Are you ready to chase The Great Australian Light?
Over the coming weeks, we will be introducing fortnightly challenges to shine light on your creative perspective. Exclusive to My Nikon Life members, we invite you capture and share what the Great Australian Light means to you across 4 distinct themes. Watch this space for the next theme reveal!
Competition Details
Interpret the wonderful Australian light by the glow and warmth of the sun.
Sun Soaked describes Bobbi’s favourite types of images, those filled with the golden hour sun and the warmth of summer. Images that speak deeply to Bobbi are those images that tell a story or invoke a certain wonder about the story behind the photo.
Entries will be judged by a panel of experts, including Nikon Z Creator, Bobbi Lockyer. They will be looking for compositions that make you really look at the image, at the framing and how it draws you in, and how well the sunlight is portrayed in your photo.
This is your last chance to enter the My Great Australian Light Competition!
Entries Open:
Monday, 11th April
Entries Close:
Sunday, 17th April 11:59pm AEST
Winner Announced:
Tuesday, 26th April
Prize
Black Z fc + NIKKOR Z DX 16-50 VR SL + TDE Camera Bag & Strap + Free Z fc Colour Change *
* Camera colour to be selected by winner before prize is shipped. Subject to colour availability.
Judge
Bobbi Lockyer
Bobbi Lockyer is a proud Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul and Yawuru woman born and based on Kariyarra Country in Port Hedland. Working across Aboriginal art, fine art paintings, photography, illustration and graphic design, Bobbi also facilitates art and photography workshops to pass her skills on to others. She was awarded the highly respected NAIDOC artist of the year award in 2021 and is a Z Creator for Nikon Australia. Bobbi specialises in creating traditional Aboriginal family and baby images as well as high end fashion and editorial photography.
Winner
Butchulla / Woppaburra / Gunditjmara Man
Category: Sun Soaked | Judge: Bobbi Lockyerby Lewis James
Judge's Testimonial
This image immediately stood out to me because when I think about sun soaked I think about skin drenched in golden sunlight and eyes lit up from the sun. The subject's eyes glow from the sun and his stance tells a story that is almost fierce and protective.
Competition Details
Interpret the wonderful Australian light by shadow.
The presence of shadows in a photograph gives it depth and reveals form and texture. Shadows can help create mood and drama and can be used to evoke emotional feelings in the viewer.
Entries will be judged by a panel of experts, including the master of light, Rocco Ancora. Create an image in colour or black and white where the shadows form an integral part of how the photograph is perceived. The shadow can be used to enhance the main subject or be the main subject. Also, you can explore shadows in a conceptual and abstract form.
Entries Open:
Monday, 28th March
Entries Close:
Sunday, 3rd April 11:59pm AEST
Winner Announced:
Friday, 8th April
Prize
Z 7 + NIKKOR Z 24 – 70 f/4 S
Judge
Rocco Ancora
Nikon Ambassador Rocco Ancora is one of the most prolific and awarded photographers in the wedding and portrait industry. He has won the AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photography) Australian Wedding Photographer of the Year award for an unprecedented four times. He’s one of only three people in the world to achieve Grand Master of the AIPP and WPPI (Wedding and Portrait Photographers International) in the United States where he is the third most awarded photographer of the organisation.
Rocco has shared his knowledge for over 15 years by teaching photographers all over the world in over 20 countries. He is not only an in-camera artist, but his colour and black and white darkroom experience in the nineties helped him to master the art of digital post-production with the flair and finesse synonymous with the Ancora name.
Winner
Four Reflections and a Shadow
Category: Shadow | Judge: Rocco Ancoraby Katy Bindels
Judge's Testimonial
This image for me is thought-provoking displaying visual literacy open to interpretation. The different aspects of the mirror reflections are what we choose to show the world but never know what lurks in the shadows.
Competition Details
Get ready for long exposures, star chasing, and moon rises. Over the next week, snap and share your best night light shot.
Entries will be judged by a panel of experts, including the master of star trails, Heesoo Chung. Heesoo will be looking for creativity and wants to see the playful side of shooting within the image, while also demonstrating solid technical foundations with clean and crisp imagery. Take Heesoo and the judges on a visual journey, but be wary of distracting elements!
Entries Open:
Monday, 14th March
Entries Close:
Sunday, 20th March 11:59pm AEDT
Winner Announced:
Friday, 25th March
Prize
Z 5 + NIKKOR Z 24 – 200mm f/4 – 6.3
Judge
Heesoo Chung
Heesoo Chung has always loved exploring and once he got into photography, landscape photography was the natural progressive step, and from there, astrophotography to capture his fascination with looking up at the night sky.
Heesoo has been a landscape photographer for 6 years now, and through photography he has seen some of the most amazing places and has been motivated to go through all sorts of experiences. He is super excited to see your images for this competition and hopes to get a glimpse of some of the amazing experiences you’ve had.
Winner
Aurora from Federation Peak Summit
Category: Night Light | Judge: Heesoo Chungby Shaun Mittwollen
Judge's Testimonial
This image blew me away. The sheer luck in getting the conditions presented alone in such a remote place is insane. Add to that the simple composition, clear intent and technical execution and it's a winner.
Competition Details
Get ready to capture the early morning glow and get low with your ISO. Over the next week, set your alarm and get ready to snap and share your best golden hour shot. From intriguing cloud formations to reflections off the beautiful Australian landscape, submit your image for your chance to win!
Entries will be judged by a panel of experts, including Z Creator and resident sunrise shooter, Nikki Bingham, based on composition, exposure, and the use of light. Nikki will also be looking at how well an image captures a story and evokes emotion.
Entries Open:
Monday, 28th February
Entries Close:
Sunday, 6th March 11:59pm AEDT
Winner Announced:
Friday, 11th March
Prize
Z 6 + NIKKOR Z 24 – 70 f/4 S with ARCREST ND 8 Filter 72mm
Judge
Nikki Bingham
Nikki Bingham is a Sydney based photographer known for her sunrise, sunset and aerial photography of the Australian coastline, but her ultimate passion is photographing the sunrise over the ocean with her Nikon Z 7II.
Nikki has been a photographer for over 10 years, and is usually up before dawn every day to capture the sunrise and to share it with her followers. Nikki also works with Nikon Australia as a Z Creator.
Winner
Emergence
Category: Sunrise | Judge: Nikki Binghamby Lachie Mills
Judge's Testimonial
I think the use of light is stunning, and the shot is iconically Australian and works well with the theme. I also think it has great emotion and tells a great story.