PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

WINNERS OF AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC NATURE

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

OVERALL WINNER

NATURES PREY TAKEN Ashlee Jansen

CORAL BAY, WA A humpback whale carcass found on the ocean floor, stripped clean of its flesh by surrounding sharks. This subadult whale died while making the annual migration north along the Ningaloo Reef. A harsh act of Mother Nature, but an important part of the natural ecosystem

Judges’ comments:

This captivating image of a dead whale speaks to the circle of life – one death supports the renewal of other ocean communities. The beauty of the image lies in its artful circular composition, seen in the curves of the whale’s skeletal ribs mirroring the patterns in the sand, keeping our eye within the frame moving between the living and the dead.

JUNIOR WINNER IMPERMANENCE Cian O’Hagan, 16

DUDLEY BEACH NSW

My image ‘Impermanence’ was captured at my local beach after harsh winds had uncovered numerous objects beneath the surface. It depicts a decaying seabird stretched out amongst the sand and is indicative of the dangerous and unstable nature of life amongst the coastal elements.

Judges’ comments:

This simple photograph is contemporary in its execution. The photographer’s hand is strong – stark lighting and a severe palette reflect the sometimes harsh reality of nature. »

BOTANICAL WINNER

A PINK TOMB James Dorey

LAKE CROSBIE, VIC Darkness rolls over Lake Crosby adding an eerie element to the smooth pink salt. All that falls on the lake is slowly preserved as the wind-driven tide ebbs and flows, leaving a little more salt every time. Objects mar the lake’s alien texture and the lake mars them in return.

LANDSACPE RUNNER-UP

FORCES OF NATURE Ellie Morris

PERENJORI, WESTERN AUSTRALIA A stormy afternoon at the start of autumn in WA’s wheatbelt watching dark clouds moving across the land, dropping rain as they went. As the wind picked up, clouds of dust were created ahead of the rain and hail that followed.

WINNER ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY

THE OUTLIER Jason Perry

TOOLONDO RESERVOIR, TOOLONDO, VIC A beautiful dead tree stands above the rest as the fog lingers over Lake Toolondo and the Milky Way lines up horizontally across the night sky. When I saw this scene that night, it was as if the tree and the Milky Way were somehow connected despite the distance.

So many ways to shatter your cravings!