SARGASSUM SEAWEED, SARGASSUM SP. I love bold primary colours and strong shapes in my photography. I like the way this common sargassum seaweed glows a beautiful golden colour in my underwater lights against the bold rugged shape and texture of the rocks. To me this image is all about the shapes, tones and textures. Bushrangers Bay, Shellharbour, New South Wales. Nikon D810, Nikkor 14-24mm F2.8, 1/200, f/18, ISO 400, Inon Z220 Substrobes at ½ power, handheld, Aquatica ND810 for Nikon D810 with homemade 18” Dome Port

BRITTLE GUM, EUCALYPTUS MANNIFERA. Brittle gum and snow. This snow fall was so heavy I had to keep shaking it off my umbrella. Brittle gums are full of character and one of my favourite local trees. This fine specimen is close to my home. It’s maybe several hundred years old and has survived numerous snows, storms, droughts and fires. Blue Mountains, New South Wales. Canon EOS 5D Mk II, 24-105mm lens at 99mm, 1/30, f/13, ISO 100, tripod

RIVER RED GUMS, EUCALYPTUS CAMALDULENSIS. I got up early to watch the sunrise at Cattle (Goolinee) Pool, which bathed the white trunks of the river red gums in a warm glow. The river red gums of Mt Augustus (Burringurrah) National Park are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful trees in outback Australia. Cattle (Goolinee) Pool, Mt Augustus (Burringurrah) National Park, Western Australia. Canon EOS – 1DX, Canon 16-35mm f2.8L USM lens @ 16mm, 1/3, f/18 (exposure bias of +0.7), ISO125, tripod (Giotto) with ball head (Manfrotto) 

ANTARCTIC BEECH, NOTHOFAGUS MOOREI. New England National Park was registered as a World Heritage Area in 1986 due to the universal significance of its biological and landscape values. The park’s genetic diversity and natural cycles remain unaltered, which has allowed the survival and evolution of rainforest species over geological time. New England National Park, New South Wales. Canon 5D Mk II, Canon EF17-40 f/4L USM, 1/5, f/11, ISO 500, tripod, circular polarised filter 

ALPINE ASH, EUCALYPTUS DELEGATENSIS. This part of the Alps has weathered several hot fires in recent years, leaving large areas of skeletal alpine ash, which are usually killed by fire and regenerate from seed. As I climbed the hill I saw this beautiful blue and silver contrast in the morning light. Alpine National Park, Victoria. Canon EOS 5D Mk II, 24-105mm lens at 97mm, 1/320, f/11, ISO 400, handheld.

SNOW GUMS, EUCALYPTUS PAUCIFLORA. Winter’s embrace. The conditions on this day were flat and uninteresting with white-out conditions rendering visibility to only a few meters. I had found this cluster of snow gums crusted in ice from some rain the previous night and used the conditions to create a sense of mystery and depth. Mount Hotham, Victoria. Fuji GX617, Fujinon 90mm F/8 SW, 1/4, f/22, ISO 50, Fujichrome Professional Velvia RVP50 film, tripod, centre filter mounted

GRASS TREE, XANTHORRHOEA SP. The grass tree as phoenix. In 1999 I saw some potential in this scene. At the time a thick vegetation understorey prevented me shooting it. The opportunity arose fourteen years later after a bushfire reduced the visual chaos. Photographing this was a small wish fulfilled, accompanied by calling boobook owls and yapping sugar gliders. Bundanoon, New South Wales. Nikon D3, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 @ 90mm, 1/126, f/10, ISO 200, Gitzo tripod, illuminated with portable incandescent lighting

UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES. Life and decay. The river bank is covered in decaying leaves in various states – some still green, others shades of brown. Breakdown of the softer parts of the leaves reveals the extensive and beautiful network of veins within – and in this case a silver sheen not often seen. Stroud, New South Wales. Canon 1DX +, Canon MPE-65mm, 1/250, f/16, ISO 400, Canon MT24EX twin flash

UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES. After Burn. It was a stiflingly hot summer’s day on 2 January 2015 and a massive bushfire raged out of control in the Adelaide Hills. The fire perimeter was 224 kilometres. There were no human lives lost, but dozens of homes were lost and the toll on farm animals, wildlife and pets was unknown. Kersbrook, South Australia. Olympus OM-D E-M5, Olympus 12-40mm f2.8, 1/400, f/5.6, ISO 200, handheld, straightened, exposure correction, dodging and burning