Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers 2025: Winners and runners-up announced

Now in its 17th year, Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers, presented by Fujifilm, showcases the very best emerging photographic talent across Australasia. The awards recognise and acknowledge talented photographers in the early stages of their careers and those simply working towards being the very best photographers they can be.

All up, photographers submitted 1,550-plus entries and more than 4,000 individual images. An overwhelming 95% of entries came from Australia with just under 5% entered from New Zealand.

Putting together a photo competition like Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers is no small feat, and this year has been no different. What you see on here is the result of immense dedication, tireless effort, and a deep love for both photography and the creative community behind it.

From the driven photographers who’ve poured their hearts and souls into producing an extraordinary body of work, to the meticulous Capture team working behind the scenes to bring it all together – every detail has been shaped by commitment. Add to that the insight of our brilliant judges and the invaluable support of our generous sponsors, and it’s clear this celebration of emerging talent is a true team effort. Thank you – all of you.

Our overall winner of Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographer is Peter Bateman with his series titled One Year Following the Peacekeepers in South Sudan. Not only are his images superb, but his career working as an Australian for the United Nations in Africa is certainly out of the ordinary. We thank him for his service in helping humanity – and for reminding us back in Australia, as we complain about the price of eggs going up by two dollars, that many places in the world are, to put it mildly, doing it really tough.

It takes a level of bravery to go to places our government's Smartraveller advice and safety website rates as: ‘Do not travel due to dangerous security situations and the threat of armed conflict.’ Peter’s series also reminds us how long a decent photo project – or in this case, a photo essay – can take.

In winning the incredible Fujifilm GFX100SII, Peter should find this camera compact enough to take out into the field and capture more intriguing images. We really hope to see more of his work soon.

Now, we're not saying you need to put your life in danger to win a photo competition like Peter did. But the message remains – as we've said before – photos don’t take themselves. You have to put yourself out there – commit to a project that challenges you or pushes you beyond your comfort zone. Treat it as an adventure; you never know what might unfold or what images you’ll end up capturing.

This year, winners and runners-up have shared in a prize pool worth more than $30,000, including $9,000 in cash, Fujifilm's amazing large-format GFX100S II, and more. The best entries are currently showcased in the Winter 2025 issue of Capture magazine (available June 2025).

We'd like to thank all our incredible sponsors: Fujifilm, Emergent, ASUS, Retouch4me, The Brownbill Effect and BenQ.

A massive thank you to all our wonderful judges for sharing their invaluable time and expertise. We recommend you look at their websites and be inspired by their captivating images.

Adrian Cook adriancookphotography.com

Alex Cearns houndstoothstudio.com.au

Anthony McKee anthonymckee.com.au

Dianna Snape diannasnape.com.au

Drew Hopper drewhopper.com

Francesca Donnoli francescadonnoli.com

Glenn Lockitch glennlockitchphotography.net

Jessica Hromas jessicahromas.com

Judith Crispin judithcrispin.com

Karen Waller karenwaller.com.au

Krystle Wright krystlewright.com

Lynton Crabb www.crabb.com.au

Lisa Maree Williams lisamareewilliams.com

Lynton Crabb crabb.com.au

Peter Brew-Bevan peterbrew-bevan.com

Sally Brownbill thebrownbilleffect.com

Sarah Rhodes sarahrhodes.com

Tim Booth timbooth.com

Tim Griffith timgriffith.com

Tony Hewitt tonyhewitt.com

William Long longshots.com.au

William Snyder williamsnyderphotography.com

You can see the Winner and Runner-Up entries along with the lists of Top 20 finishers further below.

The latest issue of Capture magazine (Winter 2025) features the work of Winners and Runners-Up along with the work of Top 20 place getters in the Animal, Art, Black & White, Documentary, Landscape, Single Shot, Travel and Portrait categories, and the Top 10 place getters in the Architecture category.

Also in this issue, we’ve interviewed a diverse array of industry professionals.

Nic Bezzina is a professional DigiTech working in Australia and London. He reveals the tools he uses and explains how DigiTechs are a vital part of a photographic team – from pre-production, the shoot, and through the post-production.

We also interview Felix Wilson and Erica Hacker who are the owners of Cult Cameras, a newly opened vintage camera store in Newtown, Sydney. Their busy store is essentially a camera museum, except you can actually buy (and use) the items on display.

Finally, we chat with the interviewers Harriet Tarbuck and Sally Brownbill, hosts of the When Harri Met Sally photography podcast. They’ve recently released their second season – give it a listen when you're in transit, out on a walk, or editing your latest shots.

The magazine will be available in print at major newsstands and online as a digital edition in the coming days. You can also order a print copy at subscriptions@yaffa.com.au or phone (02) 9281 2333 while stocks last.

OVERALL AND DOCUMENTARY WINNER

PETER BATEMAN: ONE YEAR FOLLOWING THE PEACEKEEPERS IN SOUTH SUDAN

Peter works as a Public Information Officer with the United Nations though considers himself a journalist at heart. Based in conflict and disaster zones, he’s had rare access to some of the world’s most remote communities, using storytelling to give voice to those often unheard. Peter loves documenting his work – it’s a pure, immediate form of storytelling.

For this series of images, movement in South Sudan is difficult as you need armed escorts – so it took months to find a peacekeeping patrol doing veterinary outreach. With this main image, the soft dawn light and haze was drifting through the herd. Amongst the chaos, he saw and captured an image of a young girl wrapped against the morning chill. It remains his favourite image – an intimate moment from a place few get to see.

Web: www.peterbateman.co

DOCUMENTARY PRIZE: $1,000 cash, $500 credit at Emergent, $360 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

OVERALL WINNER PRIZE:  Fujifilm GFX100S II 102 Megapixel Large Format camera body valued at $8,699. 

PORTRAIT WINNER

KATE FLOWERS: WILD AT HEART

Kate is based in tropical Darwin, with a growing focus on creative portraiture. Her current work explores the bond between childhood and the natural world, featuring her two children – her ‘Wildflowers.’ The name reflects both their surname and their spirited nature.

She likes to work simply, using natural light and minimal setups, with sometimes just a dark backdrop. Found natural objects – feathers, seed pods, shells – frequently appear in her images, blending her love of nature, photography, and her children.

In this series, a live snake shares the frame. Calm and composed, her Wildflowers show a quiet strength and a fierce gentleness in their expressions – one that invites a sense of calm acceptance between both child and animal. The portraits evoke a story of trust, curiosity, and the beauty of connection between child and creature.

Instagram: @kateflowersphotography

PRIZE: $1,000 cash, BenQ SW242Q monitor valued at $799, $360 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

ANIMAL WINNER

ROSIE RICHARDS: OCEAN GEMS

As a freedive photographer, Rosie’s work is rooted in a deep respect for the ocean and a passion for sharing its quiet, often overlooked beauty – as well as the silence she experiences when taking photos on a single breath. She aims to capture marine animals in their natural environments without disturbing or manipulating their behaviour. Her approach is to be as slow, patient, and unobtrusive as possible.

The Ocean Gems series features a Port Jackson shark, two giant cuttlefish, and a green sea turtle – each photographed from directly above while freediving. I used natural light to preserve the raw, immersive feel of the ocean, with darker backgrounds that remain visible but don’t detract from the focus on marine life.

What I love about this perspective is how it captures both intimacy and distance — we observe the animals and their behaviour closely, yet also see their place within a broader, fragile ecosystem.

Instagram: @rosie.freediver

PRIZE: $1,000 cash, $500 credit at Emergent, $360 credit at Retouch4Me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

ARCHITECTURE WINNER

KATHY WALLACE: GETTING TO THE PLATFORM

After years of self-doubt as a photographer, Kathy let go of her concern and realised that it’s about enjoying your photography for yourself – and then sharing your passion with others. Unfortunately, a breast cancer diagnosis last year brought setbacks – and perspective. Treatment was tough, limiting time with the camera, but it also sparked a renewed determination to create and explore.

Inspired by Sydney’s new Metro stations, she captured images at Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, and Gadigal stations using Nikon D7200 and OM-1 cameras. With a focus on symmetry and clean lines, she leaned into wide-angle techniques and careful post-processing to correct distortion. The bold colours and graphic patterns of these new Metro stations certainly enhance the architecture experience.

Instagram: @kathywallace.photography

Web: www.kathywallacephotography.com.au

PRIZE: $1,000 cash, $500 credit at Emergent, $360 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

LANDSCAPE WINNER

ALAN COLIGADO: SETTLEMENT

For Alan, photography is about capturing a unique moment or a subject that resonates not only visually but emotionally. He relies more on instinct than technique, responding intuitively to what he sees. His evolving body of work is eclectic – exploring various genres without adhering to a single style.

While travelling in Turkey in November 2022, Alan was struck by the places people chose to live. This series aims to evoke a sense of awe at human resilience – our ability to settle in and adapt to seemingly uninhabitable landscapes. At the same time, it invites reflection on our collective impact on the natural world.

PRIZE: $1,000 cash, ASUS ProArt Display PA329CRV monitor valued at $1,099, $360 credit with Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

BLACK & WHITE WINNER

MARY JO GOMEZ-JACKSON: PETAL CURVES

Mary Jo is a self-taught photographer and artist based in Perth, with a deep love for floral photography. She creates expressive images that reveal the uniqueness, mood, and hidden beauty of each flower, often pushing beyond traditional botanical work into creative expression. Inspired by her late mother’s passion for nature, Mary Jo aims to convey emotion and intimacy through her work.

Her Petal Curves series explores the quiet drama of nature’s forms. Each bloom is treated as a storyteller, set against a black background that heightens its presence. Carefully crafted with light, shadow, and detail, the images invite viewers to slow down and reconnect with the still, sculptural beauty of the natural world.

Instagram: @maryj.gomezjackson

PRIZE: $1,000 cash, $500 credit at Emergent, $360 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

ART WINNER

CHRISTINE BAIRSTOW: WATERY WONDER

Christine’s love of photography began in childhood, after seeing her father’s Box Brownie. Years later, an 18-month online course deepened her passion, leading her to document rural life in WA, where she farmed and lived close to nature. She became the go-to photographer for community events, family shoots, and local promotions – all voluntary.

For Watery Wonder, Christine experimented with underwater flower photography using a glass tank, off-camera flash, and liquid mediums. It’s trickier than it seems as you have to solve problems such as: reflections, distortion, edges of the tank, air bubbles, colour casts and holding the flowers in place. This first attempt sparked a desire to keep learning, with hopes to incorporate native wildflowers in future work.

Instagram: @chris_teddyfoot

Web: www.christinebairstowphotography.com.au

PRIZE: $1,000 cash, $500 credit at Emergent, $360 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

TRAVEL

SAURABH KHULLAR: MUMBAI HUSTLE

Saurabh lives and works in Adelaide, pursuing a deep passion for photography while studying part-time toward a graduate diploma. Drawn instinctively to street and documentary styles, he is captivated by their rawness and unpredictability. His images reflect quiet observation – fleeting gestures, cultural nuance, abstraction, and human emotion.

In Mumbai Hustle, he captures the rhythm of Mumbai’s daily train commute. Shot with a Leica Q with 28mm fixed lens and high ISO using only available light – the series includes a staircase crowd, a lone commuter, and a moment where a saree lifts in the breeze. The work reflects Saurabh’s effort to evoke movement, routine, and grace within the pulse of everyday life.

Instagram: @saurabkhullar

PRIZE: $1,000 cash, $500 credit at Emergent, $360 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

SINGLE SHOT WINNER

BYRON TAN: GOLDEN SOLES, DEVOTED SOULS

Byron’s journey into photography began unexpectedly – as a model and assistant for his wife. Watching her creative process sparked his own interest, and by 2021 he stepped behind the lens himself. His photography now spans travel, landscape, and street genres, each offering a different way to tell visual stories.

Travel draws him into new cultures, landscapes reveal nature’s shifting moods, and street scenes capture the pulse of daily life.

Golden Soles, Devoted Souls was taken at the Soc Trang Khmer pagoda in Vietnam. Byron used a low angle and natural light to highlight the scale and beauty of the scene, where two monks in saffron robes stood in striking harmony with the golden architecture around them.

PRIZE: $1,000 cash, professional photo consultation with Sally Brownbill valued at $440, $360 credit with Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

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ANIMAL RUNNER-UP

ENZO GIORDANI: GANNETS OF MURIWAI

Enzo took up bird photography during the COVID-19 lockdowns and quickly fell in love with the calm, challenge, and beauty it offered. He likes to head out before sunrise on weekends and holidays, trying to make every outing count. Usually using his beloved 400mm f/2.8 lens, he favours minimalist, tightly framed shots that highlight the birds’ personalities through light, shape, and shadow.

Living just 20 minutes from the Muriwai gannet colony, Enzo revisited it after Cyclone Gabrielle forced its closure. For this image, he used a 70–200mm with a 1.4x converter to capture a rare top-down view. The gannet’s calm gaze and the soft ring around its eye brought the photo to life – intimate, curious, and full of character.

Instagram: @532images

Web: www.birds.photo

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

Animal Top 20

1. Rosie Richards – Ocean Gems
2. Enzo Giordani – Gannets of Muriwai
3. Spencer Lavill – Saanen
4. Enzo Giordani – Black Swans
5. Annette Kelly – Penguins on Icebergs
6. Cheng Kang – Rainbow Bee-eaters Feast
7. Yiew Lee-Siew – Wildlife in Black and White
8. Cheng Kang – Ancient Aspect
9. Iain Cameron – Wet Weather Feathers
10. Ben-Harvey – A Day by the Sea
11. Debbie Hartley – Bee Capture
12. Aidan Tinney – Leopard and Warthogs
13. Chinh Nguyen – The Great Crested Grebe Chicks
14. Gergo Rugli – First Breath
15. Ben Burton – The Mother and Calf
16. Donald Chin – Great Crested Grebe Parenting
17. John Olewicz – Darter's Breakfast
18. Gergo Rugli – Split Worlds
19. Rowan Dear – Sea Puppies
20. Jackie Wilson – Frogs

ARCHITECTURE RUNNER-UP

PAUL EVANS: FLOATING SKYSCRAPER

Paul is an amateur photographer based in Adelaide who has spent years gradually developing his skills. He seeks out subjects he can capture from fresh or unexpected angles, with a focus on landscape, architecture, nature, street, and creative photography. These genres allow him to express a distinctive visual perspective while exploring the world around him.

He finds that portfolio competitions allow him to dive deeper into themes. On a recent visit to Circular Quay, Paul explored how a cruise ship temporarily altered the city’s skyline. His muted palette and tight crops highlight similarities between the ship and surrounding skyscrapers – revealing how both are shaped by shared architectural principles.

Web: www.paulf92c.myportfolio.com

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

ARCHITECTURE TOP 20 

1. Kathy Wallace – Getting to the Platform
2. Paul Evans – Floating Skyscraper
3. Romola Nocum – Acute Angles
4. Dan-Ratner – Monumental Shadowing
5. Luke David – Uji Station
6. Clement Chua – Famous Ceiling in Melbourne
7. Jerusha McDowell – Deeargee Woolshed
8. John Twiname – Alternate
9. Kathy Wallace – Best Hub
10. Paul Walker – Urban Architecture
11. Kathy Wallace – Gadigal Metro
12. Carl Nehore – HK Cultural Center
13. Diane Armstrong – Symphonic Symmetry
14. Stefano Alicandri – Architectural shapes in Adelaide CBD
15. Kathy Wallace – RMIT
16. Diane Armstrong – Fractured Angles: The Flow of RMIT
17. Claire Doran – Spirals 1-3
18. Martin Bigmore – Geelong Abstracts
19. John Twiname – Faceted
20. Sophie Kogos – Leading Lines

ART RUNNER-UP

ROB COWPE: BRANCH VERTICAL, CLOUD TREE MOON, BRANCH WITH SEEDS

After retiring from a 40-year career as a graphic designer, Rob returned to his early passion for photography, seeking a more personal and interpretive approach. Rather than replicate a subject, he aims to express its essence – sometimes with technical precision, other times by instinct, even distressing images to evoke the right mood. He often photographs by feel, letting the image reveal itself in post.

This series is a collection of standalone images, each shaped by informal creativity and chance. Rob prefers monochrome for its mysterious quality and enjoys presenting subjects out of context to create a surreal effect, inviting viewers to explore and build their own narrative.

Instagram: @robcowpe.photo

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

ART TOP 20 

BLACK & WHITE RUNNER-UP

GERI MILNE: SAHARA DESERT 1,2,3

Geri is an amateur photographer with a strong visual sensibility, developed through workshops, camera club involvement, YouTube tutorials, and plenty of self-critique. She has entered many competitions with some success, which has encouraged her creative journey.

Her process is equal parts capture and post-production, using Lightroom and Photoshop to craft images that reflect her aesthetic vision. She enjoys all photographic subjects and aims to produce artistic, visually engaging work.

These images were taken while climbing the towering sand dunes of the Moroccan Sahara. Cropped for optimal composition and rendered in high-contrast black and white – they highlight the striking play of light, shadow, and form across the desert landscape.

Instagram: @geri_milne_photography

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

BLACK & WHITE TOP 20

DOCUMENTARY RUNNER-UP

LOUIS LEE: KURASH

Louis came to photography a few years ago, not with clear intent, but with a desire to pay attention differently. With a background in psychiatry, where listening is central, photography offered him another form of attentiveness – one that doesn’t seek to explain or resolve. He’s drawn to subtle gestures, quiet tension, and the atmosphere of a moment just before it’s understood.

This series explores young wrestlers in the space between effort and release – where nothing insists on victory. Louis spends time observing until his presence fades, allowing him to photograph from within, not outside. His work embraces ambiguity, favouring the unresolved and incomplete as deeply human and real.

Instagram: @icepickespresso

Web: www.louislee.org

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

DOCUMENTARY TOP 10

LANDSCAPE RUNNER-UP

PAUL WALKER: NEWCASTLE BATHS IN WINTER

Paul has been a hobbyist photographer since leaving school and has called Newcastle home since 1992. As a surgeon, his career offered little space for creativity, so upon retiring in late 2023, he embraced photography more fully. With weekdays now free, he enjoyed capturing images without the distractions of weekend crowds, and editing became as engaging as taking the shots.

Inspired by photo books that featured ‘named series’, Paul began his Newcastle Retrospective, focusing on the city’s heritage architecture. He avoided modern buildings, choosing instead icons like the Newcastle Ocean Baths, which opened in 1922. To evoke a mid-20th-century feel, he used post-processing to subtly mute tones and contrast, enhancing the image’s nostalgic mood.

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

LANDSCAPE TOP 20

PORTRAIT RUNNER-UP

ALANNA WALSHE: PRIDE OR PRESSURE

A former flight attendant, Alanna turned to photography after retiring during the pandemic. Her passion began five years earlier with a borrowed camera.

Working in series, she explores themes like feminism, domestic life, and climate change. Her work reflects a deep bond with place and a desire to notice what’s often overlooked – photography, for her, is both observation and invitation.

Alanna’s images from Pride and Pressure, are a series reflecting on gender roles and the enduring association between women and the home. The scene is deliberately staged and flash-lit to create a theatrical mood, drawing attention to gesture and expression while highlighting the image’s constructed nature.

Web: www.alannawalshe.com

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

PEOPLE TOP 20

SINGLE SHOT RUNNER-UP

WILL HUDSON: APOCALYPSE NOW

In early 2022, Will joined workmates at a local viewpoint to try capturing his first image of Aurora Australis using a dusty 12-year-old DSLR. With only social media rumours and a quick Google search for settings, he was thrilled to see the aurora appear on his screen. That moment sparked a passion that’s since led to new friendships, travel, and a deeper appreciation for nature’s detail.

Now based in Victoria’s Grampians, Will focuses on astrophotography but also enjoys macro, wildlife, and underwater work.

This image, taken during the 2024 bushfires – and a day into the evacuation of his Halls Gap home – captures a firefighting helicopter crossing the sun filtered by smoke into a glowing orb-like sun. A rare, unrepeatable shot born from chance, timing, and Will’s instinct to capture beauty in crisis.

Instagram: @willmhudson

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

SINGLE SHOT TOP 20

TRAVEL RUNNER-UP

ROWAN MARSH-CROFT: SCOOT ON

Rowan’s interest in photography began with his grandparents’ old Pentax Spotmatic – fungus and all. After years of casual experimentation, he bought his first digital camera in 2017 and started focusing on landscapes, gradually learning light and composition. More recently, he’s shifted toward documentary-style photography, drawn to the challenge of telling a story in a single frame.

A trip to Vietnam offered fresh inspiration. Armed with his Fujifilm X-T2, a 50mm equivalent, and a compact wide zoom, Rowan wandered the backstreets without a plan – just looking, waiting, and shooting. This triptych emerged during editing, tied together by texture, light, and weather. For him – clear weather days are ‘dull’, while weird challenging weather is always more atmospheric and cinematic.

Instagram: @foxroyale

Web: www.rowanmarshcroft.com

PRIZE: $300 credit at Emergent, $240 credit at Retouch4me, 12-month subscription to Capture & Australian Photography magazines.

TRAVEL TOP 20