Towering Tasmanian Myrtle beech tree wins international rainforest photography competition

21 August 2023
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Conservation organisation Rainforest Rescue has announced the winners of its international rainforest photography competition, The Canopy Awards 2023.

2023 Grand Prize Winner, Benjamin Maze, Australia. A towering myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii) reaches towards the sky, the canopy turned gold by the afternoon sun. Blue Tiers Forest Reserve, North-East Tasmania, Australia.
2023 Grand Prize Winner, Benjamin Maze, Australia. A towering myrtle (Nothofagus cunninghamii) reaches towards the sky, the canopy turned gold by the afternoon sun. Blue Tiers Forest Reserve, North-East Tasmania, Australia.

Australian photographer Benjamin Maze’s image of a towering myrtle beech tree from a low-angle perspective within the Blue Tiers Forest Reserve in North-East Tasmania was selected by judges as the Grand Prize winner. Maze wins a $2,500 luxury travel experience for winning the comp. 

The image was featured on the cover of AP mag's November issue last year. 

Best of the Wet Tropics. Winner: Clay Hawker, Din Din (Barron) Falls, Kuranda, Queensland, Australia.
Best of the Wet Tropics. Winner: Clay Hawker, Din Din (Barron) Falls, Kuranda, Queensland, Australia.

According to Rainforest Rescue, The Canopy Awards represents the pinnacle of rainforest photography and is designed to enhance and promote the art and technical mastery of the subject, help raise awareness about the nature and culture of rainforest habitats and above all, encourage their protection.

Photographers from across the globe were invited to enter photographs in three categories: Habitats, Characters and Hidden Gems.

Judges chose a winner in each category, plus bestowed a special prize for the judge’s ‘Best of the Wet Tropics.’ in addition, a People’s Choice popular vote was cast via Facebook to include the public in judging.

Category Winner– Hidden Gems. Winner: Judith Morgan, Australia Alocasia detail, Daintree National Park, Queensland.
Category Winner– Hidden Gems. Winner: Judith Morgan, Australia Alocasia detail, Daintree National Park, Queensland.

Convened by Rainforest Rescue Ambassador Darren Jew, the Canopy Awards judging panel comprised nature photographer Georgina Steytler, last year’s Grand Prize winner Matt Palmer, and conservationist Steven Nowakowski.

“The Canopy Awards reminds us of the complexity and beauty of reality. These photographs are magic portals that take us to real places, through the eyes of real people who have been immersed in these habitats, glimpsed the behaviour of these characters, and discovered these hidden gems,” said Jew.

People's Choice Vote, Winner: Matt Cornish, Australia. Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko, Malanda, Queensland, Australia.
People's Choice Vote, Winner: Matt Cornish, Australia. Northern Leaf-tailed Gecko, Malanda, Queensland, Australia.

“It's a reminder that we don't need machine learning and supercomputers to build us fantasy worlds when we have photographers out and about, documenting and sharing the beautiful reality of rainforest.”

Category Winner– Characters. Winner: ROMAN WILLI, Switzerland An assassin bug catches itself a meal on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.
Category Winner– Characters. Winner: ROMAN WILLI, Switzerland An assassin bug catches itself a meal on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.

A selection of the shortlisted images will also feature on commercially compostable coffee cups through BioPak’s Art Series range. 

You can see all the finalists at rainforestrescue.com.au.

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