Tag: Photo Competition

An Announcement With Nothing to Look At

16th August 2026
PhotographyWildlife
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The image shows a woman with curly blonde hair and glasses, wearing a light-colored, collared shirt and a dark green jacket tied around her waist. She is smiling warmly and looking down at a koala she is holding securely in her arms.

I’m so excited to announce that two of my photographs are finalists in the Swedish photography championship 2026 (SM i Fotografi 2026 in Swedish) in the nature and wildlife category. This means they’re among the top ten wildlife photos in Sweden this year. I still need to pinch myself!

I would love to show you the pictures, but unfortunately, I’m not allowed to yet. All images are kept under wraps until the results are announced on October 3rd. Until then, I’ll be the person cheerfully going on about two pictures I can’t let you see. This may be the least visual post I’ve ever published: an announcement with nothing to look at. I’ll post the photos as soon as I can afterward.

Screenshot of the Swedish photography championship e-mail announcement
Screenshot of the Swedish photography championship finalists list in the Wildlife category

(In the meantime, here are the announcement e-mail and the finalists list in the Wildlife category.)

This is the first year I entered this prestigious competition, organized by the Swedish Portrait Photographers Association. My goal was to score well on all photos (a few points above the professional photographer level) and, as a stretch goal, have one photo in the print final. Above all, I was going to participate to learn the ropes and be better next year. So, I’m pleased with the results since I’ve already reached my goals. Anything beyond these is a bonus. I may have had more photos in the final, actually, since every photographer is allowed only two photos in the print final in one category. I had submitted six. (I’m going to allow myself a small, undignified moment of pride about that.)

In the print final, photos are judged by looking at the actual prints, mounted on a wall and lit the same way as everyone else’s, not by how they look on a screen. That means the next few weeks are all about the careful details: picking the right paper, making test prints, measuring everything exactly, and checking every corner for tiny flaws a judge might spot up close. It’s not as exciting as taking the photos, and honestly, it’s not as fun either. But I’m looking forward to the prize ceremony and the party afterward!

If you’re so inclined, please keep your fingers crossed for me. Thank you!

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Shortlisted for the 2025 Pangolin Photo Challenge

7th March 2026
PhotographyWildlife
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Two boxing Kangaroo Island kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus), silhouetted against a warm, golden-orange background during sunset.

Some news made my day last week, and I could not wait to share it with you.

My photo of two boxing Kangaroo Island kangaroos at sunset has been shortlisted for the grand prize in the 2025 Pangolin Photo Challenge, in the “Out of Africa” category. 

I took this photo on Kangaroo Island, South Australia, during the golden hour just before sunset. The light that evening was extraordinary: thick and amber, turning everything it touched into fire. Two young males were sparring in the long dry grass, completely absorbed in each other, and I remember thinking: do not move, do not breathe, just let it happen. The backlight caught the fine fur along their silhouettes and the dust rising from the ground, and for a few seconds the whole scene became something closer to a painting than a photograph. This is one of my favourite images from that trip, and honestly, one of my favourites ever.

The kangaroos are Kangaroo Island kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus), a subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroo found only on Kangaroo Island. Centuries of isolation from the mainland have made them distinctly their own: shorter, darker, with a richness of fur that the mainland populations do not have. And considerably cuter, in my entirely unbiased opinion.

The Pangolin Photo Challenge draws entries from photographers around the world, and the standard is genuinely high. To be shortlisted for the grand prize is both humbling and quietly thrilling: the kind of news you read twice before you believe it.

Thank you to everyone who has followed this journey and supported my work. It means more than I can say. I hope this photo does what I always hope my wildlife images will do: make you stop for a moment, look at these animals, and feel something worth holding onto.

Related Posts

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

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Pangolin Photo Challenge: Good News!

3rd March 2025
PhotographyWildlife
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Boxing kangaroos at sunset

I’m thrilled to announce that my photo of these boxing young Kangaroo Island kangaroos was a finalist in the 2024 Pangolin Wildlife Photography Challenge‘s “Out of Africa” category.

I captured this photo while on a trip to Kangaroo Island, a beautiful and unique place in South Australia. It is one of my absolute favorite photos of the year, and it’s an honor to have it recognized among so many beautiful entries.

The kangaroos in the photo are Kangaroo Island kangaroos, a subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus). Because of their long period of isolation from mainland Australia, the KI kangaroos are pretty different from the Western Grey kangaroos. They’re shorter, darker, and much cuter if you ask me!

I’m thrilled to have made it among the finalists. There were so many talented photographers and beautiful photos submitted. I’m honored to be included among them. Thanks to everyone who supported me!

I hope this photo helps remind people of how important it is to protect and preserve our wildlife and helps to raise awareness and appreciation for these amazing animals. Every animal has a unique story and deserves to be appreciated and respected.

Related Posts

Love my work? Support my journey by buying me a coffee or sharing it on your preferred social network. And don’t forget to swing by my online shop to check out my latest prints and gifts. Thank you 🙏 !

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My First Photo Contest (and the Result)

24th March 2024
PhotographyWildlife
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Kangaroo Island kangaroo and joey

I’m thrilled to announce that my photo of this adorable Kangaroo Island kangaroo and her joey was a finalist in the 2023 Pangolin Wildlife Photography Challenge‘s “Animal Behaviour” category.

I captured this photo while on a trip to Kangaroo Island, a beautiful and unique place in South Australia. It is my absolute favorite photo of the year, and it’s an honor to have it recognized among so many beautiful entries.

Watching the mother take care of her little one was amazing; they had such a special bond! Witnessing moments like these is what makes wildlife photography so special to me.

The kangaroos in the photo are Kangaroo Island kangaroos, a subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus). Because of their long period of isolation from mainland Australia, the KI kangaroos are pretty different from the Western Grey kangaroos. They’re shorter, darker, and much cuter if you ask me!

Kangaroo Island kangaroo and joey, photo entered in the Pangolin photo contest

This was my first time entering a photo contest, and I’m thrilled to have made it among the finalists. So many talented photographers and beautiful photos were submitted, and I’m honored to be included among them. Thanks to everyone who supported me!

I hope this photo helps remind people of how important it is to protect and preserve our wildlife and helps to raise awareness and appreciation for these amazing animals. Every animal has a unique story and deserves to be appreciated and respected.

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Here are all the finalists; my photo is at 5:31 minutes in the video. And on the video cover 😉.

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The Zone: No. 7 – Nov 26, 2020

26th November 2020
BooksThe Zone
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  1. Welcome To The Zone!
  2. The Zone: No. 2 – Oct 22, 2020
  3. The Zone: No. 3 – Oct 29, 2020
  4. The Zone: No.4 – Nov 5, 2020
  5. The Zone: No. 5 – Nov 12, 2021
  6. The Zone: No. 6 – Nov 19, 2020
  7. The Zone: No. 7 – Nov 26, 2020
  8. The Zone: No. 8 – Dec 3, 2020
  9. The Zone: No. 9 – Dec 10, 2020
  10. The Zone: No. 10 – Dec 17, 2020
  11. The Zone: No. 11, Dec 31, 2020 – Special Edition
  12. The Zone: No. 12 – Jan 7, 2020
  13. The Zone: No. 13 – Jan 14, 2020
  14. The Zone: No. 14 – Jan 21, 2020
  15. The Zone: No. 15 – Jan 28, 2020
  16. The Zone: No. 16 – Feb 4, 2020
  17. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!

Amazon’s Best Books list, the darkest human-made substance in the world, the Simon & Schuster sale, a German shepherd howling with wolves, and more. The Zone no. 7 is here.

November means that “Best Of” lists are released. Amazon’s Best Books of 2020 list is a good place to start looking for Christmas gifts. I sent Santa the list below; I hope he’ll find my chimney.

Close up of an Eel Larva, a photo by Galice Hoarau.
Galice Hoarau | Eel Larva. Close-up Photographer of the Year
Overall winner & Animals winner
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  • Vantablack, the darkest human-made substance in the world, absorbs 99.96% of the visible light. A coating of carbon nanotubes, it’s so black that the human eye can’t quite make sense of what it is seeing.
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A Quote I’m Pondering

What will your life have been, in the end, but the sum total of everything you spent it focusing on?

Oliver Burkeman (b.1975)

I’m finding myself more and more distracted these days. No wonder, considering what 2020 brought us. Still, life has to go on and attention to be re-gained. I’m soldiering on.

From My Photo Archives

A woman in red bathing suit swims in a swimming pool at the Bondi Icebergs club in Sydney, Australia. Photo by Mihaela Limberea.
Swimming at Bondi Icebergs Club. December 2019, Sydney, Australia. A world ago as it seems.

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To read more The Zone posts, click here.