NEXT GALLERY: Interpretive shortlist

Next up, check out the shortlisted photographs in our 2016 AG Nature Photographer of the Year Interpretive Photography Category here.

Leura Falls Creek within a wet and foggy morning

Leura Falls Creek flows over the southern escarpment at Bridal Veil Falls. Further upstream, the creek meanders through a Jurassic-looking, tree fern infested, bush area before it forms a cascading drop to the falls. The prehistoric mood of the locale is enhanced whenever there is early morning fog rising up from the valley.

Leura Cascades, Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales

Canon EOS 5D Mk II, Canon TS-E 24 mm f3.4L II, 1.3 sec, f/13, ISO 50, Manfrotto 055XPROB Tripod with 496RC2 Ball Head. Stitched image shot using the shift function of the 24 mm Tilt+Shift lens, three shots taken at the same settings; at +8 mm shift, 0 mm shift, and -8 mm shift.

Rangi Dreams

Rangitoto awakens while everyone sleeps. The extreme long exposure adds a milky dimension to this early morning sunrise when the sea was calm between tides and the light captivating. These conditions, coupled with the long exposure, created a soft, dreamy feel to the image. Hence, the image named itself.

Auckland’s North Shore near Devonport, New Zealand

Canon EOS 6D, Canon 17-40 mm F./4, 301, f/5.6, ISO 250, Lee Big Stopper and Lee 0.9 Hard Grad filters, Really Right Stuff tripod

Fleeting Moment

A fleeting moment as a beam of light tracked from the top of frame towards me. Illuminating different sections of the dunes before it all returned to shadow. As quick as I setup the shot, the light came and went.

Wedge Island, Western Australia

Sony A7r, Sony 70-200 mm, 1/320, f/16, ISO 100, tripod

Winters Path

Brumby, Equus (Equus) caballus

Gales were blazing off the main range and snow flurrying right through the valley when I spotted these two brumbies at the valley’s entrance. I waited for the storm to close in but the conditions became too harsh for the horses and the weary beasts struggled through the fierce winds to find shelter.

Thredbo, New South Wales

Nikon D800e, Nikon 28-300 mm f5.6, 1/1000, f/8, ISO 1250

Connection

Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae

A humpback female intensely watches over her newborn calf as it explores a new environment. The shallow waters offer protection for a young calf that needs to breathe every 2–3 minutes. The female poised to follow an unpredictable calf who looks decidedly below to a protective mother.

Tonga, South Pacific

Canon 5D MK III, 15mm fisheye lens, 1/200, f/8, ISO 200

Geryon Awakens

Mount Geryon is reflected in the Pool of Memories as an early morning cloud layer clears from the summit.

Labyrinth, Cradle Mountain National Park, Tasmania

Sony A7R (infrared converted), 16-35 mm, 1/320, f/5.6, ISO 100, tripod

Shadow of Pegasus

The shadow of Mount Pegasus is cast across Lake Oberon in the early morning light. Taken from the summit of Mount Sirius.

Western Arthur Range, Southwest National Park, Tasmania

Sony A7R, 16-35 mm, 1/60, f/11, ISO 100, tripod