Innholdsfortegnelse for October-November 2025 i Australian Photography

There’s something about black and white photography that never loses its magic. It takes us back to another era, but it never feels old. In fact, it gives certain images a quality that colour just can’t match. I think that’s why it has stayed so relevant, even as trends in photography have come and gone. It’s a cliché now perhaps, but shooting in black and white forces you to slow down and see differently. Without colour to lean on, it all comes down to light, shadow, texture and form. You can’t rely on a splash of colour or a fiery sunset to do the heavy lifting. If you’ve ever set your camera to monochrome and walked around for a while looking through the viewfinder, you’ll know how much it changes…

PRESENTED BY Now in its seventh year, the competition continues to highlight some of the finest talent in black and white photography worldwide. This year’s honours went to three outstanding works: a timeless portrait by New Zealand’s Amy Hughes, a dramatic storm scene captured by NSW’s Will Eades, and a striking interpretation of a majestic elephant by Belgium’s George Dian Balan. Together, they led a field of photographers competing for $16,000 in cash and prizes across the three categories of People, Places and Animals. Across the following pages, you’ll find the winners, runners-up and Top 40 images in each category, accompanied by commentary from the judges on what made the standout photographs rise above the rest. Our sincere thanks go to the judging panel of Anthony McKee, Liz Ham, Paul…

PRESENTED BY WINNER GEORGE DIAN BALAN Belgium’s George Dian Balan is a fine art wildlife photographer, scientist, author, and speaker, with significant scientific and conservation experience working with big-tusked African and Asian elephants. Alongside his photography of these iconic animals, his research has led him to discovering, for the first time in more than 100 years, two new world records: the longest Asian elephant tusk (3.26 m) and the thickest Asian elephant tusk (58 cm), both from India. @georgedianbalan WHEN MAMMOTHS RULED THE EARTH. The climax of over 50 million years of elephant evolution, Dian Balan’s Animals category winning image of an Asian Super Tusker sports tusks of the relative size and shape of the southern mammoth, the ancestor of the woolly mammoth. “Very few people know that Asian elephants can…

WHERE DO YOUR EYES GO? “I recently went hiking in Alpine National Park for two nights and found this river on the second night. I instantly created the composition in my mind and knew that golden hour would light the scene in an unparalleled way. This is a HDR image and I removed some small branches on the left hand side of the image. No AI was used in any parts of this photograph.” ANTHONY’S TIP: Hi Niam, learning how our eyes interrogate a scene can make all the difference to how we process our images. This photo is a classic example – look at it and ask yourself, where are your eyes going? Our eyes should be enjoying all that rich detail in the foreground but instead our eyes…

NIKKOR Z 24-70MM F/2.8 S II ANNOUNCED NIKON has just announced their new top of the line, ‘do everything lens’ – the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II. Nikon is touting it as a ‘new-generation f/2.8 standard zoom lens’. The new version of the general purpose workhorse introduces an internal zoom mechanism, which Nikon says helps improve handling and reduces the chance of dust and moisture entering the lens. At approximately 675g, it is also lighter than comparable lenses in its category, and 130g lighter than the NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S. Focusing speed is reportedly now around five times faster, with tracking performance during zooming improved by about 60%. While the lens’s faster autofocus and lighter weight will be a welcome advantage for wedding and event photographers, its launch…

PRESENTED BY WINNER AMY HUGHES Based in Ranfurly, in the heart of the Maniototo in Central Otago, New Zealand, Amy Hughes specialises in landscape photography, and describes herself as having a deep passion for the region’s sweeping hills, endless skies, and the textured remains of forgotten farmsteads. “My work captures the beauty of rural life both in its vastness and its quiet, intimate moments,” she says. “I’m also drawn to the strength, resilience, and untold stories of the people and animals that shape my rural community.” facebook.com/www.amyhughes.photography/ IN THE SHEARING SHEDS. Amy Hughes’ People category winning image In the shearing sheds depicts her eightyear old son Kahu. For Hughes, the image tells a layered, authentic story. “The image speaks to rural life, generational roles, and the connection between humans and animals,”…

Capturing this waterfall in a dark forest on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, the sound of rushing water filled the air and the wind gusted through the trees carrying the scent of wet earth and moss: the atmosphere exuded a mystical quality. Adding to the experience was the challenge of capturing the image. While my tripod was adjusted for the different levels of rocks, the high wind still made it difficult to keep the camera stable for a slow shutter speed shot while I was also trying to remain safe and out of the running water. Tea-stained by the nearby peat, the waterfall contrasted sharply with the lush greens of the forest, lending a unique tone to the initial photograph. To frame the shot, I positioned myself to use…

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TRAVEL Travel photography allows us to create a visual record of journeys near and far. This month, you wowed us with a massive variety of imagery that not only showcased amazing locations around the world, but the unique characters who inhabit them. These were our picks from a bumper lineup of stellar shots. DANIEN BEETS Flotilla EDITOR’S COMMENT Repetition can be a powerful technique in photography, and Danien Beets has used it to great effect in his winning shot Flotilla, taken in Vietnam earlier this year. What stands out is not only the repeating lines of boats, but also the oars, lifejackets, the flags, the seats, and the hats worn by the boat people — all fantastic details that draw the viewer in and invite closer exploration. TECHNICAL DETAILS OM…

PRESENTED BY WINNER WILL EADES Based in New South Wales, Will Eades is an award-winning Australian photographer known for capturing the raw power and beauty of the natural world. His work spans storm, landscape, and astrophotography, often chasing extreme weather across remote regions in pursuit of rare atmospheric moments. @willeadesphotography THE HEIGHTS OF AKRON. Will Eades’ Places category winning image The Heights of Akron was captured on the U.S. Plains during a storm chase through eastern Colorado. “As the storm structure matured, a violent tornado dropped in front of us, casting dramatic shadows and creating a surreal interplay of light and dust,” he says. “I knew it would be a strong image due to the sheer scale, movement, and the balance between chaos and form — all of which translate powerfully…

For some, it’s a love of nature that draws them to the camera. Others are captivated by vivid colours, or by the simplicity of monochrome. I’m fascinated by how Kay Mack, the first female President of the APS, continued photographing even after moving into a care facility late in life. Limited as her circumstances were, she still found subjects inside and outside the building, as well as among the people who lived there. Restrictions became opportunities. Looking back over the images we’ve created on our photographic journeys often reveals patterns: perhaps we’ve always been drawn to the same subjects, or perhaps our interests and styles have shifted over time. I’m very much in the latter group. When asked what I like to photograph, my answer is usually, “everything that moves,…