Scott Portelli is based in New South Wales and took the winning photograph in March 2020 shortly after the announcement of COVID-19 restrictions impacted his year long journey around Australia.

“The nation-wide lockdown was declared and we were stuck for six weeks at a small campground in the Fleurieu Peninsula. This ended up being a blessing in disguise,” Mr Portelli explained.

“Over the course of the six weeks I had the opportunity to dive regularly, becoming familiar with the terrain, getting to know the dive site and spotting a few individual Seadragons. I became acquainted with the resident dragons of Second Valley and this is how I managed to get the shot.”

“After several encounters with one particular Seadragon it appeared to become unperturbed by my presence and I was able to compose a shot that tightly captured its eyes, features and appendages front on,” Mr Portelli added.

Mr Portelli has been a photographer for over 20 years.

When asked how it felt to be named the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year 2021, Mr Portelli said:

“Winning the 2021 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year is a highlight of my photographic career. Being awarded in one of the most prestigious and respected nature photography competitions in Australia is an honour and a privilege. This is one of my proudest moments.”

Humbled to be named the 2021 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year Mr Portelli reflected on the message behind the image.

“The photograph shows the intricate details of the Leafy Seadragons in a different way, I wanted to capture the essence of this delicate and vulnerable species that are only found in the South of Australia.”

“The more we understand the ocean and its inhabitants the more people will feel connected and take action to protect our ocean creatures,” he added.

As Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, he receives a cash prize of $10,000 and a Coral Expeditions holiday.

The 2021 competition judges were:

 Narelle Autio – international award-winning outback and coastal photographer.

• Trent Parke – internationally acclaimed photographer and the first Australian member of the prestigious Magnum photographic agency.

• and Stavros Pippos – celebrated South Australian landscape photographer.   

The judges were united in selecting this unique and striking image as the overall winner. “The backlighting has transformed the Seadragon from a tiny sea creature into the illusion of a mythical beast. Beautifully framed, the dragon emerges from the darkness, glowing with a sense of fire within.”

Mr Brian Oldman, Director of the South Australian Museum, said that Mr Portelli’s photograph had been judged the winning entry out of a pool of 2,206 photographs – the second highest number of entries in the competition’s history.

“The past year has really encouraged all of us to reconnect with nature as we spent weeks and months in our homes. We were forced to stop and slow down the pace.”

“Mr Portelli’s image and his experience reflects just this. What started as a six week pause, became a once in a lifetime opportunity to capture this incredible image”.

“I think we can all agree that whilst the pandemic has brought many hardships it has also given us a reminder to be thankful for the natural world around us.” 

Ms Chrissie Goldrick, Editor-in-Chief, Australian Geographic said:

“The restrictions experienced by us all in the lead up to the competition haven’t impacted the quality and breadth of the photography on display in this year’s exhibition. In fact, the winning photo came about as result of the pandemic, so the photographers have shown great resourcefulness, and their photos once again demonstrate the raw beauty and power of the natural history of our biogeographic region.”

The winner and runners-up of the ten categories have also been announced.

 Animal Portrait:

  Winner: A White-capped at Sunset, Doug Gimesy (VIC)

  Runner-up: Howling at the Moon, Mike George (NSW) 

Animal Behaviour

Winner: Next Generation, Tammy Gibbs (WA)

Runner-up: Dreaming, Franco Tulli (Italy)  

Animal Habitat:

Winner: A Tree Dreaming, Christian Spencer (VIC)

Runner-up: Stilted Reflections, Georgina Steytler (WA)

Botanical:

Winner: Ghost Mushrooms, Callie Chee (NSW)

Runner-up: Swamp Secrets, Paula McManus (SA)   

Landscape:

Winner: Forest of Reflection, Hayden Cannon (WA)

Runner-up: Beneath the Surface, Ashlee Karas (WA)

Monochrome:

Winner: Incoming, Jeff Freestone (VIC)

Runner-up: King of the Cape, Matt Wright (QLD)  

Junior (photographers under 18 years of age):

Winner: You Can’t See Me, Georgia McGregor (QLD)

Runner-up: Cockatoo, Aidan Cimarosti (NSW)  

Our Impact (depicting human impact on nature):

Winner: Bound, jammed inside, and posted, Doug Gimesy (VIC)  

Runner-up: Single-use Drifter, Justin Gilligan, (NSW) 

Threatened Species (threatened, rare, vulnerable or endangered species):

Winner: Declining Species, Scott Portelli (NSW)

Runner-up: In the Shadows, Tom Svensson, Sweden  

Portfolio Prize (best portfolio of six or more images):

Tim Wrate (NSW)

The South Australian Museum produces a public exhibition featuring all finalists from Friday 27 August until Sunday 31 October. The Australian Museum in Sydney will also host the exhibition from October 2021 until January 2022.

For further information and to view the full gallery please visit: https://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/c/npoty/gallery