THE winners of Port Stephens in Print, the annual photography competition dedicated to showcasing the beauty of our region, have officially been announced.
During a special opening night held at Soldiers Point Bowling Club, Lion Studios showcased the many entries and announced the top participants, selected by a panel of judges.
The winners of the five categories were as follows:
– Junior: Emilee Hillman with Honeysucker
– Wildlife: Greg West with Blue-Banded Bachelor
– Urban: Jennifer Newman with Perspective Shift – The Game Fish Club
– Landscape: Natalie Poole with Bathing in Amber
– Open: Jennifer Newman with Martini Magic
Additionally, Andrew Irish was crowned the winner of the People’s Choice Award with Sunset Camel Rides at Birubi.
Port Stephens in Print is now in its third year, and received double the number of entries that it had in 2025.
Participation was open to everyone, regardless of age, experience and technique, with newcomers able to have their works exhibited alongside seasoned photographers.
“I started when I was a kid, and then I drifted off and I didn’t do any,” explained Ms Newman. “I was an optometrist, so I had lots of experience with lenses and mathematics.”
Ms Newman’s piece, Martini Magic, impressed the judges with its technical execution, while her other winning entry was appreciated for its intriguing quality and strong use of colour.
Mr West’s picture was described as “both technical and emotional”. To capture all the details of a bee, he had to go out early in the morning and take around 30 photos that he then merged together.
Ms Poole explained how her winning photograph broke with conventions.
“I didn’t worry about the seagulls being in the picture,” she said. “A lot of landscape photographers will go ‘oh no, you can’t have that in the shot.’ I liked [using] a low shutter speed, getting the movement of the seagulls.”
The judges also had words of praise for the young photographer Emilee Hillman, unfortunately not present during the opening night. Judges highlighted her excellent use of depth of field.
The exhibition at Soldiers Point Bowling Club was only on display across the weekend, but the winning canvases are on display at Lion Studios, where they will remain for the rest of the month.
By Nico LOMBARDO
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