Go wild
PHOTOGRAPHY IS something we’re passionate about at AG. And when canvassed about why you subscribe to Australian Geographic, it’s often the beautiful photos you enthuse about most. They lie at the heart of our storytelling and often provide the hook that draws you in to read the rest of a story. They communicate and inspire. And we understand that a single photo can have the power to bring about positive change by highlighting pressing issues and potentially moving people to take action. As such, photos are vital for bringing conservation and environmental issues to light.
It’s the fifth year of our partnership with the South Australian Museum’s annual photo competition, originally known as ANZANG and today called the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year. During that time, the contest has grown in numerous ways. The number of participants has increased and so has the quality of entries. The winning and shortlisted entries from the 2017 contest are among the best we’ve seen and we bring you a selection in this edition. I hope they inspire you to pick up a camera and get outside for yourself.
We encourage photography at every turn, not only for its ability to foster knowledge and understanding of the natural world, but also because it encourages us to spend time in the great outdoors. There are so many benefits that come from connecting with nature. And yet it seems to elude many of us who live in our big cities. We hope to help overcome that through a new regular feature called Going Wild (page 110) that we introduce in this issue. It’s about finding simple ways to become immersed in nature that won’t break the bank and are within reach of our biggest population centres.
We’re also reintroducing My Favourite Place (see page 130) – hopefully another way to encourage you to get outdoors with a camera. Please send us a description and photo of your favourite place and we’ll publish the best ones.
I hope to catch up with some of you at the AG Society awards on 1 November in Sydney (see opposite) or perhaps at one of the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year photo exhibitions in Adelaide and Sydney.
Gliders by Night
Sugar glider, Petaurus breviceps Charles Davis, New South Wales I set up a studio to photograph possums next to a tree I knew was being used because of the scratches up and down the trunk. I didn’t expect to see gliders, but by the end of the project, I had three coming to the tree each night to feed. Yalcowinna, Cooma, New South Wales Nikon D810, Sigma 15–30 f/.8, 1/10, f/5, ISO 2000, three Nikon SB700 flash, home-made camera trap with PRI sensor