Photographer of the Year 2018—winners
52 of the finest and freshest visions of New Zealand’s environment and society.
Winner—Nikon Photographer of the Year
Golden hour
Feathering spring waves in the offshore winds at Blackhead Beach, Dunedin.
Winner—Nikon Photographer of the Year
In the swim
An aerial view of the St Clair on the Dunedin coastline.
Winner—Nikon Photographer of the Year
Summer at St Clair
In the late 1800s, Dunedin had several salt-water pools; today, only the St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool remains.
Winner—Nikon Photographer of the Year
Sea lion
Three-year-old sea lion Vega surfs alongside Derek Morrison at St Kilda Beach, Dunedin.
Winner—Young Photographer of the Year
Humpback whale
A juvenile humpback whale surprised Toby Dickson when it approached in low-visibility water off Kaikōura.
Winner—Resene Colour Award
Fields of tulips
Triflor, a tulip farm in Edendale, Southland, exports about 45 million bulbs every year.
Winner—Resene Landscape
Tekapo saddle
Fog spills from Burke’s Pass into the Mackenzie Basin, illuminated by a nearly-full moon during a minute-long exposure.
Runner-up—Resene Landscape
Partial lunar eclipse
During a windy night beset with cloud cover, Hakan Nedjat captured the stages of a partial lunar eclipse at Bethells Beach, Auckland.
Highly Commended—Resene Landscape
On the ice shelf
High winds make work on Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf difficult for the New Zealand team drilling to the sea beneath.
Neil Silverwood
Winner—Peak Design Aerial
Pacific swell
Surfers are dwarfed by the swell on the Canterbury coastline.
Runner-up—Peak Design Aerial
Fields of tulips
Triflor, a tulip farm in Edendale, Southland, exports about 45 million bulbs every year.
Highly Commended—Peak Design Aerial
Basketball game
A group of friends play 4×4 basketball on a cold morning in Takanini, Auckland.
Winner—Adshel Society
Waka crew
During Waitangi Day celebrations in the Bay of Islands, two crew members prepare to row to Tii Beach.
Runner-up—Adshel Society
Storm aftermath
In February, Cyclone Gita swamped Ken Richards’s property in the small town of Granity on the West Coast.
Highly Commended—Adshel Society
Casting a line
In fast-fading light, a fisherman casts a line on Bethells Beach, Auckland.
Winner—Electric Kiwi Wildlife
Sea lion
Three-year-old sea lion Vega surfs alongside Derek Morrison at St Kilda Beach, Dunedin.
Runner-up—Electric Kiwi Wildlife
Home for the night
Grey-faced petrels return from a day spent foraging at sea to their colonies on the Mokohinau Islands.
Highly Commended—Electric Kiwi Wildlife
Welcome swallows
Swallows argue over a perch, an image Simon Runting captured after two hours photographing their high-speed fights.
Winner—Panasonic Lumix Timelapse
Glowworm cave
As day turns to night, glowworms illuminate Footwhistle Cave, Waitomo.
Runner-up—Panasonic Lumix Timelapse
Lake icebergs
Icebergs in the Hooker Valley Lake below Aoraki/Mt Cook shift restlessly during the long winter night.
Winner—Progear Photostory
Ihumātao protest
Protestors occupy the site of a subdivision to be built on an archeologically significant area in Ihumātao, Auckland.
Runner-up—Progear Photostory
Motueka disaster
Cyclone Gita brought rivers of mud and forestry slash down on Motueka.
Evan Barnes
Highly Commended—Progear Photostory
Bird rehab
Auckland’s renowed ‘Bird Lady’, 85-year-old Sylvia Durrant, retired in 2018 after 35 years voluntarily tending to sick and injured birds.