Your Best Shot October '26 'Minimalism' - 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 Retouch4me.
This was a challenging theme, and with more than 250 entries, we received a ton of stunning images that played with the idea of ‘less is more’. Here are our picks.
Winner
Editor’s comment
There were some really beautiful minimalist images entered in this issue’s Your Best Shot, but we loved the sense of mystery conveyed in Kate Snow’s clever macro entry, Spreading Seeds.
What makes the image work is the way it presents a beautiful and rarely seen aspect of nature through a cool, minimalist edit that removes any distractions. We’ve seen plenty of dandelion seed photos over the years, but this one brings a fresh perspective to a familiar subject.
Technical details
OM System OM-5, 60mm f/2.8 lens. 1/125s @ f8, ISO 500.
The prize
As our winner, Kate takes home access to three Retouch4me photo retouching apps valued at $360. Retouch4me retouching apps are available as Photoshop plugins and standalone apps.
Options include Heal, Dodge & Burn, Eyes Bundle, Fabric, Skin Mask, Portrait Volumes, Clean Backdrop, Skin Tone, White Teeth, Mattifier, Color Match and Dust. You can find out more at Retouch4me.
Runner-up
Editor’s comment
Anton Galitch’s image was taken on a very foggy day, when the low visibility allowed him to capture what he describes as a simplified scene.
“The seagulls and the ducks added an interesting element of life to this otherwise artificial-looking scene,” he says.
It’s the fog, and the way it strips the scene back to its essential elements, that really makes this image work. The reduced visibility removes distractions while the birds add movement and a sense of dynamism to an otherwise quiet, almost surreal scene.
Technical details
Fujifilm X-S10, 16-80mm f/4 lens @ 67mm. 1/180s @ f5.6, ISO 800.
Highly commended
How I did it
I photographed this on the South Australian stretch of the Sturt Highway, travelling from Renmark towards Mildura after crossing the Nullarbor. Spotting a mob of emus, I slowed down as seeing them in the wild is still a rare thing for me.
Further along, a solitary emu crested a low ridge, silhouetted against the sky. I pulled onto the verge and quickly captured a couple of frames before it disappeared over the rise.
The distinctive ‘Stobie’ pole – steel and concrete, unique to South Australia – acted as a natural framing device, giving the scene scale and perspective. I like the starkness, and slightly surreal edge of the image, and the memories of outback Australia it personally evokes.
How I did it
On a trip to Japan in September 2025, I visited the Chichu Art Museum on Naoshima Island. I saw this scene and snapped away.
Technical details
OM System OM-5 Mk II, 14-150mm kit lens @ 17mm. 1/200s, @ f4, ISO 6400.
How I did it
Taken in the early morning winter light, the clouds are reflected in the pink of Lake Tyrrell.
Technical details
Not provided
If you'd like to enter Your Best Shot, you can see upcoming themes on the YBS page here.