The South Australian Museum recently announced the winners and finalists for the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2021 competition. Over 2,200 images were submitted from photographers around the country. An image of a leafy seadragon hiding in shallow reefs located in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia, was declared the Overall Winner.
‘The nation-wide lockdown was declared and we were stuck for six weeks at a small campground in the Fleurieu Peninsula. This ended up being a blessing in disguise,’ winning photographer Scott Portelli explained.
‘Over the course of the six weeks I had the opportunity to dive regularly, becoming familiar with the terrain, getting to know the dive site and spotting a few individual Seadragons. I became acquainted with the resident dragons of Second Valley and this is how I managed to get the shot,’ he adds.
The pandemic has hit Australia extra hard. The judging committee was delighted to see such a vast array of stunning images being submitted. Winners will be exhibited at the South Australia Museum through October 31st and in an exhibit with The Australian Museum in Sydney through January, 2022. All winning and finalist images can be viewed on the competition’s page of the South Australian Museum website.