Meet four of the six judges of this year's Wilderness Photographer of the Year, presented by Mountain Designs who will be toiling over every photo entry to see which images are going to make the final top 20 and which ones are going to win prizes!
So without further ado...
Brent McKean
Brent has been the editor of Great Walks since its inception 15 years ago. He has travelled to and photographed around 50 countries, and his photos and stories have appeared in multiple publications, including Australian Photography, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Courier Mail.
What’s Brent looking for in a winning photo? “Something that grabs my attention straight away and is beckoning me to be where the photo is taken. I want a ‘wow’ moment!”
Matt Palmer
Running the Alpine Light Gallery in Bright, Victoria, Matt Palmer is a landscape and documentary photographer. His photographic projects in nature have won many awards including 2019 Australian Professional Photographer of the Year for his documentation of Tasmania's fires. He's recognised as a Master of Photography in Australia and Master of Photography with Distinction in New Zealand.
What’s Matt looking for in a winning photo: "I’m looking for a photograph that not only visually describes a place in the great outdoors, but also helps us feel that place and how the photographer felt about it too. I'm also looking forward to seeing some unique interpretations and compositions where a location might be more familiar or well-explored, and some places that are truly off the beaten track and allowing us to discover those through the photographer."
Harrison Candlin
Harrison is an Australian outdoor lifestyle and commercial photographer and Mountain Designs Ambassador based in Brisbane, Australia. With a passion for traversing the wilderness and exploring the wild and off beaten track, his imagery can be conveyed through his love for adventure, being outdoors and the natural environment.
What is Harrison looking for in a winning entry? " In this year’s winning image, I am looking for something visually striking with dynamic light and a subject standing out within a landscape."
Jackie Ranken
Jackie is an Australian born, multi-award winning landscape/art photographer who has lived in New Zealand. Her passion is the creation of multi-layered narratives via in camera multiple exposures and intentional movements. Allowing play and serendipity into her creative process.
What's jackie looking for in a winning photo: "I will be looking for images that make me feel like I am experiencing the great outdoors. Showing me places and spaces that I have not seen before. Photographed in ways that express an emotion and the atmosphere of being there."
You have until Sunday June 18 to take advantage of our Early Bird entry fee. On June 19 the Standard Entry fee will kick in.
We have $13k worth of prizes including a luxury guided walk, a full outdoor gear makeover for the winners of each category and $5k of cold, hard cash! Click here for all the info.