Innholdsfortegnelse for Winter 2025 i Capture

Hello and hope everyone is doing well out there. 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 these pages 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…

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…

Q What’s your background – has it always been in photography? Felix: I’ve always been in the arts. My first camera was a Nikon F2 – which I bought brand new. I shot family stuff and used the darkrooms at Wollongong Uni. Though I started out as a professional soccer and cricket player, I moved into large-scale, sculpture design for government installations and music festivals. Eventually, that creative energy flowed into professional photography. I used to have a studio in Marrickville shooting portraits up until Covid. Erica: My career started in the world of London’s Media and Advertising Agencies, while locally I've worked with Sydney Dance Company, Seymour Centre, Australian Poetry Slam and Word Travels. But I've always loved photography, so it’s been a bit of a dream to see…

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…

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. Instagram: @al.ansangan PRIZE: $1,000 cash, AUSU ProArt Display PA329CRV monitor valued at $1,099, $360 credit with Retouch4me. RUNNER-UP PAUL WALKER NEWCASTLE…

At its core, the GFX100RF is a lightweight, medium format camera featuring a 102MP sensor, a fixed 35mm f/4 lens (equivalent to 28mm on full-frame), a leaf shutter, and a built-in ND filter – all working together to deliver exceptional image quality. The body In terms of handling, the camera sits snugly in your hand and the physical controls are well thought out, with custom function buttons that allow quick adjustments to essential settings. I’m very familiar with the X100VI, and the GFX100RF was an easy transition for my muscle memory. Fujifilm has managed to fit this large sensor into a body measuring approximately 144 x 87 x 75mm and weighing 735g. This was achieved by utilising a leaf shutter, which eliminates the need for a large focalplane shutter mechanism…

In the high-pressure, pixel-perfect world of commercial photography, there’s someone working just outside the frame to make sure everything runs flawlessly. Enter the digital technician – or DigiTech – a role that’s part IT guru, part creative collaborator, and entirely essential post production expert and artist. While their name might not appear in the credits, the work they do is often the difference between chaos and cohesion on set. We spoke with one of Sydney’s top freelance DigiTechs about how they keep the shoot running, what gear they swear by, and why their job goes far beyond hitting ‘import.’ What does a digital technician (DigiTech) actually do? As a DigiTech, I’m essentially the technical backbone of a photoshoot. I handle everything from camera setup and tethering to file management, colour grading,…

OVERALL WINNER 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…

WINNER KATHY WALLACE GETTING TO THE PLATFORM After years of self-doubt as a photographer, Kate 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:…

What inspired you to start a podcast focused on photographers and the photography industry? While catching up over coffee, we realised there was a gap in the podcast space for photographers – a place where people could speak openly about the interesting (and often hilarious) experiences within the industry. Between us, we know so many photographers: Sally knows the commercial photography world, while Harri knows more about art and documentary. We’re both talkative, story-loving types, so we lined up a few impromptu interviews and figured we’d work the rest out as we went along. Sally suddenly shouted, “We can call it When Harri Met Sally!” so we ran with that title. How do you go about finding and selecting the photographers you interview? When planning episodes, we sit down and…