Your Best Shot: June 2025 - the winners!
Your Best Shot is a photo competition open to Australian residents. There's a different theme every couple of months, and a selection of the winning shots will be published in AP mag and online.
Each issue, AP's Editor Mike O'Connor will choose six images to be published both in print and online, with both a winner and a runner-up selected. Our winner will also receive an amazing prize thanks to Think Tank.
You can find out all the details for entry and the themes for 2025 here.
June 2025
Theme: Movement
Our winner: QVB by Megan Willis
Editor’s comment
Megan Willis’ beautiful image QVB was taken on a rainy day in Sydney, outside the city’s iconic shopping complex.
“A random commuter stood perfectly still for me (luckily) under his umbrella,” she explains.
What makes this photograph stand out is the dynamic sense of movement created by people and a passing tram, captured using a slow shutter speed and a tripod. Combined with the image’s rich tones and sharp details, it’s a real winner.
Technical details
Nikon Z7 II, 17-35mm lens @ 29mm. 1s @ f10, ISO 200.
Highly commended
Editor’s comment
Sabin Flutur’s great portrait was captured during the Australian Classic/Post Classic Motocross Championships, held in Port Pirie, SA in 2024.
This is a fantastic action shot that showcases a moving subject in quite beautiful light, while also showing plenty of the movement that makes motorcross racing so exciting to watch. There’s no distractions here, with the cloud of dust making for a lovely contrasty frame that emphasises the brightly coloured rider.
Technical details
Nikon D850, AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens @ 90mm. 1/1600s @ f7.1, ISO 400. Monopod.
Special mentions
How I did it
The image was created at Nelson Falls, Tasmania, during the February 2025 bushfires. It was golden hour, and the light was particularly eerie due to the smoke in the air. I used hand-held intentional camera movement to try to capture the dream-like, eerie quality of the forest I was experiencing.
Technical details
Nikon D7200, Tokina 11-20mm F2.8 lens @ 20mm. 0.5s @ f8, ISO 200.
How I did it
Taken outside of the International Convention Centre in Sydney, I wanted to capture a moment of stillness amidst the flow of people. My husband Steve was watching a large screen advertising upcoming shows.
The screen just so happened to provide a really nice lighting opportunity. I used a tripod and a timer, and dropped my shutter speed down to a one second exposure, which gave me the desired effect of capturing the movement of people walking past.
Technical details
Canon 200D II, 18-55mm lens @ 40mm. 1s @ f5, ISO 100.
How I did it
I shot this image on 35mm film during a windy day at the beach. My friend was leaning into the strong gusts, almost as if she were trying to push back against them, when the wind caught her hair and swept it across her face.
Technical details
Minolta SRT 201 @ 45mm, Zombie 400 (Mr Negative x Film Never Die) film. 1/125s @ f16, ISO 400.
How I did it: I focused on a group of spoonbills and egrets on the Townsville Town Common and waited for them to take off. The slow shutter speed emphasised their wing movement.
Technical details: Canon R6, Canon EF 100-400 f4.5 lens @ 207mm. 1/30s @ f18, ISO 100.