The Australian Museum in Sydney is once again hosting one of the most captivating exhibitions of the year, the 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year (AGNPY).
Opening on 25 October, this free exhibition offers a stunning visual journey through the natural world, showcasing the beauty, resilience, and challenges of ecosystems across Australia and the Pacific.
Drawing parallels to the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at London’s Natural History Museum, the AGNPY similarly celebrates the art of nature photography while highlighting the urgent need for conservation. Both exhibitions serve as powerful reminders of the interconnectedness of life on Earth and the role photography plays in inspiring action.
A timeline of ecological change
This year’s AGNPY exhibition marks a significant milestone, featuring a retrospective of the past 20 years of winning images alongside this year’s finalists. This unique collection creates a visual timeline of ecological transformation, documenting the impact of climate change, habitat loss, and human activity on the natural world. From thriving coral reefs to threatened species, the images tell stories of both beauty and fragility.
Kim McKay AO, Director and CEO of the Australian Museum, emphasises the exhibition’s role in fostering a deeper connection to nature. “Each photograph shares a moment of wild beauty and invites us to reflect on our place within it,” she says. “This year’s exhibition not only showcases dramatic landscapes and wildlife but also the technological advancements that have transformed nature photography over the past two decades.”
This retrospective approach mirrors the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition in London, which also uses photography to document the evolving relationship between humans and the environment. Both exhibitions underscore the importance of observing and preserving the natural world, offering visitors a front-row seat to its power and vulnerability.
This year’s winner: finding beauty in fragility
The 2025 AGNPY title was awarded to Ross Gudgeon for his mesmerising image, Fractal Forest. Capturing the intricate patterns of cauliflower soft coral beneath Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait, the photograph highlights the fragility of marine ecosystems in the face of warming waters. Gudgeon’s innovative use of backlighting and perspective transforms an often-overlooked subject into a work of art, reminding viewers that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.
Showcasing resilience and adaptation
Selected from 1,864 entries across 18 countries, this year’s finalists tell compelling stories of resilience and adaptation. Highlights include:
- Red Dawn by Etienne Littlefair (NT): A ghost bat in flight at sunrise, symbolising the plight of one of Australia’s most elusive and vulnerable predators.
- Skink in a Tight Spot by Sara Corlis (NSW): A garden skink wedged between bricks, a striking image of wildlife adapting to urbanisation.
- PJ & Crabs by Charles Davis (NSW): A Port Jackson shark gliding over moulting spider crabs, capturing a rarely documented marine phenomenon.
- The Beast by Darren Wassell (QLD): A lightning bolt splitting the horizon, reflecting the intensifying extremes of weather.
These images, much like those featured in London’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year, go beyond aesthetics to tell stories of survival, adaptation, and the delicate balance of ecosystems under pressure.
A call to action through photography
Both the AGNPY and Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibitions share a common goal: to inspire action through the power of photography. By showcasing the beauty and fragility of the natural world, these exhibitions encourage visitors to reflect on their role in conservation. The Australian Geographic Society is furthering this mission by unveiling five new conservation initiatives, aimed at protecting the region’s most vulnerable ecosystems.
For those inspired to explore nature photography themselves, the Australian Museum is offering workshops led by award-winning photographer Angela Robertson-Buchanan. These sessions provide hands-on experience with ethical wildlife photography techniques, making them perfect for budding photographers.
Visit now.
The 2025 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition runs from 25 October 2025 to 15 February 2026 at the Australian Museum in Darlinghurst, NSW. Entry is free, making it an unmissable experience for nature lovers and photography enthusiasts alike.
For more information, visit australian.museum/exhibition/agnpy-2025/. Whether you’re captivated by crocodiles, coral, or kangaroos, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to witness the beauty and fragility of the natural world through the eyes of its most talented storytellers.