Robyn Miller took this photograph in Paris, using a Nikon D200. Entitled Birdman, it depicts a homeless man whom has barely enough to feed himself, but feeds the birds at the same time every day. “You can sense the connection they hold for each other,” Robyn says.

Geoff Jones’ picture was taken at the 2010 Sydney Marathon, from the Harbour Bridge as the runners passed underneath. It was shot with a Canon 1D MkIII.

Sleeping Brolga by Susan Nicol, won the Silver Award and came in fifth in the Science and Nature category. It was taken with a Canon 7D. “The light was even, and after taking some very ordinary shots, voila! A brolga rotated its beautiful long neck and tucked its head into the sea of back feathers and went to sleep,” Susan says.

Kirsten Flavell took this photo in Varanassi, India on the Ganges River. Although the driver stopped the boat to pose at one point, Kirsten says she knew she had a great shot when she snapped one of him rowing.

This shot was taken by Mark Hopgood on Orpheus Island, off the coast of QLD, with his Nikon D700. Mark says it took three attempts, playing around with exposure times and composition, to get the photo he was looking for.

With this photograph, Victorian Michelle Smart won first place in the Open Awards Science and Nature category.

Tamika Morrison shot this pelican in action with her Nikon D90 on the York Peninsula, SA.

Jane Crutchfield from Brisbane, QLD, was awarded fifth place in the Landscape, Amateur Awards category.

Ingetje Tadros snapped this picture of a woman from the Paroja tribe in Orissa, India, where locals daub their clay houses with colours made from natural dyes.

Queenslander Melanie Sinclair’s haunting black-and-white was awarded third in the Landscape, Amateur Awards category.

This photograph by Victorian Adrian Donoghue was awarded first prize in the People and Portrait, Amateur Awards category.

Vi Wilson took this shot, entitled Lighting the Landscape, at first dawn. The photograph won her the 2011 International Loupe Awards prize for Amateur Image of the Year.

Darter Bird was shot with a Nikon D200 at Dora Creek, Morisset, NSW. It was awarded the top prize at the Loupe Awards, in the Open Image of the Year category.