There are many nature and wildlife photography contests, and this may not be the most important, but taking into account that this region is one of the places where nature is shown more wild, you will agree with us that it is worth taking a look at the winning images of the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2021.
Organized by The South Australian Museum, it is an event that aims to “celebrate the natural heritage of the regions of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea“(although it is open to photographers from all over the world) and it has been since 2009.
This year the contest had a total of ten categories for which they were presented 2,206 photos, the second highest number of entries in the history of the competition. The organization attributes this to the peculiarities that occurred last year: “We all agree that while the pandemic has brought many difficulties, it has also reminded us that we should be grateful for the natural world around us.“.
In this sense, the winning photo ‘Leafy Night‘It is also closely related to the stoppage caused by the coronavirus. Its author is the Australian photographer Scott portelli and shows a sea dragon camouflaged in the shallow reefs of the Fleurieu Peninsula (South Australia). It is a copy of a delicate and vulnerable species that only exists in this area and that is not easy to see.
The image was made in March 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 lockdown was announced. This made Scott have to cancel his one-year trip to Australia and stay. “trapped for six weeks in a small camp on the Fleurieu peninsula“says the winner,”however, this ended up being a blessing in disguise”.
And it is that, thanks to it, had the opportunity to dive regularly, familiarize yourself with the terrain and spot some sea dragons: “I got acquainted with the resident dragons in Second Valley and […] after several encounters with a particular sea dragon, my presence did not seem to faze him and I was able to compose a shot that accurately captured its eyes, features, and frontal appendages“.
Thanks to this image the title of Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, an award from ten thousand Australian dollars and a trip. This and the rest of the award-winning photos can be seen in an exhibition that opens tomorrow at the Museum of South Australia until October 31, and will subsequently travel to the Australian Museum in Sydney.
As always, we congratulate all the winners (mostly Australians, of course) and we leave you with the main photographs awarded in the contest without forgetting to recommend, as usual, a visit to their website to see more suggestive images.
Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2021 Winners
Overall winner: ‘Leafy Night’ by Scott Portelli
Animal Portrait Category:
Winner: ‘A White-capped at Sunset’ by Doug Gimesy
Runner-up: Mike George’s ‘Howling at the Moon’
Category Animal Behavior
Winner: ‘Next Generation’ by Tammy Gibbs
Runner-up: ‘Dreaming’ by Franco Tulli
Animal Habitat Category:
Winner: ‘A Tree Dreaming’ by Christian Spencer
Runner-up: Georgina Steytler’s ‘Stilted Reflections’
Botanical Category:
Winner: ‘Ghost Mushrooms’ by Callie Chee
Runner-up: ‘Swamp Secrets’ by Paula McManus
Landscape Category:
Winner: Hayden Cannon’s ‘Forest on Reflection’
Runner-up: ‘Beneath the Surface’ by Ashlee Karas
Monochrome Category:
Winner: ‘Incoming’ by Jeff Freestone
Runner-up: Matt Wright’s ‘King of the Cape’
Junior Category (-18 years old):
Winner: ‘You Can’t See Me’ by Georgia McGregor
Runner-up: ‘Cockatoo’ by Aidan Cimarosti
Our Impact Category:
Winner: ‘Bound jammed inside and posted’ by Doug Gimesy
Runner-up: Justin Gilligan’s ‘Single-use Drifter’
Threatened Species Category:
Winner: ‘Declining Species’ by Scott Portelli
Runner-up: Tom Svensson’s ‘In the Shadows’
Portfolio Category:
Winner: Tim Wrate
More information and photos | Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2021
Cover photo | ‘A Tree Dreaming’ by Christian Spencer, winner in the Animal Habitat category