25 September 2025
On Monday, 8 September, Ms Skewes’ Year 10 ‘Beyond the Basics’ Photography class embarked on an inspiring journey to the South Australian Museum to experience the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition.
This esteemed exhibition showcases the natural heritage of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, and New Guinea, featuring 99 shortlisted images from the 2025 competition.
With over 1,800 submissions from 449 photographers across 18 countries, the exhibition offers a captivating glimpse into the diverse flora, fauna, and landscapes of our world. Students had the opportunity to engage with these extraordinary works, analysing the artistry and technique behind each photograph.
The exhibition spans ten categories, including Animals in Nature, Macro, and Landscape, providing a rich tapestry of visual storytelling that ignited the students’ creativity and appreciation for the natural world.
Following the museum visit, the class ventured to the Adelaide Botanic Garden, a showcase of natural beauty in the heart of our city. Here, students applied their newfound insights to capture nature-focused photographs, employing techniques such as macro, landscape and motion photography. Students captured a range of natural phenomenon, including the colours and shapes of moving water, the serenity of towering treescapes, and the quiet, yet resolute, activities of the animals around them, resulting in a series of compelling images.
These photographs will serve as the foundation for the upcoming ‘Nature in Focus’ competition, wherein students will select and edit their best work, showcasing their developing skills and unique perspectives. We are proud to prioritise authentic learning experiences for our students, like this, that immerse them in engaging, real-world contexts.
By interacting directly with nationally recognised artefacts, students gain invaluable insights. Three of our students have offered to share their experiences from the excursion with you here, illustrating that this experience has not only honed their technical abilities but also deepened their connection to the natural world, inspiring them to observe and capture its beauty through the lens of their cameras.
‘The photograph that really inspired me at the ‘National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year’ exhibition was ‘Astrophotography’ by Photographer Oberon Kenobi. In this artwork there is an expansive sky, aglow and radiant with colour, which reminded me of the beautiful landscapes we were privileged enough to experience on the Year 10 Journey. This photograph inspired my final ‘Nature in Focus’ photograph. I considered that every part of nature, even the small things that we may view as insignificant have a profound impact on the environment. Hence, at the Adelaide Botanic Garden I decided to take a picture of algae. My photograph titled ‘Nature’s Spotlight’ draws focus to the recent devastating algal blooms in South Australia.’
Joash Ng
‘Our photography class visited the 2025 National Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition. I was inspired by a photograph titled ‘Chinstraps on Ice’ by Photographer David Sinclair. It shows chinstrap penguins resting on a sculpted iceberg in Antarctica. I liked how the image captured both the beauty of the frozen landscape and the strength of the penguins as they survive in such a harsh environment. The mix of life and icy stillness made the photo feel powerful and calm at the same time. This inspired me when I took my final ‘Nature in Focus’ photograph at the Adelaide Botanic Garden. I chose to focus on a bird in the water, which had the same effect through the balance of flora and fauna. The symbolism of the jagged and irregular reeds in the background contrasted with the serenity of the bird and water, showing a balance of harshness and calm within this environment.’
Nicholas Hill
‘My photograph, Blush in Bloom, highlights the role blossoms play in the bigger picture of sustainability. These flowers are more than decoration as they provide food for pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are essential for healthy ecosystems and future food supplies. By capturing this moment, I wanted to show how even something small, like a single blossom, connects to larger cycles that keep the environment in balance. It’s a reminder that sustainability often begins with the everyday processes in nature that we sometimes overlook.’
Tom Lamphee
Rosalynde Skewes
Senior School Teacher
