SUBMISSION CATEGORIES

A category must be selected when submitting an entry to the Photo Contest. Entries will be considered from the following categories:

• Cities and Nature: Connecting with nature where we live
• Landscape: A sense of place, with or without people
• People and Nature: Recreation, adventure, people enjoying the outdoors
• Water: Above, below, or in between
• Wildlife: In the wild or in our backyard

AWARD CATEGORIES

Winning submissions will be selected for the following award categories:

• One (1) Grand Prize winner
• One (1) People’s Choice winner
• Five (5) Category First Place winners, one (1) per category
• Five (5) Category Second Place winners, one (1) per category
• Five (5) Category Third Place winners, one (1) per category, and
• Five (5) Category Honorable Mentions, one (1) per category.

AUSTRALIAN AWARD CATEGORIES

Winning submissions from entrants in Australia will be selected for the following award categories:

• One (1) Australia Grand Prize winner
• One (1) Australia Runner Up winner
• One (1) Australia Highly Commended winner

PRIZES

All award winners will receive mention on The Conservancy’s digital presences. In addition, The Conservancy will award the following prizes:

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive:

• $2,000 USD Delta Airlines gift card
• Camera kit from brand of choice. Estimated value: $4,000 USD

Total value: $6,000 USD

One (1) People’s Choice winner will receive:

• $1,500 USD Delta Airlines gift card

Five (5) Category First Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

• $500 USD Delta Airlines gift card

Five (5) Category Second Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

• $250 USD Delta Airlines gift card

Five (5) Category Third Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

• $100 USD Delta Airlines gift card

Five (5) Category Honorable Mentions (one (1) per category) will receive:

• Certificate of Recognition

One (1) Australian Grand Prize winner will receive:

• $1,500 AUD voucher from Bogong Equipment (bogong.com.au)
• $300 AUD voucher from Camera Electronic (cameraelectronic.com.au)
• Your image printed on a 20x30 inch canvas from Streets Imaging Services (streetsimaging.com.au) (ready to hang) RRP $169 AUD
• A copy of Ben Goode’s limited-edition coffee table book ‘Southern Comfort’ featuring Ben’s finest photographs from all around South Australia. RRP $54.95 AUD

Total Value: $2,023.95 AUD

One (1) Australian Runner Up winner will receive:

• $500 AUD voucher from Bogong Equipment (bogong.com.au)
• Your image printed on a 20x30 inch canvas from Streets Imaging Services (streetsimaging.com.au) (ready to hang) worth $169 AUD

Total Value: $669 AUD

One (1) Australian Highly Commended winner will receive:

• $250 AUD voucher from Bogong Equipment (bogong.com.au)
• Your image printed on a 20x30 inch canvas from Streets Imaging Services (streetsimaging.com.au) (ready to hang) worth $169 AUD

Total Value: $419 AUD

The official rules of The Nature Conservancy’s 2019 Photo Contest | Australia

Questions about contest rules can be emailed to photocontest@tnc.org.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

ELIGIBILITY

The Nature Conservancy’s 2019 Photo Contest (“Photo Contest”) is open to all professional and amateur photographers around the world, who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry. Trustees, Board Members, Employees, interns, or partners of The Nature Conservancy, as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings, and children) and household members of those employees, are not eligible to enter.

By submitting an entry to the Photo Contest, entrants certify that their participation in this Photo Contest is not illegal or in violation of any law, regulation, treaty or administrative act, and that the laws of their governing jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry do not prohibit or restrict the receipt of any Prize under this Photo Contest.

These terms and conditions, together with the Entry Form, govern the Photo Contest and are intended to be a legally binding agreement. Entry into this Photo Contest is deemed acceptance of these conditions of entry. For the purposes of Australian law, this Photo Contest is a ‘game of skill’ and chance plays no part in determining the finalists or winners.

The Nature Conservancy (“The Conservancy”) reserves the right to reject any entry if, in The Conservancy’s sole discretion, the laws of an applicable jurisdiction, including but not limited to the entrant’s jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry, would prohibit or limit The Conservancy from proceeding with the Contest as intended or the consideration or awarding of any Prize would impose additional administrative, tax, operational, or legal burdens on The Conservancy.

Furthermore, individuals residing in any “Excluded Jurisdiction” are ineligible to enter the Photo Contest. Excluded Jurisdiction means any country listed on the US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Active Sanctions Programs list: https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/.

SPONSOR

The Nature Conservancy’s 2019 Photo Contest is sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203-1606 (“The Conservancy”).

ENTRY PERIOD

The Photo Contest begins at 6am AEDT (UTC +10) on August 1, 2019, and ends at 11:59pm EST (UTC -5) on August 31, 2019 (the “Entry Period”). Entries submitted before or after the Entry Period will not be eligible. The Conservancy’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Photo Contest.

WHAT TO ENTER

Images will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit.

To ensure functionality on our submission platform, please submit files no larger than 4032 x 4032 pixels and no more than 4 MB at the time of entry. High resolution-original files will be requested should an entry make it into the final round of editing to be considered for an award or prize of merit.

All photographs should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (cropping, spotting for dust, reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.

Entries may originate in any format—including but not limited to digital files, digital prints, color transparencies, color prints, or black and white prints—so long as they are submitted electronically in a .JPEG .jpg, or.png format. HDR images are acceptable.

Previously published material for which non-exclusive rights were granted may be entered as long as you maintain the right to grant us a license (see "Your Rights" below). You must be able to disclose when and where the photo appeared previously to The Conservancy upon request.

If you choose to include people in your submission, you are responsible for obtaining the necessary releases from the individuals depicted, and must be able to provide copies of those releases to The Conservancy upon request.

Submissions may be watermarked if desired, but the watermark should be inconspicuous enough to not interfere with the judging of the photo. A watermarked photo might not be honored by the competition (at the judges’ sole discretion) if the photographer is unable or unavailable to provide a pristine, watermark-free version of the image when asked.

The following submissions are ineligible:

• Images of captive animals photographed in zoos and commercial game farms.
• Photos that violate or infringe upon another person's rights, including but not limited to copyright and photographs of persons without the necessary consent required by law in your jurisdiction. The Conservancy reserves the right to require entrants to submit evidence of the subject’s legal consent to be photographed for the submitted photograph, which may include a signed waiver from the subject. NOTE: Waiver requirements vary by jurisdiction, and the entrant is responsible for obtaining a legally enforceable waiver from any photographed subject.
• Photos that contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent or other objectionable or inappropriate content.
• Images that involve the willful harassment of wildlife, or damage to the environment by the photographer.
• Images that involve putting any individual or animal in danger.

The Conservancy shall determine entry eligibility in its sole and absolute discretion.

HOW TO ENTER

All images must be submitted though our photo submission website. Digital images that are sent via mail or email will not be accepted. If possible, please embed the photographer’s name and caption information in the photo’s metadata.

The entry forms contain required fields for information about the photo, category to be entered, and contact information for the entrant, including an email address.

Entrants will be asked to provide the following information in the contest entry process:

• Title of the photo
• Caption: Describe what we see and where it was taken
• Country where photo was taken
• State or province where photo was taken
• Category: Cities and Nature, Landscape, People and Nature, Water, or Wildlife

You may enter an unlimited number of photos, but you may not use an agency or automated system to enter.

The Conservancy reserves the right to reject any additional entries or entries that do not comply with these Official Rules. By entering, you indicate your unconditional agreement to, and acceptance of, these Official Rules and The Conservancy’s decisions, which are final and binding. You cannot win a prize unless you comply with all requirements in these Official Rules.

Entrants may be asked to supplement their submission with more explanation about the photo or to provide a higher resolution version of the photo anytime during the contest period.

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES

A category must be selected when submitting an entry to the Photo Contest. Entries will be considered from the following categories:

• Cities and Nature: Connecting with nature where we live
• Landscape: A sense of place, with or without people
• People and Nature: Recreation, adventure, people enjoying the outdoors
• Water: Above, below, or in between
• Wildlife: In the wild or in our backyard

AWARD CATEGORIES

Winning submissions will be selected for the following award categories:

• One (1) Grand Prize winner
• One (1) People’s Choice winner
• Five (5) Category First Place winners, one (1) per category
• Five (5) Category Second Place winners, one (1) per category
• Five (5) Category Third Place winners, one (1) per category, and
• Five (5) Category Honorable Mentions, one (1) per category.

AUSTRALIAN AWARD CATEGORIES

Winning submissions from entrants in Australia will be selected for the following award categories:

• One (1) Australia Grand Prize winner
• One (1) Australia Runner Up winner
• One (1) Australia Highly Commended winner

JUDGING

Judging will be conducted by a panel of photo editors to be selected by the The Conservancy at its sole discretion (the “Panel”). Photos will be judged by the Panel on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact, artistic merit and subject matter relevance to humans and nature.

The Panel will evaluate all valid entries and make daily selections into a group of Judges’ Favorite images, (“Judges’ Favorites”). All winners will be selected from the Judges Favorites. Judges’ Favorites will be notified of their status and appear on natureaustralia.org.au/photo on September 1, 2019.

Judging of the Australian categories will be conducted by a panel of photo editors to be selected by The Conservancy at its sole discretion (the “Australian Panel”). Photos will be judged by the Australian Panel on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact, artistic merit and subject matter relevance to humans and nature.

The Australian Panel will evaluate all valid entries and select winners for the Australian categories from entrants in Australia only.

All judging decisions are final. Please do not contact us about the status of entries or judging.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE WINNER

One (1) People’s Choice winner will selected by the public from the Judges’ Favorites published on natureaustralia.org.au between September 1 through September 8, 2019. The People’s Choice winner will be determined by online voting.

VOTING PERIOD

Voting for People's Choice begins at 12:00am on September 1, 2019, and ends at 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time in the USA on September 8, 2019 (the “Voting Period”). Votes submitted before or after the Voting Period will not be eligible. The Conservancy’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Photo Contest.

RESULTS

All winners will be announced on natureaustralia.org.au/photo by 11:59pm Eastern Daylight Time in the USA on September 13, 2019. The Conservancy will notify the winners via the contact information provided at the time of entry.

To request a winners list by mail, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your request to The Nature Conservancy, Photo Contest, 4245 N Fairfax Dr. Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203. Requests must be received by October 1, 2019.

PRIZES

All award winners will receive mention on The Conservancy’s digital presences. In addition, The Conservancy will award the following prizes:

One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive:

• $2,000 USD Delta Airlines gift card
• Camera kit from brand of choice. Estimated value: $4,000 USD

Total value: $6,000 USD

One (1) People’s Choice winner will receive:

• $1,500 USD Delta Airlines gift card

Five (5) Category First Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

• $500 USD Delta Airlines gift card

Five (5) Category Second Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

• $250 USD Delta Airlines gift card

Five (5) Category Third Place winners (one (1) per category) will receive:

• $100 USD Delta Airlines gift card

Five (5) Category Honorable Mentions (one (1) per category) will receive:

• Certificate of Recognition

One (1) Australian Grand Prize winner will receive:

• $1,500 AUD voucher from Bogong Equipment (bogong.com.au)
• $300 AUD voucher from Camera Electronic (cameraelectronic.com.au)
• Your image printed on a 20x30 inch canvas from Streets Imaging Services (streetsimaging.com.au) (ready to hang) RRP $169 AUD
• A copy of Ben Goode’s limited-edition coffee table book ‘Southern Comfort’ featuring Ben’s finest photographs from all around South Australia. RRP $54.95 AUD

Total Value: $2,023.95 AUD

One (1) Australian Runner Up winner will receive:

• $500 AUD voucher from Bogong Equipment (bogong.com.au)
• Your image printed on a 20x30 inch canvas from Streets Imaging Services (streetsimaging.com.au) (ready to hang) worth $169 AUD

Total Value: $669 AUD

One (1) Australian Highly Commended winner will receive:

• $250 AUD voucher from Bogong Equipment (bogong.com.au)
• Your image printed on a 20x30 inch canvas from Streets Imaging Services (streetsimaging.com.au) (ready to hang) worth $169 AUD

Total Value: $419 AUD

Prize values estimated and subject to applicable currency exchange rates, in The Conservancy’s sole discretion.

To the maximum extent permissible by law, all winners are responsible for paying any taxes and any and all other costs and expenses associated with claiming the awards, including but not limited to customs fees, taxes, and any other administrative costs, if applicable. Prior to the award of any prize the winner will need to complete any applicable tax forms for awarding the prize in the winner’s jurisdiction. Any prize details not specified above will be determined by The Conservancy, in its sole discretion. A prize may not be transferred and must be accepted as awarded. A winner may not request cash or a substitute prize; however, The Conservancy reserves the right to substitute a prize with another prize of equal or greater value if the prize is not available for any reason, as determined by The Conservancy, in its sole discretion.

POTENTIAL WINNER REQUIREMENTS

Except where prohibited, a potential winner may be required to complete and return an affidavit of eligibility, including proof of age, and liability/publicity release within 10 calendar days. If a potential winner fails to return these documents on time, an alternate potential winner may be selected in his/her place.

YOUR RIGHTS

Your photographs help The Conservancy protect Earth’s amazing diversity of wildlife, people, plants and habitats. Thank you for helping to further our mission through your photography.

You will retain all rights to any photograph you submit—including ownership if applicable.

If you submit a photograph to the Photo Contest, you grant The Conservancy and its related entities such as affiliates and subsidiaries a royalty-free, non-exclusive right in perpetuity to:

• Display the photograph on the Photo Contest submission websites:
  • https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/photo-contest/
  • https://www.tnc.org.hk/en-hk/get-involved/how-to-help/photo-contest/
  • https://www.tnc.org.hk/zh-hk/get-involved/how-to-help/photo-contest/
  • https://www.natureaustralia.org.au/get-involved/how-to-help/photo-contest/
  • https://www.tnc.org.br/ajude/concurso-de-fotos/
  • https://www.natureunited.ca/get-involved/photo-contest/
  • https://www.nature.org/es-us/participa/como-ayudar/concurso-de-fotografia/
  • https://www.nature.or.id/id-id/menghubungkan/kontes-foto/
  • http://tnc.org.cn/photo-contest/works.html
• Allow third-parties to share the photograph on social media.
• Use the photograph on the Internet and in Social Media in support of our mission.
• Use the photograph in The Conservancy’s and related entities’ internal and external communications materials including but not limited to web sites and web publications, fact sheets, fund raising publications, advertising, multimedia, presentation and membership services, annual report, newsletters, and Nature Conservancy magazine.
• Provide your photograph to other individuals and organizations for Conservancy and related entities’-related use in news stories, social media, newsletters, reports, slide shows, displays, web pages, videos, membership premiums, and the like.
• Use, in connection with the Photo Contest, your name, city, state and country of residence in promotions and other publications.
• Retain a digital copy of your photograph that will be archived in the Conservancy photo library and accessible to Conservancy and related entities’ staff via the Conservancy’s internal online photo archive.

The Conservancy will endeavor to credit all photographs with the credit "Person's Name" when the full name is available.

PRIVACY

The Conservancy respects an individual’s right to privacy and that individual’s right to control how information held on their behalf is used. Personal information collected by The Conservancy, from you, will be used to keep you up to date with our work by disseminating information via email, mail, SMS or telephone. This may include newsletters, appeals or other information. Please contact us should you wish to alter or delete any of these methods of contact. Please see our Privacy Policy or contact our Privacy Officer on australia@tnc.org or (03) 8346 8602 for full details on how we handle your personal information.

GENERAL CONDITIONS

In the event that the operation, security, or administration of the Photo Contest is impaired in any way, The Conservancy may, in its sole discretion, either: (a) suspend the Photo Contest to address the impairment and then resume the Photo Contest; or (b) award the prize(s) from among the eligible entries received up to the time of the impairment. The Conservancy reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify and seek damages from any individual who tampers with the operation of the Photo Contest, violates these Official Rules, or acts in a disruptive or unsportsmanlike manner. The Conservancy’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Proof of sending any communication to The Conservancy by mail shall not be deemed proof of receipt of that communication by The Conservancy. In the event of a dispute as to the owner of an online entry, the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter will be deemed to be the owner. The Photo Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

RELEASE AND LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

By entering, you agree to release and hold harmless The Conservancy, their respective parent, subsidiaries, affiliates, and each of their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Photo Contest or receipt or use of any prize, including, but not limited to: (a) unauthorized human intervention in the Photo Contest; (b) technical errors; (c) printing errors; (d) late or undelivered mail; (e) errors in the administration of the Photo Contest; or (f) injury or damage to persons or property. You waive the right to claim any attorneys’ fees and any damages whatsoever, including, but not limited to, punitive, consequential, direct, or indirect damages.

E-SUPPORTER

When you enter, you will automatically become an e-supporter of The Conservancy. This includes special event invitations, digital messages, text and a monthly e-newsletter. You may cancel and unsubscribe at any time.

PRIVACY AND PUBLICITY

Any information you submit as part of the Photo Contest will be used in accordance with The Conservancy’s Privacy Policy. The information you provide when you enter is provided to The Conservancy. Except where prohibited, you consent to The Conservancy’s use of your name in any list of winners (if applicable) and/or for promotional purposes in any media without further payment or consideration.

DISPUTES

You agree that any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of, or connected with, the Photo Contest or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by the appropriate court located in Virginia, USA. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, your rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of The Conservancy in connection with the Photo Contest, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of Virginia USA, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules (whether of Virginia, USA, or any other jurisdiction), which would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than Virginia, USA.

QUESTIONS

Questions and inquiries about contest rules can be emailed to photocontest@tnc.org.

Ben's tips for a winning photo

Composition in my opinion is the most important thing. A well composed photo can sometimes survive bad light, bad settings and even bad editing. A badly composed photo survives nothing. 

Learn what great light is and don’t settle for less! Having an eye for good light will help your images no end. Try taking a photo of the same scene from afternoon through to sunset and you will see how much of an effect light can have on a scene.

Less is often more! Shoot and edit with that mentality. Leave space around your main subject and don't clutter the frame. It’s like a good pizza... less toppings = better taste.

Try and create a mood and tell a story with your photos. This comes from composition, editing and use of light and shade. Put thought into all three and the chances are you will have an image goes beyond a nice snapshot.

Advice for selecting your photos for The Nature Conservancy's photo contest

Spend time looking through your collection to shortlist a few of your best images. Get a photographer you respect to take a look at your choices and give you advice on what they think might do well in a competition. When choosing images, try and remove personal bias and attachment, and look at your photos through critical eyes.

Q&A with Ben Goode

Get to know Ben Goode, our judge for Australian entrants, and you might get some inspiration for your photography journey too.

Tell us a bit about yourself – where did you grow up, what’s your story?

I was born and bred in Adelaide South Australia. I am married to my extremely patient wife Lisa and have two awesome little lads – Jalen and Harrison.

My father was a pastor and took us all around Australia on his preaching trips when I was young. It was these trips that initially sparked my appetite for travel and natural beauty.

I have always needed to express myself creatively and before becoming a professional photographer I worked in fields such as sign writing, video production, multimedia, web design, graphic design and animation. In 2004 I received my first camera and soon after on a trip to the Cook Islands I was hooked shooting landscapes. I got home and immediately wanted to find out how I could use my newfound love of photography to supplement my freelance design work.

I came across a variety of stock photography websites and decided to submit some of my first ever photos. To my surprise they started selling, which motivated me to get better, travel further and take more photos. Within 18 months I was earning enough from stock sales to live, on which opened up opportunities to travel and even live in the Falkland Islands for 2 years.

Since then I have since started Earth Art – a business supplying high quality landscape photography as fine art prints with a focus on my home state of SA.

How did you first get into photography and what led you towards the arts in terms of career?

I have always had a burning desire to express myself creatively. The progression towards landscape photographer however, came from seeing Ken Duncan’s panoramic work around the same time as I got my first digital camera.  I’ve always been someone who refuses to accept the normal 9-5 work life – so a dozen years ago I set the wheels in motion to start making a living from my passion for capturing natural beauty.

Tell us a bit about your work and what has been the greatest highlight in your career?

Early in 2015 a large bushfire hit the Adelaide Hills near where I lived. I managed to take a photo of the scene on the first night which ended up going viral. I decided to print and frame the image as a 1/1 never to be sold again piece and auction it off with all proceeds going to the Country Fire Service who bravely volunteered of their time and risked their lives fighting the fire. The auction went well and the print sold for over $5000.  Along the way there were quite a few doubters/haters that felt I was doing the wrong thing -  but being able to hand the final cheque to the local CFS chief was easily the most satisfying highlight of my career.

What are some of the biggest challenges?

I can’t speak for anyone else – but some of my challenges in landscape photography are: Fluctuation of income, customers who expect to pay peanuts, time away from my family, pre-dawn wake ups, poor photographic conditions and my fear of heights. And that’s on a good day! ;) Despite its challenges, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else though and I hope I never have to!

What do you love most about the work you do?

Being able to witness and capture so many stunning natural scenes. I often find myself behind the camera in absolute awe of the scene unfolding in front of me. The feeling of shooting an incredible scene with amazing light is hard to describe but it always gives me such a high. Another part of my work that I love is the process of turning a RAW image into a final edited photo and then marketing, selling and producing a high quality print that will end up in someone’s home or office.  This after the shoot process also gives me a big buzz.

What are you currently working on - projects coming up?

2019 has been the first year out of the last five that I haven’t had an annual project to focus on, but I am currently working on a big idea I’ve had for a while. It will take a bit of planning and funding but I am hoping to launch next year.

You’re our judge for the best Aussie photos in this year’s Photo Contest . What makes you most excited about the competition?

I always get excited by beautiful images – especially when they feature stunning Aussie landscapes! I love judging – it helps me look at an image differently to how I might normally.

What types of cameras have you typically used over the years? What camera are you currently using?

I have only used digital cameras since starting photography.

• Sony 828
• Sony A350
• Sony A900
• Canon 5D MKII
• Currently using Sony A7R and Sony A7R3.

Do you think competitions such as this one have power to increase environmental awareness?

Yes, absolutely – getting people outside and enjoying nature is the perfect way to remind people of the importance of looking after our environment. 

What impact has social media had within the photographic sphere and how has this tool shaped the industry?

Social Media has had a massive impact on photography. As creative types it is in our very essence to want to share our finest masterpieces with the world - and what better way to do that than the instant reaction and feedback of social media. To me there is very little point to art if no one ever sees it. We want to inspire and move others as well as gain affirmation and encouragement that our endeavours are not wasted time. Social media has the power to bring all of this in a way never before seen by the photographic/art community. In short, social media can be a positive tool and is a necessary one in today's world.

As with anything though – social media has its downside. We can become too reliant on our images getting enough likes and the constant comparing our images with others can start skewing our own creative vision.

You’ve built quite a following on social media - how does showcasing your work on this medium raise awareness for conservation and the arts?

I get a lot of people message or email me telling me I inspire them to get out and experience nature’s beauty more often. This means a lot to me as too many people live their lives stuck inside buildings and cities, with many children being brought up rarely experiencing the wonder of our natural world. The more people that are aware of everything our beautiful country has to offer then the more people who will fight to save it!

What advice would you give aspiring amateur photographers?

Get your head checked! Haha…no - it’s definitely one of the more difficult ways to make a living, but here are a couple of bits of advice for those thinking about taking the leap.

Assuming you can already take killer photos the number one bit of advice I would give is – believe in yourself! Sounds simple but it is very important to have the belief that your images deserve to be sold, or that you deserve to be hired for that tourism job. Without that belief success will be hard to find.

Another bit of advice that I think is crucial for a professional landscape photographer is that you need to find your niche in a world that is crowded with imagery. Once you find your niche, work hard on it and aim to be among the best for this area.