A photograph taken from an elevated position (i.e. from a fixed vantage point or from an aircraft) or captured with a drone. The subject matter can include natural landscapes or seascapes, weather, or native or feral animals. Evidence of humans can be present however it must not be the focus of the photograph.
Winner
Jabiru Leaf
Charles Davis, New South Wales
This is not a dead leaf; it is a result of massive tides retreating over mudflats. I thought of a dead tree and a bird as we flew over the flats in the chopper. As this blacknecked stork flew towards the drainage, we banked hard just in time to capture them together.
Judges' Comments
Beyond tricking the eye, this is a beautiful, subtle composition that reveals landscape, texture and inhabitants. The photographer has shown impeccable timing to include the stork.
Runner-Up
Waves of Influence
Dylan de Haas, Western Australia
It was an exceptionally calm day in Shark Bay when I spotted a tiger shark gliding through the shallows. As its dorsal fin broke the surface, it trailed waves of light behind it. This rare moment felt like a visual metaphor for how a predator’s presence (or absence) ripples through the entire ecosystem.
Judges' Comments
All elements combine beautifully to create this image, from the ripples that springboard the composition to the tiny yellow pilot fish. A beautiful composition of movement, shadow, species and subtle colour.