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NewScientist Photographs 2006
Steven SiewertThis image is from a series celebrating the sport of pigeon
racing. It shows the release, early in the morning, of thousands of
bird at a point three hours drive from Sydney. By midday, most of the
birds had safely returned to their Sydney lofts. The pigeon’s ability
to retrace their way home, using an internal navigational compass,
continues to baffle science.
Published in the Good Weekend, The Sydney Morning Herald on 19 November 2005
Lindsay Moller
This image shows an awe-inspiring example of nature's raw power
and strength, as Cyclone Wati whips the Pacific Ocean into a 4-metre
swell on Australia's east coast. The photograph reveals a lone surfer
riding these massive walls of water at Sydney’s Tamarama Beach.
Published in The Australian on 29 March 2006
Michael Amendolia
This image is part of a series on the recent discovery of what is
believed to be the largest collection of Pleistocene Human and hominid
fossil footprints in the world, in the Willandra Lakes region of
western New South Wales. Scientists believe the 460 footprints,
estimated to be 19, 000 to 23,000 years old, offer a unique glimpse
into the anatomy and behaviour of humans living in the arid inland area
of Australia during the height of the last glacial period.
Published in TIME Pacific on 27 March 2006
Raoul Slater
This stirring photograph shows a Galah feather lying on the
cracked mud of a drying creek bed - a scene so perfect that it looks
manipulated and not the random result of the relentless cycle of life
and death, rain and drought. The photographer was moved to capture this
scene by the sweet colour harmonies, and the way the main crack in the
mud formed a loop around the feather. Rather that showing the cycle of
life as circular, this photo hints at nature’s true trajectory.
Published in Wingspan in Winter 2005
Mick Tsikas
This photograph shows the magnitude and ferocity of a raging
bushfire and the powerlessness of humanity at the whim of nature’s
unpredictability. On New Year’s Day 2006, New South Wales was in the
grip of soaring temperatures. Sydney recorded its hottest day since
1939, with a maximum of 45.2°C. Just after lunch, a series of bushfires flared up in the Central Coast, north of Sydney.
Published in The Australian on 2 January 2006
David Kelly
This photograph tells the story of a region on the New South
Wales/Queensland border involved in a water war - where cotton growers,
graziers and the natural environment compete for this precious
resource. To portray the desperation of the situation, the photograph
shows a local farmer who had to drive13km onto his neighbour’s property
to suck up bore water from an open drain for use as his house water. He
is a small figure against a parched landscape.
One of a series of photographs published in QWeekend Magazine, Courier Mail on 5 November 2005
Barry Slade
This image depicts the mystery and power of Kunjarra, a ceremonial
site of Warumungu people of the Northern Territory. The photograph
shows an outstanding example of laminar flow amongst the clouds, as air
currents of different density - generated from distant thunderstorm
cells - collide over the granite boulders. The result is a stirring
image that captures the unique indigenous quality of the Australian
landscape.
Published in The Bulletin on 10 to 16 May 2005
Bill Bachman
This photograph illustrates an unconventional surveying method
used by the Australian Geographic Society’s scientific expedition in
the Daly River region of the Northern Territory. Over 12 days, a group
of 30 scientists and volunteers surveyed the region's native fauna,
including crocodiles, turtles, freshwater sharks and rays and a variety
of small mammals. The picture shows a “lickalator” - a device that
imitates a wallaby drinking - being set up beside a blow up wallaby to
test whether crocodiles pick up vibrations to locate prey. (The next
morning the blow up wallaby had been bitten almost in half!)
Published in Australian Geographic in July 2005 and Club Marine in December 2005
Simon O’Dwyer
This moving photograph captures the fragility and beauty of the
Murray River under moonlight. The image accompanied a major feature
that explored the impact of climate change on Australia’s natural
icons, published in The Age to coincide with CSIRO’s International Climate Change Conference.
One of a series published in The Age from 14 to 18 November 2005