Judges reveal the 52 best images of 2018

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year 2018

Judges reveal the 52 best images of 2018

From more than 3000 entries, judges have sorted, sifted and carefully selected 52 shimmering new visions of our nation’s society and environment—48 photographs and four timelapse videos.

“The finalists this year are full of colour and contrast, a reflection of a trend in image-making we’re seeing internationally, but there’s something else going on here as well,” says James Frankham, publisher of New Zealand Geographic and convener of judges. “The images are more positive than in previous years. Photographers are shooting and projecting a vision of New Zealand that is more hopeful, more colourful, more bold, confident and vibrant than we’ve seen previously.

“We’ve also seen a decrease in the number of images that have been jacked-up, faked in Photoshop or heavily edited. Perhaps entrants are beginning to understand that this competition doesn’t reward those sort of pictures, or maybe it’s part of a wider reaction against fake news and doctored images in other media. Either way it’s nice to see more reality and honesty in photography.”

From squabbling swallows to a surfing sea lion, from a forest deep underwater to a NASA observatory high above, the 52 finalists of Photographer of the Year 2018 span the depth and breadth of the New Zealand realm. There are images from Antarctica and Auckland, Edgecumb and Edendale, pictures of mines and glaciers and cathedrals—together it forms a tapestry of the complicated place and people we have become.

This year, finalist images will be broadcast nationwide across Adshel’s digital advertising network—a distributed exhibition beaming into Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton and Tauranga town centres. The public can also view all finalist images and vote for the Panasonic People’s Choice award at www.nzgeo.com/photo

Now in its tenth year, the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year remains the nation’s most popular, richest and most prestigious photographic competition and exhibition. Entries cover six categories: Electric Kiwi Wildlife category, Resene Landscape category, Panasonic Lumix Timelapse category, Adshel Society category, Progear Photo-story category, and the Peak Design Aerial category. All entrants will compete for the overall Nikon Photographer of the Year award, the Panasonic People’s Choice award, the Resene Colour award, and for entrants under the age of 25, the Young Photographer award.

Winners will be announced at the Photographer of the Year awards on October 25 at Q Theatre in Auckland. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer, New Zealander Robin Hammond, will attend to open the evening with a keynote address. Tickets are available from www.nzgeo.com/store

ENDS

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