The 2018 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year collection will go on display at the Museum of the Goldfields on Monday 25 February.

The stunning exhibition, produced by the South Australian Museum, celebrates the beauty of the natural world through photographs by professional, emerging and amateur photographers who have shown impeccable timing, artistry and technique to capture our extraordinary world. As ever, there is an extremely impressive junior section.

This year’s winning entry is a perfect example of the patience required to capture an incredible moment in nature.

Hide and Seek by Malaysia-based photographer Tracey Jennings captured the exact moment the chase began as a school of fish fled from predators,

Ms Jennings took the winning photograph underneath Arborek Jetty in Raja Ampat, Indonesia.

“I’d seen images on social media previously shot under this jetty which inspired me to travel to Raja Ampat. I dived the site over several days; land based and then again a week or so later on a live-aboard trip,” said Ms Jennings.

“I spent about six hours in total at a depth of less than five metres under the single, relatively small jetty, only leaving when I finished my second air tank— way after sunset,” she said.

“This picture actually lay unloved on my hard drive for almost a year. When I did finally go through my images, this one jumped out at me. I love how the light plays through the fish, and how it really describes the essence of the feeling I experienced when below the jetty; where life and death plays around you.”

Ms Jennings is the first individual woman to win the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition. She was awarded $10,000 plus a holiday prize.

Director of the South Australian Museum Brian Oldman said Ms Jennings photograph had been judged the winning entry among 2,288 photographs.

“The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition continues to grow, with 2018 seeing a record number of entries,” Mr Oldman said.

“We’re proud to produce such an exciting exhibition with each image highlighting the role museums play in educating people about nature.”

WA Museum CEO Alec Coles said the exhibition was an important way for visitors to experience the incredible biodiversity and beauty of our world, and to better understand the fragility of our region.

“This popular exhibition allows us to see, in incredible detail, the spectacular landscapes, stunning plants and flowers and behaviour of animals from Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and the New Guinea regions.

“We hope that by experiencing this exhibition visitors to our Museum of the Goldfields, will be inspired to further explore, appreciate and conserve our extraordinary world,” Mr Coles said.  

Individual category winners and runner-ups included several Western Australian photographers.

Dylan Fox won the Landscape category with his image of the Stirling Ranges from a top of Bluff Knoll in WA’s Great southern region.

“On arrival at Bluff Knoll there was a clear sky, so my expectations were low. Within minutes the peaks created their own clouds, as they are known to do, and just in time for sunrise created this stunning scene,” Dylan said.

WA photographer Georgina Steytler was runner-up in the Animal Behaviour category for her image ‘Play Fighting’ of two Western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) taken in Julimar, WA. 16 year old WA photographer Fionn Holyoak-Roberts was runner-up in the Junior category for his image ‘Hell’s Gate’ taken in Rotorua, New Zealand.

For a comprehensive list of finalists visit https://naturephotographeroftheyear.com.au/

The 2018 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition will be on display at the Museum of the Goldfields until 5 May 2019. To celebrate its opening the Museum will host a special photography night where visitors can photograph the Museum in a different light on Monday 25 February from 7 to 9pm. This is a free event and children are welcome with guardian supervision. Attendees need to bring their own camera. Reserve your place at http://museum.wa.gov.au/museums/museum-of-the-goldfields/photography-night-museum   

 

The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition is a partnership between the South Australian Museum and Australian Geographic.

 

 

 

Media contact

Hillary Henry

Media and Publicity Officer

Western Australian Museum

(08) 6552 7897 / 0466 304 807
Hillary.henry@museum.wa.gov.au