Skip to content

New Zealand Photographers Win in Oceania Contest

Capturing the awe of nature

November 18, 2025 | New Zealand

A close up of the underside of a mushroom with firefly-like lights around it.
Pluteus' Fireflies This endearing species with it's velvety, mottled cap and lovely dark lined gills giving them so much dimension. © Nic Wooding / 2025 Oceania Photo Contest

Photographers from Aotearoa New Zealand featured strongly in this year’s Oceania photography competition run by The Nature Conservancy.  Nearly 1,000 photographers from New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands entered the 2025 contest which celebrates the power of photography to connect people with nature and inspire conservation action.

Four New Zealand photographers earned category prizes in the overall Oceania contest, and Nic Wooding won the overall Plants and Fungi category with her image Pluteus' Fireflies.

More than 1,200 New Zealand entries highlighted the unique biodiversity of the region. The New Zealand judging panel of three, drawing on a combined 55 years of experience and diverse photography interests, say the high quality of the entries is very moving and shows a deep understanding of storytelling.

“Every shot is a story of survival or majesty, a reminder that the natural world is part of us as much as we are part of it. From pollinators to the weather, it is all part of a system that we totally rely on and often forget. Images can arouse curiosity, create an emotional connection or inspire action.”

The Nature Conservancy Aotearoa New Zealand Country Director Abbie Reynolds says the quality of this year’s images was astonishing.

“New Zealanders from all over the motu (country) have captured the awe of nature and much-loved landscapes we are working hard to protect. It’s a reminder that New Zealand is home to a huge array of species found nowhere else on Earth.”

 

New Zealand Winners

Kaitlin Groom won the Climate category with her image Surge—an intense weather event quite literally hitting home across the Paraparaumu Estuary. The judges noted the balance of foreground, sky, and subject. “The colours feel natural and showcase the moody atmosphere superbly.”

New Zealand Category Winner, Climate: Surge 21 January 2024 - I absolutely love storms so after following the radar all day and seeing the storm rolling in, I knew I wanted to capture some lightning over Paraparaumu Estuary. © Kaitlin Groom

Tim Cuff was the runner up in the same section, with Laura Gauthier highly commended.

Photographer Fay Seah won the Lands category with her image Enchanted Forest, taken in Lake Weyba Bushland Reserve, Queensland, Australia—an image described as technically difficult, unique and fascinating.

Chris Watson was the runner up, with John Perrin highly commended.

New Zealand Category Winner, Lands: Enchanted Forest Out capturing sunrise in the morning, walking along and exploring a new spot and I came across Lake Weyba Bushland Reserve. It was a quiet and peaceful area, and when the sun burst through the thick clouds, it bounced on the woods that has created such nice golden shade around the surroundings. © Fay Seah

In the People and Nature category, Tony Stoddard was the winner with his image Return to the Wild, taken when kiwi were released at Mākara, Wellington. The judges commented that its black-and-white tones strip away distractions, allowing the mauri (life force) shared between both to be felt deeply. It beautifully reflects the Māori understanding that nature is family and that our role is to protect and nurture it.

New Zealand Category Winner, People & Nature: Return to the Wild I had the immense privilege of attending the pōwhiri at Mākara Village Hall. After the formal welcome, Capital Kiwi team members gently lifted two large kiwi from their boxes, offering a rare, intimate glimpse of these taonga (treasures) before release into a 23,000-hectare sanctuary—reclaiming a home where kiwi had been unseen for over 150 years. This photo of a precious manu (bird) being cradled speaks volumes, capturing the deep care, reverence, and hope behind every step of this remarkable return to the wild in our Capital City. © Tony Stoddard

He also received the second prize in the overall Wildlife category with the same image.

Tim Cuff was also the runner up in the same section, with Lucy Schultz highly commended.

Colin Marshall won first prize in the Waters section with a moving image of eels in a Nelson river. “The image captured a presence… the quiet mauri (life force) that sits beneath the surface. Technically, the exposure is beautifully balanced; nothing feels forced or overworked.”

New Zealand Category Winner, Water: Freshwater Eels Pair of New Zealand Longfin Eels (Anguilla dieffenbachii), in a tributary of the Wakapuaka River in Hira, Nelson, in the South Island of New Zealand. These eels are endangered and endemic to New Zealand. They live in freshwater rivers for most of their lives, then migrate to the saltwater ocean to breed and die, the larvae drifting back to New Zealand. These eels can generally live up to 50 years. The presence of these long-lived eels is a positive indicator of the overall health of the river ecosystem, particularly dissolved oxygen (which supports the animals upon which they feed), temperature and low levels of contaminants in the water. © Colin Marshall

Kaitlin Lawrence was runner up in the same section, with Kaitlin Groom highly commended.

Hocus Pocus by Chin Kang Chia won the Plants and Fungi category with an image taken in the Pelorus Scenic Reserve, described by the judges as a fascinating formation, while bright, and rich in detail. He also received the third prize in the overall Plants and Fungi category with his image Witch's Hat.

 

New Zealand Category Winner, Plants & Fungi: Hocus Pocus Hygrocybe astatogala are definitely the witches of the mushroom kingdom. Their tall, pointy tips and wide brim of their black caps, along with the pumpkin orange stipes, with the whole body blackening as the aging progresses. Photographing this species requires patience, with the mushroom wilting and blackening within hours. © Chin Kang Chia

Nic Wooding was the runner up in the New Zealand category,  and won the overall Plants and Fungi category with her image Pluteus’ Fireflies. Chad Cottell was highly commended.

 

New Zealand Category Winner, Wildlife: Rare capture of a Great egret enjoying a bath Most photographs of the great egret (kōtuku, white heron) capture the elegance and beauty of the bird, but other aspects of their behaviour can be very interesting and appealing. In this instance, I was fortunate to be there with my camera when a local white heron took an immersive bath in the shallows of the lagoon. I was amazed to witness the performance as the bird sank below the surface while splashing and splaying out its feathers, a sight I've never before observed. © Roger Smith

Roger Smith won the Wildlife category with his rare shot of a kōtuku enjoying a bath in Waimanu Lagoons, Waikanae Beach, “all the more joyous for it not emphasising the bird's usual stately grace”.

Guido Seevens was runner up in the category, with Brendon Doran highly commended.

Abbie Reynolds says both budding enthusiasts and professionals entered this year’s competition.

“All photographers have an important role to play in capturing the awe of the natural world and inspiring us to reflect on the part we play in safeguarding its future”, she says.

View all the winning pictures.

 

List of New Zealand winners

Climate

Winner - Kaitlin Groom, Surge  

Runner Up - Tim Cuff, Floods at Glenduan  

Highly Commended - Laura Gauthier, Sombre Reminder  

 

Lands

Winner - Fay Seah, Enchanted Forest  

Runner Up - Chris Watson, Aurora Australis corona  

Highly Commended - John Perrin, Skeleton Coast Dunes  

Olivia Wentzell also received the third prize in the overall Lands category with her image Nightfall.

 

People and Nature

Winner - Tony Stoddard, Return to the Wild

Runner Up - Tim Cuff, December Whale Stranding

Highly Commended - Lucy Schultz, Moa Hunter

 

Plants and Fungi

Winner - Chin Kang Chia, Hocus Pocus  

Runner Up - Nic Wooding - Umbellas Moss Sanctuary

Highly Commended - Chad Cottell, Campbell Island Megaherbs  

 

Water

Winner - Colin Marshall, Freshwater Eels

Runner Up - Kaitlin Lawrence, Baby Blue

Highly Commended - Kaitlin Groom, Blue Magic

 

Wildlife

Winner - Roger Smith - Rare capture of a great egret enjoying a bath

Runner Up - Guido Seevens, Portrait of a Kererū

Highly Commended - Brendon Doran, At home in the pipe

 

Media queries and high-resolution photos: medianewzealand@tnc.org

 

The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. To learn more, visit nature.org or follow @nature_press on X.