Rainbow over Manapouri has earned William Patino a place among the finalists in the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2024 awards.
Rainbow over Manapouri has earned William Patino a place among the finalists in the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2024 awards.
Three Kiwis are in the running for one of Australia’s top photographic awards.
The shortlist for the 2024 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year has been announced by the South Australian Museum in Adelaide, a major partner in the awards.
For more than 20 years, the competition has attracted photographers of a range of ages, skill levels and experience to submit images from the Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea bioregion.
Juvenile Hooker's sea lions at Port Ross in the subantarctic Auckland Islands. Photo / Richard Robinson, Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
This year 1856 photographs from 442 photographers across 12 countries were submitted.
Dr David Gaimster, director of the South Australian Museum, says to whittle that list down to 92 finalists was no easy task.
“From jaw-dropping landscapes, curious creatures and celestial skies, this year’s shortlist captures nature in its rawest and most vulnerable form,” Gaimster said.
“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.”
The shortlisted Kiwis are all professional photographers specialising in natural history.
William Patino, who specialises in landscape photography from his base in Te Anau, used his experience and understanding of his local environment to capture an image of a rainbow over Manapouri.
“On this morning, I was confident in the emergence of a rainbow, which soon graced us with its presence not long after the sun made its ascent over the opposite horizon,” Patino said about his shortlisted image. “Always in communication with my pilot, I positioned us just above the amazing curves of the river which led straight to the glorious scene unfolding before our eyes.”
Gannets over Muriwai. Photo / Bernie Shore, Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the year
The competition comprises 10 categories: animals in nature, aerial, astrophotography, macro, landscape, threatened species, monochrome, our impact, junior and portfolio.
The other Kiwis in the running for the prize are Wanaka’s Bernie Shore with a photograph of gannets flying over Muriwai and former Herald photographer Richard Robinson, a winner in the animal portrait section of this competition in 2020 and a winner in the British Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2022.
Manāki whitebait. Photo / Richard Robinson, Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Robinson is shortlisted in two categories – a close-up view of manāki whitebait in the macro section and an almost humorous picture of Hooker’s sea lions at Port Ross in the subantarctic Auckland Islands.
Nicky Catley of Australian Geographic is excited about this year’s awards and the introduction of an aerial category.
“I always look forward to seeing how wildlife photographers can surprise us,” she said. “Drone imagery, for example, has become such a common visual approach with certain landscapes showing a completely new view of the world from above. I can’t wait to see who the judges select as winners from the 2024 field of finalists.”
The winners will be announced at the South Australian Museum on August 29 with a public exhibition running from August 31.
