On assignment for an Antarctic expedition company I photographed these chinstrap penguins making their way towards the frozen arched edge of an iceberg at quite a distance from our ship. I like the juxtaposition of the tiny form of the penguins seemingly
vulnerable in a dramatic icy Antarctic landscape.
South Orkney Islands
Canon EOS 5D Mk IV, EF 100–400mm f4.5–5.6 L IS II USM, 1/1250, f/5.6, ISO 1250, handheld
Photo Credit: Andrew Peacock, Queensland
LIFE IN THE ESKY
EASTERN GREY KANGAROO Macropus giganteus
I’d been chasing storms all winter to film kangaroos in the snow; this storm
in particular held lots of promise. The snow started coming down like large
snowballs and the roos could do nothing but stand and be engulfed in the blizzard. The snow swirled around them from all directions and in 10
minutes the world was white.
Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales
Nikon D850, Nikon 24–70 f2.8, 1/1000, f/2.8, ISO 500
Photo Credit: Charles Davis, New South Wales
GLIDERS’ HOME
SUGAR GLIDER Petaurus breviceps
I’d spent months watching the gliders on my family farm and finding the nest hollow was the priority. After many long, cold nights I narrowed it down to this old, dead, brittle gum. Each night they would emerge at 8.28pm, poking their little heads out for five minutes to make sure it was safe before leaving to feed.
Cooma, New South Wales
Nikon D850, Nikon 200–400 f4, 1/250, f/13, ISO 3200, three Nikon SB700, RRS TVC33 tripod, BH55 ball head
I was fortunate to come across a flock of pelicans and godwits flying low over
the Mary River Floodplains. Looking down from above allowed me to see
these beautiful creatures, complete with reflections and shadows, against a background of blue water rather than a blue sky. It was intriguing to see the smaller godwits and lone stilt alongside the larger pelicans.
Mary River Floodplains, Northern Territory
Canon EOS 5D Mk IV, Canon EF 100–400mm f4.5–5.6 L II USM
IS 400mm, 1/2500, f/10, ISO 1600, handheld from a helicopter
Photo Credit: Clara Davies, Victoria
A CROC’S-EYE VIEW
FRESHWATER CROCODILE Crocodylus johnsoni
This image depicts an unusual role reversal. The small freshwater crocodiles that inhabit
most public swimming holes in the Top End spend their days under the surface, watching
human swimmers obliviously floating and splashing – here the tables have turned.
Batchelor, Northern Territory
Olympus OMD EM–1 Mk II, Olympus Pro 7–14mm f2.8 12mm, 1/80, f/4.5, ISO 200, two Sea & Sea YS-D2 strobes, manual flash output, handheld, Nauticam underwater camera housing
Emperor gum moths are a large, striking species. This photo was
captured early in the morning; the moth was perched perfectly
on the spotted gum. In this image I wanted to capture both the
beauty of the moth and the surrounding spotted gum forest.
Tathra, New South Wales
Canon 7D Mk II, Sigma 10–20mm, 1/200, f/7.0,
ISO 500, handheld
Photo Credit: Harrison Warne, New South Wales
THE SHADOW
UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES
The low angle of the late afternoon sun together with the position of the white wall allowed for this giant shadow of a little beetle standing at the edge while exploring its habitat.
Belair, South Australia
Canon EOS 5D Mk II, Canon EF 100mm f2.8 L macro IS USM, 1/160, f/4.0, ISO 2000, handheld
Photo Credit: Holger Link, New South Wales
MOUNTAIN ECHIDNA
SHORT-BEAKED ECHIDNA Tachyglossus aculeatus
I followed this echidna for two days, its little tracks in the fresh snow leading me for kilometres to every dead tree and tuft of grass on the snow-covered range. When I finally tracked it down it was over 2000 metres above sea level and not bothered in the slightest about being surrounded by snow and ice.
Australian Main Range, New South Wales
Nikon D810, Nikon 28–300 f5.6, 1/2500, f/8.0, ISO 640
Photo Credit: Charles Davis, New South Wales
FOXES ON THE WING
GREY-HEADED FLYING-FOX Pteropus poliocephalus
Grey-headed flying-foxes have a fascinating way of drinking. They fly
low so as to dip their belly into the water. Without pausing, they lick
their fur dry. This usually occurs at night, but they may exhibit this
behaviour in daylight on a really hot day.
Centennial Park, Sydney, New South Wales
Canon 5DS, EF 300mm f4, 1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 1600, handheld
Photo Credit: Paul Huntley, New South Wales
SPIDER ON ICE
UNIDENTIFIED SPECIES
An overnight blizzard had knocked a myrtle tree down onto the path of the
Enchanted Walk next to Cradle Mountain Lodge. I was out in the brilliant sunshine the next morning looking for subjects for my macro lens and came across this tiny spider crossing a patch of snow.
Enchanted Walk, Cradle Valley, Tasmania
Canon 5D II, Canon 100mm f2.8L macro, 1/4000, f/3.2,
ISO 400, handheld
Photo Credit: Raoul Slater, Queensland
SMALL BUT MIGHTY
COMMENSAL AMPHIPOD LIVING IN SOLITARY ASCIDIAN
I was searching for miniature pygmy seahorses on the reefs of West Papua
when I happened across this tiny amphipod crustacean. Just 0.5–1cm long, this male is sitting at the mouth of the sea squirt to guard the females and young within. According to an amphipod expert, this is likely a new species.
These short-necked turtles are everywhere in the fresh water of Lake Allom on Fraser Island. They were very interested in my large dome port and fun to photograph.
Lake Allom, Fraser Island (K’gari), Queensland
Canon 1DX, Canon 14mm 2.8 L II USM, 1/125, f/6.3,
ISO 1250
ANIMAL
Photo Credit: Sean Scott, Queensland
DAWN GRAZER
RED-NECKED WALLABY Macropus rufogriseus
A –4˚C overnight temperature made me reluctant to leave my cosy swag, but when I peered out to see this grazing red-necked wallaby, I leapt up. I was very happy it kept feeding long enough for me to dig out my camera from the back of my car.
Wollemi National Park, New South Wales
Canon EOS 600D, EF-S 18–200mm, 1/250, f/5.6,
ISO 200, handheld
Photo Credit: Simon Cherriman, Western Australia
The AG Nature Photographer of the Year Awards are sponsored by Coral Expeditions.
HomeTopicsWildlifeAG Nature Photographer of the Year 2019: Animal habitat shortlist
AG Nature Photographer of the Year 2019: Animal habitat shortlist
In this category, we asked for photos showing animals in the environment in which they live – this environment could be natural or built, and the animal, either native or feral. The only rule was that the animal must not be captive and has claimed the habitat independently. This shortlist shows the beautiful variety of landscapes and animals we enjoy in Australia. These photos will be exhibited at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide from Friday 16 August until Sunday 10 November 2019 and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney from Friday 16 August until Sunday October 20
LIFE IN THE ESKYEASTERN GREY KANGAROOMacropus giganteusI’d been chasing storms all winter to film kangaroos in the snow; this stormin particular held lots of promise. The snow started coming down like largesnowballs and the roos could do nothing but stand and be engulfed in the blizzard. The snow swirled around them from all directions and in 10minutes the world was white.Kosciuszko National Park, New South WalesNikon D850, Nikon 24–70 f2.8, 1/1000, f/2.8, ISO 500Image credit: Charles Davis, New South Wales