Wild Australasia: best nature photos of the decade
THE ANCIENT LANDMASS of Gondwana and its remarkable biological legacy was the inspiration behind the founding of what is now officially called the Australian Geographic ANZANG Nature Photographer of the Year, but more conveniently referred to as the ANZANG photo competition or simply ANZANG.
In the 10 years since its launch, ANZANG has become firmly established as Australia and New Zealand’s number one nature photo competition in terms of the number of entries it attracts and size of its prize pool.
“This milestone provides a perfect opportunity to review the first decade of the competition, and to gather together, in one volume, a selection of memorable photographs from that period,” says Chrissie Goldrick, editor-in-chief of Australian Geographic.
Changes for photography and for ANZANG
ANZANG came into being at a pivotal moment in photography. In its first year, digital photography was confined to one section of the competition only. By the second year, 2005, all sections were open to digital photography and an interpretive section was introduced, a category that actively encouraged digitally-created effects.
The transition from film to digital was complete when, in 2009, the competition, which by this time had been gifted to the South Australian Museum by its founder Stuart Miller, became exclusively web-based.
In those four short years, the transformation taking place within the contest reflected the revolution that was happening beyond it. High-end SLR (single lens reflex) photography, released from the practical limitations and expense of physical film-based formats, along with an explosion in publishing opportunities offered by the web, expanded rapidly to become one of the world’s fastest growing recreational activities.
This inspiring, sumptuously illustrated book presents more than 260 of the most memorable photos from the first 10 years of the competition – including overall winners, category winners, runners-up and shortlisted images.
From balletic humpback-whale interactions to dramatic bird encounters, the whole gamut of the region’s wild creatures are represented here, as well as the gorgeous flora and stunning landforms of this quadrant of the globe.
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