2024 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

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Welcome to the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year collection for 2024.

Australian Geographic’s involvement with this competition is part of our mission to encourage photography of our region’s landscapes and wildlife. Our region offers so much for any would-be photographer, and not just in our wild and remote areas, but in our urban landscape and even our backyards. Photography encourages you to look carefully at the world around you. It increases knowledge and understanding, and raises awareness. Nature photographers are active conservationists, and that is the real power of this competition. The wildlife conservation movement relies heavily on the impact of strong imagery to move people to care enough to advocate, donate funds or become involved in practical ways. So, while some of us will be looking carefully at the f-stop number or the lens type, for most, it’s a chance to be inspired by the beauty of nature.

We commend all of the 422 photographers who entered and extend our gratitude to this year’s judges – Andrew Meares, Petra Leary and Chrissie Goldrick – who faced the enormous task of evaluating more than 1500 entries.

This year added a fresh challenge for those entering, with a new category attracting outstanding overhead images – aerial.

“The competition has grown and evolved over the past two decades and this year we introduced the well-received aerial category capturing never before seen moments from above,” says Director of the South Australian Museum, Dr David Gaimster.

That meant there were 10 categories this year:

Animals in Nature
Aerial
Astrophotography
Macro
Landscape
Threatened Species
Monochrome
Our Impact
Junior
Portfolio

Australian Geographic Society Chair and 2024 judge, Chrissie Goldrick, says, “The competition has evolved significantly. The categories have changed. The rules are constantly reviewed to keep pace with rapid technological advances in areas like generative intelligence, but also to reflect growing ethical sensitivities.”

Although the competition and photographs have evolved, Chrissie says one thing hasn’t changed – the judging process.

“It’s as challenging now as it ever was. It’s a highly subjective process and each judge brings something different to the table based on their own experience, knowledge and preferences. Judges are well versed in accepted standards of compositional and technical excellence, but winning images need an ‘X-factor’. It’s here the most lively of debates dwell, and the final results can be hard to adequately articulate when it’s an emotional response to the vision before you. Whether you agree with the final choices or not, you can rest assured the process that gets us there is rigorous and hard fought.”

The awards are a partnership between Australian Geographic and the South Australian Museum, who produce the competition and accompanying exhibition. The museum will announce the overall winner, category winners, runners-up and the Portfolio Prize in August.