Kiwi snapper foots it with the best in Australasia
A young New Zealander is a finalist in the prestigious Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year.
Rosa Dunbar submitted three insect photographs for the competition awards ceremony, held at the South Australia Museum in Adelaide on Thursday night.
Nearly 2500 entries were received across 10 categories. Overall winner was West Australia underwater photographer Ashlee Jansen for her eerily provocative image of a humpback whale skeleton and a circling tiger shark near the Ningaloo Reef in July 2021.
The competition judges were unanimous in their decision, saying of the winning picture: “The beauty of the image lies in its artful circular composition, seen in the curves of the whale’s skeletal ribs mirroring the patterns in the sand, keeping our eye within the frame moving between the living and the dead.”
Chrissie Goldrick, editor-in-chief of Australian Geographic and competition judge, said the winning photo bore witness to “the vital role the oceans play in the lives of those who call the vast bioregion that includes Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea”.