New international photo contest gets off to a sensational start

Other-worldly weather and spooky scuba dives: New international photo contest gets off to a sensational start – as the winning pictures show

• The awards honour Frank Hurley who photographed some of the biggest events of the 20th century
• It attracted 1,200 entries from 26 countries and there were five categories, including nature, polar and scenic 
• American Jason Gulley was the overall winner with an underwater shot he took on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula

The winning images in a photo competition set up to honour the spirit of the great adventuring Australian photographer James Francis (Frank) Hurley have been revealed – and Mr Hurley himself would surely have been mightily impressed.

Frank Hurley (1885 – 1962) photographed some of the biggest events of the 20th century and was described by author Tim Griffiths as ‘Forest Gump with a camera’ – because he turned up everywhere. He photographed World War I battles and visited Antarctica six times.

The inaugural Frank Hurley Photography Awards, with prizes totalling over AUS$30,000 dollars (£16,000), attracted over 1,200 entries from 26 countries, with an international panel of judges naming American photographer Jason Gulley the overall winner for an underwater image he took on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.

It won Mr Gulley of Tampa, Florida, an all-expenses Antarctic expedition cruise (donated by Sydney-based Chimu Adventures) and other prizes valued at about $20,000 (£11,000). Mr Gulley was also the ‘portrait of adventure’ category winner, with the other four categories – nature and wildlife, polar, scenic and composition – all won by Australians.

One of the organisers of the awards, which was presented by the Mawson’s Huts Foundation, said it was an outstanding success and helped to illustrate the depth of photography in Australia. Marketing co-ordinator Sam Edmonds said: ‘For the Frank Hurley Photography Awards’ inaugural year, our panel of judges faced an enormous task to whittle down a pool of entrant images that was both large and of an extremely high standard. Except for the overall winner, all other category winners hail from Australia – a statistic we are proud of in helping to promote Australian photography. But at the same time, given our entrants came from 26 countries, we are elated to say that the Frank Hurley Photography Awards has already established itself as a truly international contest.’

Scroll down for a look at some of the breathtaking winning shots.

American photographer Jason Gulley was declared the overall winner of the inaugural Frank Hurley Photography Awards with this stunning underwater image he took on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It was also the winning image in the portrait of adventure category

Australian photographer Will Eades was the winner of the scenic category with this dramatic snap of a storm cell off the coast of Port Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia

This mesmerising picture of Los Glaciares National Park in Argentine Patagonia was snapped by Canadian photographer Dean Heliotis. The judges handed it the accolade of finalist in the scenic category 

An epic shot by Spanish photographer Juan Aizpuru that was a finalist in the portrait of adventure category. The inaugural Frank Hurley Photography Awards attracted over 1,200 entries from 26 countries

This striking image by Australian photographer Sharon Jones was a finalist in the polar category. It shows icebergs in Paradise Harbour in the Antarctic 

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Malaysian photographer Alex Wong was a finalist in the scenic category thanks to this incredible shot of shattered pieces of ice on the shore of Lake Baikal in Russia

Rare asperitas clouds, which resemble rippling ocean waves, gather over the town of Bowden, North Dakota, in another amazing shot by Will Eades. The image was a finalist in the scenic category

Australian photographer Andrew Dickman was declared the winner of the nature category thanks to this amazing snap of gentoo penguins on the Antarctic Peninsula 

This jaw-dropping image of a pair of rhinos in South Africa’s Zimanga Private Game Reserve was snapped by Australian photographer Alison Langevad and was a finalist in the nature category 

Photographer Clement Chua was the winner of the nature category thanks to this incredible shot of a flying fox – a type of bat – skimming across the water in Sydney’s Centennial Park 

This charming image of cheetahs getting soaked by rain on the Ndutu Plains, Tanzania, was taken by Indian photographer Zhayynn James. It was a finalist in the nature category 

LEFT: Todd Kennedy was named a finalist in the portrait of adventure category thanks to this starry scene he captured near Tumbarumba in New South Wales, Australia. RIGHT: A solitary iceberg drifts on a fjord in Northeast Greenland National Park in this stunning image by Australian photographer Craig McGowan. The shot was a finalist in the polar category 

Australian photographer David Sinclair was declared the winner of the polar category with this majestic shot of a polar bear in the Arctic 

This cute shot of a family of emperor penguins in remote Antarctica by Australian photographer Joshua Holko was a finalist in the polar category

Another incredible image by Joshua Holko that was a finalist in the polar category. This one shows a pair of polar bears in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard 

American photographer Brent Leftwich was a finalist in the polar category with this striking shot of a pair of penguins on King George Island off the Antarctic Peninsula 

Marco Marcone from Italy was named a finalist in the portrait of adventure category thanks to this fascinating image he snapped on the Yamal Peninsula in Siberia. It shows a lady belonging to the area’s indigenous Nenets people, who are known for breeding reindeer 

This beautiful, yet spooky, underwater snap was a finalist in the portrait of adventure category and was taken by Australian photographer Kerrie Burrows. It shows a diver exploring a shipwreck off the coast of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea 

A stunning black-and-white image called ‘In The Glacier’ that was a finalist in the portrait of adventure category. It was taken by a photographer only known as Marella 

This haunting image of a tree in the Garland Valley on the eastern edge of Wollemi National Park in New South Wales was taken by Peter Ogden, a photographer originally from Manchester in the UK. The image was a finalist in the scenic category 

Indian photographer Dipanjan Pal was a finalist in the scenic category with this amazing drone shot of the Icelandic landscape near Lómagnúpur – a subglacial mound that is 2,507ft (764m) high

This mystical image – a finalist in the nature category – was shot by Australian photographer Drew Hopper in the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia in New South Wales 

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