Page 34 - Australian Photography Feb 2022

WINNER
AERIAL
SHARK BAY FROM ABOVE
HEATHER MCNEICE
@heather_mcneice
Born in Northern Ireland, Heather McNeice has called the Sunshine Coast home since 2006. Her award-winning images in her series Shark Bay from Above were taken from a fixed wing plane over the Shark Bay World Heritage site in Western Australia in May 2021, and remarkably, were captured on just her second attempt at aerial photography.
“Luckily, the only available slot was in the late afternoon, with the sun low in the sky. The light was perfect, with the setting sun casting an orange glow over the sand hills, enhancing the contrast with the aqua blues along the Coral Coast,” she says.
“As an aerial photography novice, I encountered a few challenges: the strength of the wind, having to lean out (but not too far) to avoid including the plane’s wheels and doorframe, as well as grappling with the vertical and horizontal movement of the Cessna.
When putting together a portfolio from this shoot, I based my selection on synergy of textures, colours and the flowing lines of the natural landscape to try to create a cohesive set of abstract images.”
WHAT THE JUDGES SAID
PETRA LEARY: Heather’s work stood out as both a very well thought out and col- lated collection. The selection of pho- tos capture the colours and abstract formations of Shark Bay perfectly, and also bring a new perspective to a loca- tion we’ve seen photographed many times before. The composition of each image is eye-catching, and the use of the low sun to highlight the ridges and hills, while still not losing the details of the water, makes for a perfectly bal- anced series.
PRIZE: $1000 cash; Sandisk 2TB Extreme Pro Portable SSD valued at $660; Nokia X20 smartphone valued at $599.
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