AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC
AS THE SECOND HALF OF of this extraordinary year unfolds, it’s worth noting that our annual celebration of the natural world is now in its third decade, and has clearly established itself as the most prestigious nature photography competition in our region of the world.
From its outset, the contest has encouraged us to appreciate nature captured by those with the talent and the eye to frame its beauty in ways that invoke awe, wonder, occasionally sadness and sometimes outrage. It has invited us to consider the true value of the natural environment and led us to question our relationship with it.
Each year we get an opportunity to see the wild world presented from new viewpoints and with fresh interpretations of familiar subjects and themes. The entry period for this year’s contest spanned a catastrophic bushfire season in Australia. The scale of the devastation was like nothing we’ve seen before, and the toll on native flora and fauna has been utterly heartbreaking. This dramatic context is beautifully realised in this year’s winning image and is likely to influence how we view all the competition’s successful photographs, which are presented on the following pages and in two major exhibitions in Adelaide and Sydney. These images artfully demonstrate both the magnificence and fragility of the natural realm that we hold so precious.
Entry into the competition closed before COVID-19 changed our lives, and judging was completed before
