)
About this Photo: Bioluminescent algae lighting up the shoreline in Jervis Bay a bright electric blue. What can be seen as a red tide during the day, the microalgae produces a bright blue glow when it is disturbed, in this case, by wind and wave action breaking on the shore.
Location: Jervis Bay, New South Wales
Gear and Specs: Canon EOS 5D Mk IV, Canon EF 16–35mm f/4L IS USM lens, 30, f/4, ISO 4000, tripod
Animal Habitat Winner: 'A Tree Dreaming' by Christian Spencer (Victoria)
About this Photo: In the Strzelecki Desert of Australia, a flock of galahs replenish on the only water available at the base of this lonely tree. It’s a rare photo opportunity to get such a clear and symmetrical shot of these beautiful birds in flight, in the middle of the desert.
Location: Strzelecki Desert, South Australia
Gear and Specs: Canon T4i, Canon 135mm, 1/250, f/10, ISO 200
Portfolio Prize Winner, Landscape: 'Balance' by Tim Wrate (New South Wales)
About this Photo: Low tide exposes the seabed and rock shelf of Bynoe Harbour. The patterns created by the receding water are really intriguing and the warmth in the bottom left balances the cool of the top right perfectly, giving the image a sense of rhythm.
Location: Bynoe Harbour, Northern Territory
Gear and Specs: Fuji GFX 100, GF 110mm f/2, 1/2500, f/5. 6, ISO 320, handheld, captured from a Cessna 210 at 2000 feet
. dpreview.com2021-9-14 23:25
