Page 17 - Australian Photography Feb 2022

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ANIMAL & NATURE
RUNNER-UP
HANNAH LE LEU
@hannahmitchell_photography
A TURTLE HATCHLING’S JOURNEY
Hannah Le Leu captured these stunning, emotive and “extremely challenging” split-shots of Green Sea Turtle hatchlings on Heron Island.
“I had to continuously submerge the lens before taking shots to prevent water droplets from ruining the images whilst attempting to keep track of the tiny and erratic hatchlings,” she explained.
“Those first moments after hatching are extraordinarily eventful; from the first ever swim in the crashing waves, to evading a myriad of predators and beginning the hopeful journey
into the vast ocean. This collection of images highlights the exquisite beauty and serenity of nature, but also the challenges hatchlings face with the odds stacked against them.”
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
ALEX CEARNS: Hannah’s series is imme- diately eye-catching. The degree of dif- ficulty and patience required to capture newly hatched, juvenile turtles swim- ming in the sea is commendable and I haven’t seen baby turtles photographed in this way before. The approach of pho- tographing the scene from half-above and half-below creates impact and em- phasises the epic journey the turtles have in front of them. Technically, the series is sharp, well exposed and has strong use of colour. A true standout and award-worthy.
SHANNON BENSON: I loved this series, Underwater photography is challenging
and especially so when the subject is so small. These images give us a glimpse into the hatchlings’ world from land to sea, along with the looming predators they will face. The last image, gives the viewer hope this little hatchling has sur- vived the day.
PRIZE: $200 Camera House voucher.
ANIMAL & NATURE TOP 20
1 Simone Matucci 2 Hannah Le Leu 3 James White
4 Will Lawler
5 Ketut Suwitra 6 Ivan Glaser
7 Clement Chua 8 Emma Jones 9 Guy Draper
10 Bruce Reardon
10 Christine Bairstow
12 Lucca Rodriguez Amorim 13 Linda Joseph
14 Trish Brown
15 Heather Mcneice
16 Pau Irvine
17 Harman Singh Heer
17 Jeanete Zanotto
19 Lucca Rodriguez Amorim 20 Dianne Galbraith
| 31 | FEBRUARY 2022 | AUSTRALIANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM