Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographer 2021: Winners, Runners-up and Finalists

Carole Mills Noronha was named the overall winner, Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographer 2021. She won both the Portrait and Documentary categories. Voting in the final round to determine Australasia's Top Emering Photographer from the portfolio winners of the various categories also placed her as the overall runner-up of the compeition. A huge congratulations to all the other category winners, runners-up, and finalists – all of whom are listed below.

Along with the highly coveted title of Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographer 2021, Noronha takes home the grand prize – a Fujifilm X-T4 and XF18-135mm lens valued at $4,578, as well as a Fujifilm X100V valued at $2,349 for being named overall runner-up, courtesy of our major sponsor, Fujifilm.

Third place overall went to Graeme Gordon, winner of the Open category. He also won the Architecture category.

In 2021 the total prize pool for Australasia’s Top Emerging Photographers was worth over $30,000, with more than $21,000 in prizes from our category sponsors and cash prizes of $9,000.

Capture's May-July 2021 issue, showcased 128 entries from the competition.

OVERALL WINNER AND RUNNER-UP

Overall winner: Carole Mills Noronha
Overall runner-up: Carole Mills Noronha

© Carole Mills Noronha. Australasia's Top Emerging Photographer 2021, and winner of the Portrait category.

MAJOR SPONSOR: Fujifilm

ANIMAL

© Louise Wolbers. Winner, Animal category, Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2021.

Winner: Louise Wolbers
Runner-up: Stephane Thomas

First prize: BenQ SW240 24.1-inch Photographer Monitor valued at $799 plus $1,000.
Runner-up prize: Fujifilm XF10 valued at $799.
Category sponsor: BenQ

Top 20

1. Louise Wolbers – Frogs
2. Stephane Thomas – Maine Coons
3. Daniel Towns – Beast in the Black Water
4. Prithvi Bhattacharya – Guardians Of The Ocean
4. Analisa Corr – The little things
6. Ashlee Karas – Rising Turtles
7. David Chesterfield – Robber Fly - macro
7. Lewis Burnett – Deep Blue
7. Jordan Robins – Tales of The Turtle
10. Renee Doyle – Birds of the Rain Forest
11. Brendan Byrne – Poser Bear - King of the North
11. Analisa Corr – Another World
13. Jari Cornelis – A Land of Dragons
14. Carol Hancock – Resilience
14. Christina Mcilroy – Screamin' Cockatoo
14. Deb Ford – The little things
17. Jake Wilton – Marine Mammals
18. Anouska Freedman – The Big Blue and its animals
19. Amy Loffler – Great Egret at Sunrise
19. Sheree Allsop – Stylish in any colour
19. Jannico Kelk – Life In The Red

ARCHITECTURE

© Graeme Gordon. Winner, Architecture category, Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2021.

Winner: Graeme Gordon
Runner-up: Graeme Gordon

First prize: WD My Passport SSD 2TB Drive valued at $629 plus $1,000.
Runner-up prize: Fujifilm XF10 valued at $799.
Category sponsor: WD

Top 15

1. Graeme Gordon – The new the old and the unusual
2. Graeme Gordon – The wonders of the UAE
3. Ruth Woodrow – Melbourne Facades
4. Kathy Wallace – More Colours than Green
4. Ruth Woodrow – Melbourne Curves
4. Clement Chua – Wafer House
4. John Twiname – Upstairs Downstairs
8. Kathy Wallace – Within Without
9. Susi Nodding – WA Museum Boola Bardip
9. Steve Day – Aspects
9. Cameron Meacham – The Cube
9. Dani Watson – InfraRed Architecture
9. Liz Barker – Pollux Frankfurt
14. Bala Krishnan – Elizabeth Bay House
14. Rosie Steggles – Law House Series

ART

© Renee Doyle. Winner, Art category, Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2021.

Winner: Renee Doyle
Runner-up: CC Herkes

First prize: Spicers pack including Hahnemühle paper stock valued at $500, printing at Image Science Melbourne valued at $500, plus $1,000.
Runner-up prize: Fujifilm XF10 valued at $799.
Category sponsor: Spicers

BLACK & WHITE

© Jacqueline Hammer. Winner, Black & White category, Australasia's Top Emerging
Photographers 2021.

Winner: Jacqueline Hammer
Runner-up: Todd R. Brewer

Category prize: EIZO ColorEdge CG2420 24.1-inch monitor valued at $2,600 plus $1,000.
Category sponsor: EIZO

DOCUMENTARY

© Carole Mills Norohna. Overall runner-up, Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2021,
and winner of the Documentary category.

Winner: Carole Mills Noronha
Runner-up: Dania Watson

Overall runner-up prize: Fujifilm X100V valued at $2,349.
First prize: SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD (2TB) valued at $649 plus $1,000.
Runner-up prize: Fujifilm XF10 valued at $799.
Category sponsor: SanDisk
Major sponsor: Fujifilm

Top 20

1. Carole Mills Noronha – Room 78
2. Dania Watson – This is Birth: The Power in Connection
3. Shelley Reis – A Day in the Life of a Summer Holiday
4. Sam Ferris – Strange Days/Strange Daze
5. Dania Watson – The Birth That Was Beautiful
6. Kwok Tan – Borrowed Time
6. Sandra Sanders – Wild Suburbia
6. Nicholas Walton-Healey – Cookey
9. Gem Clipsham – Home Play
10. Ruth Woodrow – Havana Streets
10. Alice Mariette – Documenting Summer
10. Chelsea Morrigan – Transition
13. Ben Reynolds – A Portrait of Cars
14. Nadja Arold – A day in the life of a sock
14. Steve Womersley – A Black Summer
14. Rosa Veale Woods – Black Lives Matter Wellington
14. Ing Phoenix – A Dog's Life
18. Kwok Tan – The Sundowners
18. Rosemary Featherstone – JUMOO
18. Jade Soldati – Paradise Beach

LANDSCAPE

© Barbara Brown. Winner, Landscape category, Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2021.

Winner: Barbara Brown
Runner-up: Ashlee Karas

First prize: NiSi 100mm Advanced Kit Third Generation III with V6 holder and Landscape
CPL valued at $1,699 plus $1,000.
Runner-up prize: Fujifilm XF10 valued at $799.
Category sponsor: NiSi

Top 20

1. Barbara Brown – Salt Lake Abstracts
2. Ashlee Karas – Beneath the Surface
3. David Dahlenburg – Diamantina River Abstracts
4. Martin Pippen – Mocean
5. Paul Dodd – Melbourne from the Air
6. Jane Howie – BLURRED
7. Nilusha Wanasinghe – Flat lay trees
7. Julien Visse – A Journey in The Rockies
9. Graeme Gordon – From the mountains to the farm to the sea
9. Cheryl Waring – Snow gums in thaw
11. Christine Goerner – Mountain Ash
12. Chandra Bong – Edge of Australia
12. David Dahlenburg – Lake Frome Mining Remnants
12. David Dahlenburg – Aerial Abstracts
12. Amber Cree – A Saltwater Elixir
12. Graham Earnshaw – Raw Iceland
17. Niall Chang – Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California
17. David Dahlenburg – Salt Lake Pastels
19. Darren Hannaford – My Peace
20. Jeff Freestone – Ancestor's of the Alpine

OPEN

© Graeme Gordon. Winner, Open category, Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2021.

Winner: Graeme Gordon
Runner-up: Ruth Woodrow

First prize: 12-month subscription to Capture magazine plus $1,000
Runner-up prize: Fujifilm XF10 valued at $799.
Category sponsor: Cyclorama Projects

Top 20

1. Graeme Gordon – Imagine
2. Ruth Woodrow – Melbourne Arts Precinct
3. Gemma Wouters – The 1960s
4. Luke David – Constructed Landscape
5. Odell Harris – Life of a Surf Photographer
6. Kerrie Burow – The ex-HMAS Brisbane Wreck
6. Graham Earnshaw – Lake Life
6. Douglas Porter – Of the Land
9. Michelle Knight – River Braids
9. Paul Dodd – Melbourne Buildings
9. Graeme Gordon – Outer Space
12. Odell Harris – Another Realm
13. Bao Luong – Circle of the moon
13. Amelia Fitzgerald – Fun Guys of Australia
15. Ketut Suwitra – Backyard macro
15. Joshua Hannah – Dais-y Like These
17. Matthew Portch – Kalah
17. Dennis Rickard – Movement
19. Kearnan Murphy – Ocean
19. Stanley Aryanto – Me, Myself and I
19. Jacqueline Hammer – CitizenM Staircase

PORTRAIT

© Carole Mills Noronha. Australasia's Top Emerging Photographer 2021, and winner of the
Portrait category.

Winner: Carole Mills Noronha
Runner-up: Bas van Est

Overall winner prize: Fujifilm X-T4 and XF 18-135mm lens valued at $4,578.
First prize: $400 gift voucher from StudioWorks, plus $1,000.
Runner-up prize: Fujifilm XF10 valued at $799.
Category sponsor: Cyclorama Projects
Major sponsor: Fujifilm

Top 20

1. Carole Mills Noronha – Family Heirlooms
2. Bas van Est – Adonis at home
3. Ruth Woodrow – Paul in Isolation
3. Gerrie Mifsud – Fine Art Children's Portraits
3. Kate Flowers – Muse and memoirs
6. Kate Lionis – Baptism
6. Bernard Taylor – Death Suspending Dreams
6. Claudia Caporn – Women Of The Land
9. Kate Lionis – The Root of All things
10. Mariana Zilbershteyn – Saaya
11. Aaron Lee Noyes – Giovanni
11. Joy Augustyn – Stitches
13. Mariana Zilbershteyn – Inside Out
13. Chantel Bann – Inside | Out
15. Kristyn Taylor – Kolkata Boys
15. Letitia Green – Mixed In Isolation Portraiture
15. Claira Whipp – Childhood Portraits
15. Amber Botterill – Pieces of Us
15. Mel Branson – JUST US
15. Jacqueline Lukowski – A Girl and Her Doll
15. Karima Asaad – Finally Free

SINGLE SHOT

© Lucy & Sarah. Winner, Single Shot – Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2021.

Winner: Sarah & Lucy Jenkins
Runner-up: Carrie Jones

First prize: Photo consultation with Sally Brownbill from The Brownbill Effect valued at $440 plus $1,000.
Runner-up prize: Fujifilm XF10 valued at $799.
Category sponsor: The Brownbill Effect

Top 20

1. Lucy & Sarah Jenkins – It's Called Compromise
2. Carrie Jones – Becoming
3. Jacqueline Lukowski – As One
4. Gemma Wouters – The Family Pet
5. Ruth Woodrow – Melbourne in Isolation
6. Jacqueline Hammer – Heading Along
7. Richard Sydenham – Room 48
8. Louise Faulkner – The Baths
8. Sasha Mortimore – Because of Her We Can
10. Diny Jones – It's a long way to the top!
11. Peter Holton – The Maharajaha's Book Keeper
11. Tim Elwin – Young Anzac
13. Karen Sharman – BLUE GIRL GREEN
14. Victoria McNeill – Untitled
15. Polly Fenton – Nagudo
16. Daniel Browne – Cleaning Time
16. Daniel Browne – Pregnant Manta
16. Alan Davis – Sunset Silhouettes
19. Dani Watson – Inspired
19. Jessica Wiseman – Tyrrell

2021 JUDGING PANEL

Australasia's Top Emerging Photographers 2021 was judged by some of the world's foremost professional photographers and industry leaders.

Abigail Varney – abigailvarney.com
Adam Ferguson – adamfergusonstudio.com
Adrian Cook – www.adriancookphotography.com
Alex Cearns – www.houndstoothstudio.com.au
Anthony KcKee – www.anthonymckee.com.au
Art Streiber – www.artstreiber.com
Ashley Gilbertson – www.ashleygilbertson.com
Belinda Richards – www.frogdogstudios.com.au
Cade Martin – www.cademartin.com
Daniel Berehulak – www.danielberehulak.com
Ed Kashi – www.edkashi.com
Gary Knight – www.garyknight.org
Greg Gorman – www.gormanphotography.com
Ignacio Palacios – www.iptravelphotography.com.au
Jason Ierace – www.jasonierace.com
John Gollings – www.gollings.com.au
John Stanmeyer – www.stanmeyer.com
Leah King-Smith – staff.qut.edu.au/staff/l.king-smith
Michael Cook – www.michaelcook.net.au
Michael Grecco – www.michaelgrecco.com
Mridula Amin – www.mridulaamin.com
Paul Hoelen – www.paulhoelen.com
Paula Bronstein – paulaphoto.com
Ponch Hawkes – www.ponchhawkes.com
Rachel Mounsey – rachelmounsey.com.au
Randal Ford – www.randalford.com
Renée C. Byer – www.reneecbyer.com
Richard Wood – www.richardwood.co.nz
Robert Coppa – www.robertcoppa.com
Sally Brownbill – www.thebrownbilleffect.com
Sarah Rhodes – www.sarahrhodes.com
Sean Izzard – www.seanizzard.com
Steve Wise – www.27creative.com.au
Tajette O’Halloran – www.tajetteohalloran.com
Tim Griffith – www.timgriffith.com
Tony Hewitt – www.tonyhewitt.com
William Long – www.longshots.com.au