The 2017 Otago Wildlife Photography Exhibition opened at Otago Museum on Saturday 25 March, with a prize-giving recognising Otago’s talented amateur photographers and videographers.
The competition, supported by Jonathan’s Photo Warehouse, Canon, and the Otago Daily Times, received a record number of entries this year, with 2,226 submissions across Animal, Plant, Human Impact on the Environment, Pets, and Night Skies photo categories, as well as the popular Wildlife in Action video category.
The 2017 Otago Wildlife Photographer of the Year is Douglas Thorne with ‘Rifleman perched’, captured in Fiordland. This photo also won the Animal 15 years and over category. Melanie Middlemiss is this year’s Jury Prize winner with her shot ‘Horsing around’ taken in Tarras, Otago.
Visitors to the exhibition, which is open until Sunday 23 July in the Museum’s Special Exhibitions Gallery, will not only see the prize-winning images, but also a selection of the best photos and videos from each of the categories. Exhibition visitors are also invited to vote for their favourite image for the People’s Choice Award, which will be announced towards the end of the exhibition.
Category winners:
Animal: 15 & over (OVERALL WINNER)
Douglas Thorne, Rifleman perched
Animal: 14 & under
Jack Aubin, Tui on target
Human Impact on the Environment: All ages
Helen (Mely) Whitman-Bell, Broken bottle, broken world
Pet: 14 & under
Emily Aubin, Charlie, the tawny Abyssinian
Night Skies: 15 & over
Taichi Nakamura, Cabbage tree's view of the stars
Night Skies: 14 & under
Ben Hawke, Stargazing (the night sky as it should be)
Plant: 15 & over
Lorraine Adams, Red poppy
Plant: 14 & under
Isaac Steel, End of life
Jury Prize (Animal: 15 & over)
Melanie Middlemiss, Horsing around
Video – Wildlife in Action: All ages
Megan Drysdale, Oyster catching 101
Highly commended:
Animal: 15 & over
Craig McKenzie, Manuka beetle
Rebecca Roderique, Leonardo
Animal: 14 & under
Isaac Steel, Blue dragonfly
Isaac Steel, White-fronted tern with chick
Human Impact on the Environment: All ages
Anja Gray, Is it safe to come out yet?
Melissa Purnell, Signal Hill fire fight
Pet: 14 & under
Felix Cruikshank, Willow, our Springer puppy
Emily Aubin, Monty visits the Otago Museum
Night Skies: 15 & over
Jonathan Gilks, Moonlit inlet and aurora
Ita Daniels, Beauty and the beast
Night Skies: 14 & under
Grace Anna Patel, The moon
James Gardner, Cable stars
Highly commended Plant:15 & over
Melissa Purnell, Lily pond
Allan Cox, Gills
Highly commended Plant: 14 & under
Macauley Hannah, Power vine
Emily Aubin, Blue hydrangea
Video – Wildlife in Action: All ages
Gordon Speed, Kākā - destroyer of trees
Pat Wongpan, Wait for me!