2015 Sunshine Coast Landscape and Wildlife Photography Award
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
Congratulations! The 2015 inaugural Sunshine Coast Landscape and Wildlife Photography Award was launched as part of the Sunshine Coast Art Prize’s 10th year anniversary and was supported by Sunshine Coast Council’s Environment Levy. The award celebrates Sunshine Coast flora, fauna, landscapes and the connection between people and the natural environment. The Sunshine Coast is valued for its natural landscape, including waterways, coastal foreshores, rainforests and a rich diversity of plant and animal species. The Environment Levy enables Council to invest further in the protection and enhancement of Sunshine Coast’s biodiversity, waterways and foreshores, and to strengthen partnerships with the community. Through this award, the Environment Levy has raised awareness of the beauty and significance of the environment to assist the broader community take ownership of the natural values which support their lifestyles and livelihoods. Congratulations to the winners and finalists of the Sunshine Coast Landscape and Wildlife Photography Award. An exhibition which includes the winner, runner up and thirty-three finalists is currently touring Sunshine Coast Libraries.
Winner Irma Ferreira Smokey Mountains
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Irma Ferreira Smokey Mountains (detail)
Artist’s town: Twin Waters
Irma Ferreira won first prize and received $8,000 for her photo titled Smokey Mountains. Irma recently took up photography and spent four hours at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve lookout to get this shot of the Glass House Mountains. “I waited till sunset and luckily enough for me there was a fire burning in the mountains and it picked up everything from the sunset,” she said. “I’ve never done a panoramic shot and I had to really concentrate, because it’s four shots put together.”
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Highly commended Shanna Bignell New Life
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Shanna Bignell New Life (detail)
Artist’s town: Mount Coolum
Shanna Bignell won highly commended and received $1,500 for her photo titled New Life. This baby Green Tree Snake (Dendrelaphis punctulata) paid a visit to Shanna’s patio in Mount Coolum. “He was curious and came up close to the camera. This snake is a new life in the world and was a beautiful little creature, and I hope other people can see that”. The snake was released in her back yard where Shanna took these shots before it went into the bush. Being a volunteer native reptile rescuer and rehabilitator, Shanna believes it is vitally important to educate people about the beauty and ecological importance of snakes – as they are crucial to the environment, and deserve care and respect.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Finalists
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Annette Wood Old Man Tree (detail)
Artist’s town: Buddina
Artist statement I particularly liked this image showing the age of the Mangrove tree with all its contours, the late afternoon setting sun highlighted the area. This photo was taken at Maroochy Wetlands Sanctuary.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Brian Hettrick Guardians of the Piccabean (detail)
Artist’s town: Nambour
Artist statement A fascination with the huge forest trees and the diversity of the fauna and flora of an old growth rainforest found me marvelling at the size of these RoseFlooded Gums while being serenaded by the flying foxes roosting in the palm forest canopy above. A deluge the day before promised the possibility of lingering fog and mist making an early start to the day very worthwhile. This photo was taken at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve.
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Carolyn Blackley Mystic (detail)
Artist’s town: Cooran
Artist statement This photo was taken at serenity falls, in collaboration between my son Seth and myself. We both study photography and share knowledge of the art together.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Cornelia Weise Close to a dragon fly (detail)
Artist’s town: Tewantin
Artist statement I have never been able to get so close to a dragon fly with my camera. Luckily it was sitting quite still. When I looked at this image on my computer, I was amazed how much detail I could see, eyes, legs and especially the wings. This photo was taken at Coolum Beach.
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Cornelia Weise Shades of green (detail)
Artist’s town: Tewantin
Artist statement I have always liked the Australian Grass Trees. While bush walking in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, I came across quite a few of those trees, but this one, I liked especially. I looked at it from different angles. When I stood exactly above it I knew, this was my favourite view. This photo taken at Kondalilla National Park.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Damian McCudden Lightning Cruise (detail)
Artist’s town: Buderim
Artist statement One day we had thunderstorms forecast so I went to Kings Beach, Caloundra to try capture some shots and I was lucky enough to capture these lightning bolts crashing down as a cruise ship was passing by. This was truly a lucky shot.
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David Bryan Rainforest Fungi (detail)
Artist’s town: Nambour
Artist statement Whilst walking in Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, Maleny, I came across this great fungi - walking in the park after good rain is great for photographing fungi - taken on my Canon 7D camera.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Eddy Odden Shadow Flight (detail) Artist statement - see opposite
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Artist’s town: Caloundra
Eddy Odden Dunelight (detail)
Artist’s town: Caloundra
Artist statement Photography gives me the ability to look to see.......not just to look. Looking at life through the lens takes me right into the natural world that I love to photograph. It enables me to showcase to the world the immense beauty of the Pummicestone Passage, Bribie Island and Caloundra area....a special place in which I am privileged to live. More importantly it presents an opportunity to create an awareness among the public for them to enjoy but at the same time preserve this natural Queensland gem for the future of our children and our country. These photos were taken on Bribie Island.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Ellen Fould Giants in the forest (detail) Artist statement I was walking in the midst of the rain forest, when I looked up, I was dwarfed by these huge trees around me. This photo was taken at Kondalilla National Park.
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Artist’s town: Point Vernon
Fayleen Dare A feasting Yellow tail Black Cockatoo (detail)
Artist’s town: Eerwah Vale
Artist statement A family of Yellow tail Black Cockatoos came to feast in our Grevillea robusta (silky oak) tree when it was in flower. This photo was taken at Eerwah Vale.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Geoff Stock Sunset Serenity (detail)
Artist’s town: Beachmere
Artist statement As a photographer, I endeavour to share the wonderful and amazing places that I visit and experience. To do this I try to keep myself aware of the environment in my life and then grab the special moment that takes it from great to amazing. Part of that process is observing the constant changes that are happening around me, such as clouds and their patterns, times of the day, tidal changes, atmospheric clarity and the creatures in this wonderful world of ours such as the Great Egret captured hunting for dinner in this shot.
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Jason Hill The Summit (detail)
Artist’s town: Coorparoo
Artist statement It was Easter Monday and the beaches were packed so we headed for the mountains. The hike up Mt Ngungun is well worth the effort when you are greeted with views like this over the Sunshine Coast Hinterland and Glass House Mountains.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Kevin Palmer Edge (detail)
Artist’s town: Caloundra
Artist statement This photograph was taken at Point Cartwright. It is a 197 second exposure taken on an overcast day. I love the colour and leading lines of this shot.
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Lisa Delanoue Photo (detail)
Artist’s town: Belli Park
Artist statement The Emerald Spotted Tree Frog (Litoria peronii) calls in the rain, from branches that overhang the water, waiting for a mate. This photo was taken at Rosemount.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Lisa Delanoue Golden Emergence (detail)
Artist’s town: Belli Park
Artist statement A tiny golden juvenile frog (metamorph) emerges from the water and waits in the reeds as his legs grow stronger and his skin gets accustomed to the warm summer air. After some time, a few hours - a day... the remnants of his tadpole tail disappear and it is time for him to hop and hunt on the land. The metamorphosis is complete. The tadpole has become a frog. Emergence. This photo was taken at Belli Park.
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Kimberley Springall Another World (detail)
Artist’s town: Moffat Beach
Artist statement This metallic seascape image doesn’t look like a sunny day on the Sunshine Coast, it looks like another world. To get this shot I used a smaller aperture and lower shutter speed, early in the morning. There is a magic 15 minutes in the morning and before night, to capture beautiful images. This shot was taken at Coolum Beach.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Nick Monaghan Blending In (detail)
Artist’s town: Montrose, Vic
Artist statement A two-tailed spider (Tamopsis brisbanensis) is well-suited to life on a tree trunk. Its cryptic colours help it to remain undetected, thus giving it the advantage when ambushing prey or avoiding predators. This photo was taken at Kondalilla National Park.
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Nick Monaghan Frog’s Eye View (detail)
Artist’s town: Montrose, Vic
Artist statement An eastern dwarf tree frog (Litoria fallax) surveys its surroundings in the cool shade of the rainforest. What does its world look like through that golden eye? This photo was taken at Kondalilla National Park.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Nick Monaghan Staring Contest (detail)
Artist’s town: Montrose, Vic
Artist statement An Opisthoncus species jumping spider stares me down. It and other members of the family Salticidae are equipped with excellent eyesight, complete with colour vision and an almost 360-degree view. My passion is photographing insects and spiders and jumping spiders are one of my favourite because they tend to be quite curious. This shot was taken 2 to 3 inches away with a macro lens. The spider turned and stared right at me, maybe even spotting its reflection. This photo was taken at Kondalilla National Park.
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Peter Evans Golden Headed Cristicola (detail)
Artist’s town: Yandina Creek
Artist statement This photo was taken at Sippy Downs which is an amazing place for birds. We are blessed on the Sunshine Coast to have such a diversity of animal and birdlife. It has long been a passion of mine to photograph the wonderful birds in our area. What started as a bird watching hobby as a boy in England has evolved into a passion for bird photography in Australia. It is my hope that we can preserve our environment so that future generations can enjoy it.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Reece Keir Reflecting (detail)
Artist’s town: Warana
Artist statement Tooway Lake only breaks through the ocean every few months, the rest of the time it’s stagnant, a somewhat lifeless and chocolate brown divider between Dicky Beach and Moffat Beach. I think a lot of people don’t see the true beauty the lake holds so my aim was to capture that and show community just how beautiful it can be, as most of us drive over it every day without even a glance.
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Peter Evans Sacred Kingfisher (detail)
Artist’s town: Yandina Creek
Artist statement This photo is of a sacred kingfisher feeding on oyster encrusted rocks. We are blessed on the Sunshine Coast to have such a diversity of animal and birdlife. It has long been a passion of mine to photograph the wonderful birds in our area. This photo was taken at La Balsa Park Mooloolaba.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Ryan Francis Fauna of the forest floor (detail)
Artist’s town: Redcliffe
Artist statement A Murray’s Skink (Karma murrayi) in Mary Cairncross Conservation Park. Murray’s skinks are commonly seen in rainforests in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland.
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Ryan Francis Silvereye (detail)
Artist’s town: Redcliffe
Artist statement A Silvereye (Zosterops lateralis) feeds on the seeds of a grass tree on the slopes of Emu Mountain, Coolum Beach. A large number of bird species were making the most of the flowering Grass Trees when this picture was taken.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Sel Kerans Dark Gathering (detail)
Artist’s town: Eerwah Vale
Artist statement The turbulence of gathering storm cloud off the coast at Point Cartwright, combined with the colours of sunrise and sea make for a dramatic effect.
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Shane McCallum After The Fires (detail)
Artist’s town: Mountain Creek
Artist statement To get this photo I ventured into Mooloolah National Park a month after a huge bushfire. It looked as though the trees were actually dead, with the growth in the background, it gives the sense there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Simon Beedle Caloundra Storm (detail)
Artist’s town: Dicky Beach
Artist statement A storm rolled in over Bribie Island. I was lucky to capture one vivid bolt of lightning as the storm approached Caloundra. I am drawn to the diversity of nature – from Australia’s red soil centre, the alpine regions of the high country and the aqua cays of the Great Barrier Reef. My combined passion for the outdoors and travel enables me to create iconic images from Australia’s diverse landscape, New Zealand and the world. I believe photographs have to provoke an emotion, represent the landscape and tell a story.
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Simon Maslak Dam (detail)
Artist’s town: Mooloolaba
Artist statement This shot was taken watching the sunrise over Ewen Maddock Dam, creating a beautiful array of colours and a sense of calmness.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Todd Fauser Headwaters of the Mary (detail) Artist statement This beautiful image is of ‘where it all begins’. This shot was taken in Conondale at the starting point of the Mary River.
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Artist’s town: Maleny
Wanda Craswell Big Eyes (detail)
Artist’s town: Wurtulla
Artist statement Pelicans are everywhere on the Sunshine Coast. I was particularly interested in capturing a close-up of this pelican’s eyes and face as they are actually quite comical and unique. This photo was taken at Golden Beach.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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Tony Leman Fig Tree Walk (detail)
Artist’s town: Margate
Artist statement This panoramic photograph of a large Moreton Bay fig was taken at the fig tree walk just outside of Kenilworth a day following heavy autumn rains. What strikes me about this scene is the way that the ancient fig dwarfs the established palm trees in the background and the way the roots wind their way to the small stream in the foreground.
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Zdenko Takac Dinosaur Bones (detail)
Artist’s town: Aspley
Artist statement I took photos of this iconic shipwreck many times but this time I tried something different. The picture was taken well before sunrise thus achieving this deep blue colour of the sky and sea. With a combination of light painting that emphasised the detail of the barnacles and the use of the wide angle lens in very close proximity, I believe the shipwreck resembles the prehistoric bones of a dinosaur. This photo was taken on Dicky Beach.
www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272
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www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au 07 5475 7272