A Gold Coast photographer has been named a finalist in a global competition which attracted more than 15,000 entries.
Clayton Harris’s image was a standout in the Wildlife category of the Oceanographic Magazine’s Ocean Photographer of the Year competition.
His photograph of a breaching humpback whale during its east coast migration will go up against 11 other category finalists, with the winner to be named in London on September 12.
In his submission Mr Harris described the say he went out to sea to “catch a glimpse of these majestic ocean travellers”.
“All of a sudden, an inquisitive juvenile surfaced near the boat, followed by this fully grown humpback whale lunging from the depths.
“It towered above us, in what can only be described as the most incredible display of power by an animal.”
All finalists will be featured in an exhibition at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney from November 28.
Museum Director and CEO Ms Daryl Karp said the Museum used the backdrop of World Photography Day (August19) to announce the exhibition.
Ms Karp said the images highlighted both the beauty and the tragedy that existed beyond the ocean’s surface and showcased some of the finest professional and amateur photographers selected across 10 categories.
She said more than 15,000 images were submitted from around the world by planet’s best ocean photographers.
“Coastal, drone and underwater images reveal the wonder of the ocean, and the many challenges it faces.”
Ms Karp said all finalists’ images would be displayed in the exhibition, including the six Australian finalists.
“We again will create an exhibition which showcases the extraordinary talents of the Ocean Photographer of the Year finalists and provide a platform for photographers to tell their powerful and compelling water stories.”
