NEXT GALLERY: Botanical shortlist

Next up, see the shortlisted photos from the Botanical category in the 2016 AG Nature Photographer of the Year competition here.

Arctic Roo

Kangaroo, Macropodidae

On the coldest day of the year I wanted to catch the incoming snow storm and search for kangaroos. I had to walk for 5km to reach the snow line and it was coming down in large, fast-falling flakes. As the roos hopped away I captured the scene I’d waited so long for.

Yanky Hat, Namadgi National Park, Australian Capital Territory.

Nikon D800e, Nikon 200-400 f4 VR2, 1/160, f/9, ISO 4000, Really Right Stuff TVC33, BH55 ball head.

Gentoo vs. the Mountain

Gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis papua

All alone, this Gentoo penguin faces the mountains during a snowstorm at Cuverville Island in Antarctica. The choice of framing and composition is key to providing the epic sense of scale one finds in Antarctica as well as emphasising the graphic design of the penguin and mountains.

Cuverville Island, Antarctica

Canon EOS 1DX, Canon EF 70-200 mm F2.8L IS MKII at 105 mm, 1/500, f/8, ISO 400, handheld

Home Shrinking Home

Pink anemonefish, Amphiprion perideraion

Two pink anemonefish snuggle tightly as their host anemone has contracted its column, leaving a small clutch of tentacles exposed. A mucus layer on the anemonefish prevents injury from the tentacle’s stinging cells. Anemone shrimp are also present. Both species live in a symbiotic relationship with the host anemone.

Wakatobi reefs, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Canon EOS 5D Mk III, Canon EF 100 mm f2.8L Macro IS USM, 1/200, f/22, ISO 200, Nauticam underwater housing, twin 240Z Inon strobes

King of the Desert

Western desert taipan, Oxyuranus temporalis

The western desert taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) was only described in 2007 as its utter remoteness has hid it from science for generations. Very little is known of this beautiful predator with less than a dozen sightings formally recorded. It was a highlight of my life to meet this young individual!

Ilkurlka, Western Australia

Canon 7D, Tokina 11-16 mm, 1/250, f/16, ISO 160, twin flash 430 EXII, handheld

Well, hello!

Smallspotted combtooth blenny, Escenius stictus

A smallspotted combtooth blenny, Escenius stictus, watches from the safety of its soft coral home. So often it’s the little things in life that bring pleasure and these blennies do that in spades – they are cute, curious, fun to watch and they stay still long enough for slow photographers.

Russell Island, Queensland

Olympus OMD-EM1, Olympus M-Zuiko 12-50 mm F 3.5-6.3 in macro mode, 1/200, f/22, ISO 200, Ikelite DS-125 and Ikelite DS-51 strobes, Olympus PT-EP11 housing

Boo – Fernbird

Fernbird, Bowdleria punctata

Fernbirds forage through reeds and grasses making it extremely difficult to see them, let alone photograph them. I wanted to show one as it climbed up out of the dense foliage before diving into the next clump. I managed this shot as it did the splits while clinging on.

Orokonui Ecosanctuary, New Zealand

Canon EOS-1DX, EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, 1/640, f/7.1, ISO 1000

Aggregation

Giant cuttlefish, Sepia apama

The Australian giant cuttlefish aggregation is truly one of nature’s great events. Thousands of cuttlefish congregate in the shallow waters around the Spencer Gulf in South Australia to mate and perpetuate the species. The cuttlefish, like alien beings, display an array of patterns, textures and colours to indicate their intentions.

South Australia

Canon 5D Mk III, 15 mm fisheye, 1/200, f/20, ISO 320, Ikelite DS-161 strobes

Basket Star Shrimp

Basket star shrimp, Lipkemenes lanipes

At night, huge echinoderms called basket stars emerge from their hiding places within the reef. On their surface lives a tiny shrimp (two centimetres long and about the diameter of a five cent coin), which scurry around the basket star’s wide stretched arms foraging for food.

Alor, Indonesia

Nikon D800, Nikkor 105 mm, 1/125, f/14, ISO 100, 2x Inon Z240 underwater strobes, Subal underwater camera housing