So here it is! The issue of Australian Photographer that showcases some of the best work from Australian and New Zealand amateur photographers is finally here. Congratulations to all the winners especially those photographers whose names I recognise and are good friends!
I’ve been waiting for this issue with a little trepidation so I’m delighted to share that my series ‘Colours of an Australian Landscape’ made it to the Top 20 in the Aerial category! I was aiming for a Top 10 finish this year so I’m happy that at #13, I almost made my goal!
It is just the second year that aerial photography has been a stand alone category. I feel that I am still a newbie in this genre, having started out in 2021 with my abstract aerial drone images. The images I submitted thisyear were taken from a Cessna when I was privileged to be on a workshop organised by two of Australia’s best in this genre — Tony Hewitt and Peter Eastway. Huge thanks to them for taking me to some mind blowing places.
While this competition is for amateur photographers, if you look at the images, you will agree with judge Matt Palmer who says, that many of the entries are at a professional standard. Matt goes on to say “the entries are important in creating a visual history, recording the faces, places and challenges of these times.” I couldn’t agree more. For many of us, the lockdown of the past few years provided some breathing time in our lives, where we felt free to explore our creativity in new ways.
This year more than 3,000 entries were received so a huge shout out to all the judges and the team at Australian Photography Magazine. I don’t envy your tasks of shortlisting, curating and double checking these images from hundreds of photographers. Thank you for the platform you provide us and the chance to share our work with a wider audience.
See my Medium Article for the rest of my aerials, all of which received Highly Commended Awards: https://narratives4change.medium.com/2022-australian-photographer-of-the-year-8bdf774179d?sk=5a0a46ea2287c1692d507c56f717d3c6