Photographer of the Year 2018—winners

52 of the finest and freshest visions of New Zealand’s environment and society.

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The finest frames of 2018 numbered 52—sparkling new visions of our environment and society to soak in and reflect on. Of these, there are winners in six categories and awards for the Young Photographer of the Year, the Resene Colour Award, the Panasonic People’s Choice award and the overall Nikon Photographer of the Year.

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Winner—Nikon Photographer of the Year

Golden hour

Feathering spring waves in the offshore winds at Blackhead Beach, Dunedin.

derekmorrisonphotography

Winner—Nikon Photographer of the Year

In the swim

An aerial view of the St Clair on the Dunedin coastline.

derekmorrisonphotography

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.

derekmorrisonphotography

Winner—Nikon Photographer of the Year

Sea lion

Three-year-old sea lion Vega surfs alongside Derek Morrison at St Kilda Beach, Dunedin.

derekmorrisonphotography

Winner—Young Photographer of the Year

Humpback whale

A juvenile humpback whale surprised Toby Dickson when it approached in low-visibility water off Kaikōura.

tobydickson

Winner—Resene Colour Award

Fields of tulips

Triflor, a tulip farm in Edendale, Southland, exports about 45 million bulbs every year.

David Wall

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.

lastquarterphotography

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.

hakannedjat

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.

nzryno

Runner-up—Peak Design Aerial

Fields of tulips

Triflor, a tulip farm in Edendale, Southland, exports about 45 million bulbs every year.

David Wall

Highly Commended—Peak Design Aerial

Basketball game

A group of friends play 4×4 basketball on a cold morning in Takanini, Auckland.

petraleary

Winner—Adshel Society

Waka crew

During Waitangi Day celebrations in the Bay of Islands, two crew members prepare to row to Tii Beach.

deanpurcell 

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.

mcgregor1

Highly Commended—Adshel Society

Casting a line

In fast-fading light, a fisherman casts a line on Bethells Beach, Auckland.

 williamboothphoto 

Winner—Electric Kiwi Wildlife

Sea lion

Three-year-old sea lion Vega surfs alongside Derek Morrison at St Kilda Beach, Dunedin.

derekmorrisonphotography

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.

edinzphoto

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.

Simon Runting

Winner—Panasonic Lumix Timelapse

Glowworm cave

As day turns to night, glowworms illuminate Footwhistle Cave, Waitomo.

stephen_patience_photography

Runner-up—Panasonic Lumix Timelapse

Lake icebergs

Icebergs in the Hooker Valley Lake below Aoraki/Mt Cook shift restlessly during the long winter night.

isaacsmartphotography

Winner—Progear Photostory

Ihumātao protest

Protestors occupy the site of a subdivision to be built on an archeologically significant area in Ihumātao, Auckland.

qianephoto

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.

toddhenryphoto