THE BEAUTIFUL OBSERVATIONS of nature in our annual celebration of the ANZANG region’s best nature photographers remind us of the wonder of our wild spaces and species.
This year marks 20 years of the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition – and it offers us a chance to reflect on how nature photography has changed during that time. The transition from analogue film – the preserve of an elite community of highly skilled practitioners – to digital processes brought photography to the masses. Capturing incredible nature photos has become accessible to anyone holding a smartphone. New techniques and constant innovations in technology have enabled us to see nature in new ways and with fresh perspectives, reflected in an ever-changing roster of award categories. This year the winning portfolio by rising star Lewis Burnett, for example, was shot completely via drone.
We also saw how photographers have shifted focus to different subject matter during the past two decades as animal behaviours and ecosystems have changed; some species have come under threat and become hard to find, or even extinct, while other animals have shown resilience or adapted to human interventions.
The giant cuttlefish featuring so majestically both on our cover this issue by Daniel Sly and on the previous spread by Matty Smith have become increasingly popular subjects in recent years.
