Maitland man Justin Gilligan has once again been recognised for his stunning wildlife shots by being named the Australian Geographic nature photographer of the year.
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Justin’s breathtaking shot of a group of spider crabs being harassed by a giant predatory octopus helped him take out the grand prize. He also took out the botanical category with an image of one of the few remaining giant kelp forests in Australian waters, and the ‘Our Impact’ category with an image of a pair of reef fish tangled in a recreational gill net.
Justin, who is also a marine scientist, said he was “so excited” to take out the overall winner for the first time this year.
“I’ve been entering since 2008, and I’ve come close with a couple of portfolio prizes and several category win, but I haven’t managed to take out the top prize before,” Justin said.
After 20 years of underwater photography, Justin nominated the waters near his hometown at Newcastle and Nelson Bay as some of his favourite environments to work in.
