FEATHERED SYMMETRY. Watching this White-winged tern (Chlidonias leucopterus) amongst a little tern colony when it stretched its wings ready for take-off. I simply cropped the image fairly tightly to focus on the wonderful symmetry and graphic simplicity of the feather structure against the blue of the lake. Lake Wollumboola, New South Wales. Canon EOS-1DX, EF 500mm f4L IS + 1.4X extender, 1/3200 @ f8, ISO 640, Mongoose tripod head on Skimmer Ground Pod

BLUE LAKE. It was a cold morning and when the first light appeared, we witnessed a dramatic change of the sky – a magical transition from night to day. This image was made from six shots and captures the entire lake and its surrounding mountain features. St Bathans, South Island, New Zealand. Nikon D800, Nikkor AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED, 10-15-30, f/2.8, ISO 400-ISO 800, GT2531EX Gitzo CF6X Explorer 2, BH-55 Ballhead

WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE, AQUILA AUDAX. Wedge-tailed eagles are such majestic animals. I combined three photos in Adobe Photoshop with a texture layer to create an image that paid tribute to the eagles and represented the harshness of the outback environment in which they often live – where it is a matter of survival of the fittest.

Main image, close-up of a wedge-tailed eagle
WA Birds of Prey Centre, Caversham
Canon EOS 1Ds Mk III, Canon 100mm macro lens, 1/200, f/18, handheld, flash

Fighting wedge-tailed eagles
Road to Gascoyne Junction, WA
Canon EOS 1DX, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, 1/1600, f/9, lens rested on car door

Tree in the outback
Mt Augustus (Burringurrah) National Park, Western Australia
Canon EOS 1DX, Canon 16-35mm f2.8L USM lens, 1/320, f/7.1, handheld

GREY HEADED FLYING FOX, PTEROPUS POLIOCEPHALUS. Bat blur. A single grey-headed flying fox captured in two stages of flight using a combination of slow shutter speed, ambient light and rear curtain flash. The darker ghostly silhouette was captured with the ambient light and slower shutter speed then the flash fires capturing a second impression of the bat. Balgowlah, Sydney NSW. Canon 5D Mk ll, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM, 1/5, f/14, ISO 400, Canon 580ex flash fired in Rear Curtain Sync mode, handheld 

NEW MOON. Pursuing nature photographs has taken me all over the world, but I am increasingly of the opinion that it is more ecologically responsible to confine one’s focus to the local. This shot of the new moon was created from the comfort of a rocking chair on my verandah. Pomona, Queensland. Canon 5D II, 100-400mm, 8, f/11, ISO 400, handheld

CUCKOO WASP, CHRYSIDIDAE. Beautiful death. This six millimetre cuckoo wasp’s pockmarked exoskeleton is designed to glint brilliant greens and blues in the sunlight! However, behind that beauty its extra thick skin designed to repel attacks by much larger wasps, as to let this individual into their nests would spell certain death for their young. Brisbane, Queensland. Canon Eos 60D, Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens with Nikon CFI Plan 10x Objective, 1/250, f/5.6, ISO 100, Canon Speedlite 580EX II with diffuser flash, mounted

ANTARCTIC PANCAKE ICE. Just after Antarctic summer, with the temperature steadily dropping and the surface of the ocean beginning to freeze, one can observe the phenomenon known as pancake ice. The circular formations that will eventually comprise the pack ice and ubiquitous sheet ice in this wild part of the world. Ross Sea, Antarctica. Canon EOS 5D Mk III, Canon EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM, 1/320, f/4, ISO 1600, handheld 

TAPESTRY. A pine forest in winter on the South Island of New Zealand showcasing a stunning, rich tapestry of colour and texture. With the stark, bare white birch trees beautifully framed by vibrant red and orange foliage behind, it reminded me of a matchstick flame, perfectly mimicked in nature’s glory. Arrowtown, New Zealand. Canon 5D Mk II, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM @90mm, 3, f/18, ISO 50 tripod with cable remote

TRIDACNA CLAM, TRIDACNA SP. Entangling fingers interlace on the partially closed fleshy mantle of this tridacna clam. The rich soft mantle tissue is patterned with symbiotic photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae. I free-dived to the clam and slowly approached to avoid a pressure wave that would cause the clam to close. Wakatobi Reef, Sulawesi, Indonesia. Canon EOS 5D Mk II, Canon EF50mm f/2.5 IS macro Lens, 1/160 sec @ f/9.0, ISO 400, video light used to provide illumination, underwater free-diving 

OCEAN FIRE. As the sun sets into the Tasman Sea I used a technique of moving the camera to emphasise the amazing hues at sunset. Combined with the appropriate shutter speed, this enabled me to capture this dreamlike effect, giving the appearance of an ocean fire. All captured in camera with one exposure. Ruapuke, New Zealand. Canon EOS– D X, EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II, 4, f/32, ISO 50, handheld