Overall winner

Hide and seek

I travelled to Raja Ampat mainly to visit the stunning Arborek Jetty. If you are really lucky you can observe
schools of fish and I spent some time under the jetty. At one point, predators moved in and I was mesmerised by the chase between predator and prey.

Arborek Jetty, Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Nikon D3S, Nikon 16mm, 1/250, f/4.5, ISO 250, Ikelite 161 strobe,Seacam housing

Portfoilo prize

Maybe 2 in a 1000
Hawksbill turtle
ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA

Portfoilo prize

Australian sea lion family portrait
Australian sea lion
NEOPHOCA CINEREA

Portfoilo prize

Ribbon dancer
Threadfin pennantfish
ALECTIS CILIARIS

Portfoilo prize

Luminous
Bluebottle
PHYSALIA UTRICULUS

Portfoilo prize

Enchanted
White’s seahorse
HIPPOCAMPUS WHITEI

Portfoilo prize

Cross dresser
Giant cuttlefish
SEPIA APAMA

Animal portrait: winner

The Northern leaf-tailed gecko

NORTHERN LEAF-TAILED GECKO, SALTUARIUS CORNUTUS

This northern leaf-tailed gecko (Saltuarius cornutus) was found and
photographed during a night walk around Lake Eacham.

Lake Eacham, Crater Lakes National Park, Queensland

Canon EOS 5D Mk III, Canon 100/2.8L macro IS USM, 1/200, f/11, ISO 500, Youngnuo flash with diffuser

Animal portrait: runner-up

Luminous

BLUEBOTTLE, PHYSALIA UTRICULUS

A Physalia utriculus, also known as the Pacific man-of-war or bluebottle – its shade of blue is one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. Every summer bluebottles sting about 40,000 Australian beachgoers, but their design and colour is truly art in nature.

Bushrangers Bay, New South Wales

Nikon D810, Nikkor 8–15mm, f3.5–4.5 E ED, 1/250, f/29, ISO 160, two INON Z240 strobes, Aquatica digital water housing and 4-inch glass port

Animal behaviour: winner

Posing black-fronted dotterels

BLACK-FRONTED DOTTEREL, ELSEYORNIS MELANOPS

These two black-fronted dotterels seemed to want to pose for me, but I think they might have had something else in mind.

Charleville, Queensland

Nikon D800, Nikon 500mm f/4.0 with 1.4 converter, 1/400, f/5.6, ISO 500, tripod

Animal behaviour: runner-up

Play fighting

WESTERN GREY KANGAROOS,
MACROPUS FULIGINOSUS

The light was low in the wandoo bushland where I watched these young western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). At this age, they often engage in play fighting where they throw their heads back, put their arms up and occasionally even kick. In between, they stop to have a scratch before starting again.

Julimar, Western Australia

Canon EOS-1D X, Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM II, 1/800, f/5.6, ISO 3200, handheld

Animal habitat: winner

Enchanted

WHITE’S SEAHORSE, HIPPOCAMPUS WHITEI

Low evening sunlight backlights White’s seahorse. Many of this species can be found living on the shallow shark nets beneath the boardwalk in Mosman, Sydney Harbour.

Mosman, New South Wales

Nikon D810, Nikkor 8–15mm F3.5–4.5 E ED, 1/125, f/29, ISO 160, two INON Z240 strobes, Aquatica digital water housing and 4-inch glass port

Animal habitat: runner-up

Dune run

EMU, DROMAIUS NOVAEHOLLANDIAE

As evening rapidly approached, the sun started its descent towards the horizon. The shadows of two stray emus can be seen in the middle of the image, just two pinpricks in the vast expansiveness of this pristine dune network that runs along Eyre Peninsula.

Coffin Bay National Park, South Australia

DJI Phantom 3, DJI FC300C, 1/1700,
f/2.8, ISO 100

Botanical: winner

The refuge

RED MANGROVES, RHIZOPHORA STYLOSA

Red mangroves (Rhizophora stylosa) grow in a sheltered corner of Lizard Island Lagoon. Their tangled roots provide shelter to many species of fish from the nearby coral reefs, including this school of tropical anchovies that streamed past my camera.

Mangrove Bay, Lizard Island

Canon Powershot G10, 28–140mm
f/2.8–4.5, 1/20, f/4, ISO 80

Botanical: runner up

Pandani in blizzard
PANDANI, RICHEA PANDANIFOLIA

At the age of 51, I lost my falling snow virginity at Waldheim. I was so overwhelmed by frozen feet, crusted spectacles and the unbearable beauty that I could not take a coherent photo. I returned the next day prepared: car heater cranking and camera pointed at a sublime composition. Just add blizzard.

Waldheim, Cradle Valley, Tasmania

Canon 5DII, 100mm macro f/2.8, 1/15, f/14, ISO 400, beanbag on car window frame

Landscape: winner

Early elation

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.

Stirling Ranges, Western Australia

Sony A7rII, Zeiss 16–35mm, 1/100, f/8, ISO 500, Benro tripod

Landscape: runner-up

Broken dreams

Broken Dreams was from one of my most rewarding but confronting shoots. After the Sampson Flat bushfires swept through the northern Adelaide Hills, I spent a lot of time shooting the aftermath and rebirth during the following year. This particular early morning shoot brought with it fog and an amazing mood.

Gumeracha, South Australia

Sony A7R, Sony 55mm, 1/5, f/10, ISO 100, tripod

Monochrome: winner

Junction Falls – after

In a matter of seconds, Junction Falls went from a trickle to a roaring wall of thundering stormwater on a wet afternoon. I was fortunate to be there to capture the amazing transformation. Shortly after this shot, the embedded log completely disappeared from view.

Junction Falls, Blue Mountains, New South Wales

Canon EOS 1DS Mk III, Canon TS-E 45mm f/2.8, 0.6, f/8, ISO 100, tripod

Monochrome: runner -up

Light dappled billabong

This deep, billabong-like section of the river is able to sustain a large population of turtles. I loved the light filtering through the trees so I dived to the bottom and held my breath in wait for one of the many turtles to swim overhead – finally capturing this image.

Upper Orara River, Upper Orara, New South Wales

Canon 5D Mk III, Canon 8–15mm fisheye, 1/160, f/16, ISO 400, two Ikelite 160 substrobes, Aquatica housing, handheld while freediving

Junior: winner

Running wombat

COMMON WOMBAT, VOMBATUS URSINUS

I came across a wombat while hiking, and as soon as it saw me it ran between my legs and off into the distance. Fortunately, I was able to take a photo as it ran past me. The slower shutter speed helped to highlight the running wombat and added a sense of movement to the image.

Cradle Valley, Tasmania

Canon 5D Mk III, Canon 17–40mm f/4L, 1/40, f/4, ISO 1600, handheld

Junior: runner-up

Hell’s gate

This geothermal spring at Hell’s Gate Geothermal Park in Rotorua made me imagine a satanic summoning ritual with the smell of sulphur, the ominous circle of pine trees and the vast plume of volcanic gases rising to the sky. I felt excited to tell this story through the photo.

Rotorua, New Zealand

Nikon D750, Sigma 15–30mm f/3.5–4.5 EX DG, 1/500, f/18, ISO 200, handheld

Our impact: winner

Left behind

KANGAROO, MACROPUS SP.

Coming across this kangaroo during a shoot in the Adelaide Hills really brought home how fast and intense Australia’s bushfires can be. The man-made fire that destroyed this forest was one of the scariest South Australia had experienced in a while and a harsh reminder of the precautions that need to be taken during summer.

Gumeracha, South Australia

Sony A7R, Sony 16–35mm, 1/20, f/10, ISO 100, tripod

Our impact: runner-up

City slicker

WHITE’S SEAHORSE, HIPPOCAMPUS
WHITEI

White’s seahorse thrives in Sydney Harbour’s modified foreshore environment. As I photographed this individual in the early morning light, a plastic wrapper drifted along the opposite side of the swimming enclosure net, momentarily making its way into the frame. Plastic pollution is an emerging threat throughout the world’s oceans.

Manly Cove, New South Wales

Nikon D810, Sigma 15mm, 1/125, f/22, ISO 100, two Ikelite DS161 strobes, Nauticam housing

Threatened species: winner

Maybe 2 in a 1000

HAWKSBILL TURTLE, ERETMOCHELYS IMBRICATA

STATUS: CRITICALLY ENDANGERED

As the sun sets over the Bismarck Sea, two newly hatched hawksbill turtles swim past my waiting camera. They have a long, hard struggle ahead of them to reach maturity; only one in a thousand will survive.

Lissenung Island, Papua New Guinea

Nikon D500, Nikkor 10.5mm f/2.8 E ED fisheye, 1/15, f/22, ISO 320, two INON Z240 strobes, Aquatica digital water housing and 4-inch glass port

Threatened species: runner-up

Turtle reflection

GREEN SEA TURTLE, CHELONIA MYDAS

STATUS: ENDANGERED

On an early morning snorkel off the south-western shelf at Heron Island, this green sea turtle actually came out of the deep to look at us. We were more surprised than it, I think. It hung out with us for a while and then faded back into the blue.

Heron Island, Queensland

Nikon D7200, Tokina 10– 17mm, 1/160, f/13, ISO 320