The theme for our August photo competition was 'The Sea,' a subject that was well contested with more than 1000 entries.
Guest judge Justin Gilligan, a wildlife photographer who spends much of his time shooting in and around the sea, was suitably impressed with the high standard of work and commented that choosing just one winner was a huge challenge.
"It was great to see so many talented photographers pay homage to Australia’s amazing blue surrounds. The theme covered a remarkable diversity of subjects, which actually made them quite difficult to compare and distinguish from one another. I would like to pass on congratulations to all of the finalists – any of them could have easily taken out the top prize!"
In the end Gilligan selected Hayden O'Neill's sparsely composed underwater image 'Abyss' as the winning photo.
"A unique perspective of a simple moment to which many Australians can relate. The stark contrast between the bright sun rays and the dark blue surrounds make this an instantly striking image. The photographer has handled the challenges associated with exposure and focus with care, and the simple composition utilising the rule of thirds really drove this image home as the winner."
Gilligan selected four more images for special commendation: 'When Fish Smile,' by Emily Muir; 'Liquid Gold,' by Andrew Peacock; 'Surfer Below,' by Tao Hoogland; and 'Black Sand Beach,' by David Psaila. You can see read Gilligan's comments about these images below, along with the full list of 24 shortlisted images.
The theme for our September competition is Wheels.
ABOUT THIS MONTH’S JUDGE: Justin Gilligan is a freelance photographer and writer with a degree in Marine Science. His work can be viewed at www.justingilligan.com
WINNER: 'Abyss,' by Hayden O'Neill. Judge's comment: A unique perspective of a simple moment to which many Australians can relate. The stark contrast between the bright sun rays and the dark blue surrounds make this an instantly striking image. The photographer has handled the challenges associated with exposure and focus with care, and the simple composition utilising the rule of thirds really drove this image home as the winner.
COMMENDED: 'When Fish Smile,' by Emily Muir. Judge's comment: This fantastically composed image has been captured under busy and challenging conditions. The busy composition does well to represent the true situation, whilst not distracting from the central fish, which appears to be smiling at the camera. The photographer has done an excellent job in dealing with the exposure challenges that come with photographing a scene both above and below the sea.
COMMENDED: 'Liquid Gold,' by Andrew Peacock. Judge's comment: This looks like an amazing scene to wake up to down by the sea. The spectacular golden backlighting creates a fantastic contrast to the image, and the focus on the central wind sculptured peak makes for a striking composition that makes me want to jump up and run to the nearest surfboard!
COMMENDED: 'Surfer Below,' by Tao Hoogland. Judge's comment: The photographer has done an excellent job to capture this unusual kelp-covered rocky reef habitat and breaking wave. The surfer adds a sense of scale to the image and the fish in the scene work to balance the composition. A very well handled image captured in a fairly intense situation.
COMMENDED: 'Black Sand Beach,' by David Psaila. Judge's comment: I really enjoy this portrait image of a tranquil scene down by the sea. There are a number of elements that really work, including the combination of the soft waves with the hard wave edge, which provides a sense of movement. The small people are also perfectly composed to give a grand sense of scale to the scene and the moody lighting also adds a sense of drama.
'A Lone Beach Walker on a Bad Weather Day,' by Sue McArthur.
