The Capture Awards: 2025 Winners Announced
We are thrilled to showcase the brilliant vision of Australia’s and New Zealand’s finest professional photographers and emerging photographers at The Capture Awards.
The entries were incredibly varied: mesmerising, reflective, significant, fresh, deeply moving, and witty. A heartfelt thanks goes to every single person who submitted their images for consideration.
Now in its third year, the competition attracted more than 1,400 entries over the six categories: Advertising & Fashion, Documentary & Street, Landscape & Environment, Portrait & People, Wedding & Event, and Art & Conceptual.
This year, winners and runners-up share in a prize pool of more than $25,000, including $10,000 in cash prizes.
Category winners receive $2,000 cash and up to $1,000 worth of prizes from our partners as well. The exception is Landscape & Environment that wins an OM SYSTEM OM-3 camera valued at $3,199, M.Zuiko 8-25mm F4.0 PRO lens valued at $1,699, M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II lens valued at $649, M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 II lens valued at $599, plus a Pelican 1535 Air Carry-on Case with Padded dividers valued at $805.
Great thanks go to all our partners: OM SYSTEM, Godox, Kudos Cameras, Pelican, Western Digital, Gigabyte, Aftershoot, Wonderful, H&Y and FLM.
Without their incredible generosity and commitment to supporting Australian photographers, competitions like this would not be possible.
Also, a huge thank you to the talented photographers and industry experts who comprised this year’s panel: Barbara de Vries, Claire Droppert, Dimpy Bhalotia, Joas Souza, Karen Ishiguro, Mariska Karto, Michael Wayne Plant, Paul Blackmore, Sean Fryxell, Yan Zhang and Dougie Wallace.
We highly recommend visiting their websites to see some of their incredible and inspiring work!
We have published the winners and runners-up below, but you can see more images from the competition in the latest issue of Capture, including the Top 15 finalists from each category. The magazine will be available in print for subscribers (and in select newsstands) in the coming days. You can also get the digital version of the magazine at Zinio.com now.
You can subscribe to Capture here. Please note that subscribing would start from the following issue (not this current issue with Capture Awards results). However, if you did wish to purchase this particular issue (Capture Summer 2025/26) and are unable to find it at your local newsstand, you can phone 1800 807 760 to obtain a copy while stocks last.
You can see the winners and runners-up across each of the six categories below. Congratulations to the winners and thank you to everyone who entered.
PEOPLE & PORTRAIT
Bec Lorrimer, 'Samuel' – Winner, Portrait & People, The Capture Awards 2025.
WINNER: Bec Lorrimer – Samuel
Bec Lorrimer is an Australian portrait photographer working internationally. Her practice is focused on creating positive, empowering representations of diverse subjects, aiming to amplify their stories by capturing their authentic spirit and personality.
This commitment to authentic connection has earned her significant recognition. In 2025, Bec was a finalist in the Martin Kantor Portrait Prize and a semi-finalist in the Head On Photo Awards. This followed her selection as a finalist in the 2022 National Portrait Gallery Photographic Portrait Prize. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Australia and the USA, and featured in prominent publications such as The Guardian, Vogue Australia, and W Magazine.
A powerful example of her approach is her ongoing collaboration with Sierra Leonean-Australian multidisciplinary artist Samuel Barrie. Barrie, a dynamic creator working across music, art, poetry, and modelling, has been photographed by Lorrimer multiple times. Bec finds that this continued relationship deepens the portraiture experience, strengthening the ‘connection, understanding and openness to experimentation’ between artist and subject. This portrait, which captures Barrie’s authentic spirit, was taken during a shoot for the fashion brand LE Studio.
Web: www.beclorrimer.com
Instagram: @bec_lorrimer
Prize: $2,000 cash, plus Godox AD600PRO II TTL Flash With lithium ion battery valued at $1,345.
Franziska Link, 'Between Worlds' – Runner-up Portrait & People, The Capture Awards 2025.
RUNNER-UP: Franziska Link – Between Worlds
Based in Sydney, Australia, Franziska Link is a cinematographer and photographer whose work has been published in many publications around the world including National Geographic. She cares deeply for the wild places in their stories – the oceans, mountains, and open spaces that give us life. She feels that protecting them is not just a responsibility but a privilege. In the same way, she is drawn to stories of people who live authentically, who embrace their truth with courage and vulnerability. Her work is, in its own way, a call to honour both – the earth that sustains us and the inner landscapes that make us human.
"Under the wide arms of an ancient tree stands a Sikerei – a Mentawai shaman who is, quiet, grounded, and present," says Franziska. His machete is a companion, shaped by years of respect for the land and nature as well as the animals that cohabit the jungle in remote Indonesia.
"The forest around him feels alive, a spiritual ally in his survival. In this stillness, we’re reminded that we are part of nature, not seperate from it. And in remembering that, we begin to return to ourselves."
Instagram: @franziskalink_
Prize: 12-month subscription to Aftershoot’s Essentials Plan, valued at $240 each.
1. Bec Lorrimer – Samuel
2. Franziska Link – Between Worlds
3. Karen Waller – The Nature of Beauty
4. Peter Rossi – BAPA 1915
5. Jeremee Slattery – When the Man Becomes a Boy
6. Ellie O’Grady – The Barefoot Artist of Kastellorizo
7. Heidi Margocsy – On Purpose
8. Lindsay Keats – Coal Mines, India
9. Fiona Bowring – Silent, Not Silenced
10. Peter Rossi – Eyes on the Rising Oceans
11. Carole Mills Noronha – Framed Turkanan Boy
12. Daniele Mazzarella – 7 Degrees
13. Craig Mitchell – On Call, 4:25am
14. Kirsty Halliday – The Golden Years
15. Lucia Staykov – Teenage Emotions
DOCUMENTARY & STREET
Chris Hopkins, 'The Disruption of Land Forces' – Winner, Documentary & Street, The Capture Awards 2025.
WINNER: Chris Hopkins – The Disruption of Land Forces
Chris Hopkins aims to bring human rights issues to the forefront of public awareness and use photography, ‘to show intimate commonalities despite our differences, to create empathy and inspire a different, more benevolent way of thinking.’
He captured this image in Melbourne in September 2024.
“The Disrupt Land Forces group, a loose coalition of anti-war and pro-Palestine groups, was protesting the Land Forces 2024 military conference in Melbourne,” says Hopkins.
“Early in the day, as the protestors blocked the doors to the conference, mounted police were used to push the protestors back before the day descended into violence. Special Operations Police, some brought in from adjoining states, used tear gas, flash bombs, capsicum spray and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. Over 110 people were arrested and some people were left with injuries from rubber bullets and police batons.”
Instagram: @cnhop
Prize: $2,000 cash, plus a Gigabyte MO27U2 27-inch 4K QD-OLED monitor, valued at $1,599.
Kerry Faulkner, 'Santovenia Home for the Aged, Havana' – Runner-up, Documentary & Street, The Capture Awards 2025.
RUNNER-UP: Kerry Faulkner – Santovenia Home for the Aged, Havana
Kerry has worked as a freelance journalist for over twelve years and recently transitioned into a full-time role in Communications. Documentary photography is both a core part of her work and a profound passion. It is the reason Kerry travels to unique locations like Cuba, a country exceptional for its culture, architecture, politics, and people. Her aim is to avoid taking stereotypical pictures, choosing instead to lend a creative lens to visual storytelling. The ultimate goal is for the viewer to feel something – empathy, sadness, or curiosity – recognising this emotional connection as the essential power of documentary photography.
This image was captured at the Santovenia Home for the Aged in Havana, Cuba, a facility operated by the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly, an order founded in Spain in 1873. Working with well-known Cuban documentary photographer Raúl Cañibano gave unlimited access to the Home.
Upon passing the laundry room, Kerry immediately recognised the scene’s potential: the quality of the light, the orderly setting, the neatly hung, pressed, plain nightgowns, and the quiet, working presence of the nun. The final photograph was a matter of careful framing to tell the story without disturbing the special elements that defined the moment.
Instagram: @kerryfaulk
Prize: 12-month subscription to Aftershoot’s Essentials Plan, valued at $240 each.
1. Chris Hopkins – The Disruption of Land Forces
2. Kerry Faulkner – Santovenia Home for the Aged, Havana
3. Nora Tounsi – Patutiki Tattoo
4. Jypsie Cronan – Motherhood Against The Elements
5. Kerry Faulkner – Captain, Captain
6. Jeffrey Smith – What a Rush!
7. Ebony Allen-Ankins – Connection in disconnection – a family-centred, cord-burning ritual
8. Stephane Thomas – Suspended Time
9. Sam Scoufos – Mickey Exit
10. Jessica Blacklow – Pool Gaggle
11. Paul Bartlett – Street Dreams
12. Sam Scoufos – Hooray for Hollywood!
13. Heather Smith – A Lone Surfer
14. Martin Keep – Arrival
15. Graham Monro – After the Muster, It’s the Processing
LANDSCAPE & ENVIRONMENT
Matty Smith, 'The Whale's Welcome' – Winner, Landscape & Environment, The Capture Awards 2025.
Matty Smith is a UK-born underwater photographer based in Newcastle, Australia. Since emigrating in 2007 to pursue his photography career, he has developed a deep connection with the Pacific Ocean, which has become both his muse and playground.
“Through underwater photography, I aim to share the awe of being beneath the waves and inspire compassion for the ocean and its inhabitants,” says Matty.
Matty’s work has been featured by BBC’s Blue Planet II, National Geographic, Ocean Geographic, BBC Wildlife Magazine, GEO, The Washington Post, The Australian, and The Guardian, among others. His images have also appeared on The Discovery Channel, Channel 9, and Channel 7. He has earned over 30 international photography awards, including the 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Underwater) from London’s Natural History Museum.
This image of a humpback whale calf was captured on the final day of a trip to the Kingdom of Tonga. The goal of the journey was to photograph a split shot — half above, half below the water, of a whale calf. On this day, everything aligned: calm seas, perfect weather, and a naturally curious calf. Beneath us, approximately ten meters below, its mother remained a patiently with a watchful presence.
Instagram: @mattysmithphoto
Prize: OM SYSTEM OM-3 camera valued at $3,199, M.Zuiko 8-25mm F4.0 PRO lens valued at $1,699, M.Zuiko 17mm F1.8 II lens valued at $649, M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 II lens valued at $599, plus a Pelican 1535 Air Carry-on Case with Padded dividers valued at $805.
Dallian Macadam, 'The Puppeteer' – Runner-up, Landscape & Environment, The Capture Awards 2025.
RUNNER-UP: Dallian Macadam – The Puppeteer
Dallian Macadam began his photography journey back in 2017, with the purchase of a DSLR. He was instantly hooked and says he feels most at home when he has a camera in his hands. It was on a recent trip to Japan that he photographed Ushiku Daibutsu, a giant Buddha statue in Ibaraki.
"I took many photos in the gardens below the statue, but the real eye opener happened on our walk back," says Dallian. "Being in a more rural area, there were giant power line towers stretching across the landscape, and that’s where I got the idea to capture them with the statue. I like that the juxtaposition of tradition and modern in this photo – also that it makes the statue look like a puppet, which is where I came up with the name for the photo, The Puppeteer.”
Instagram: @a__visual__odyssey
Prize: 12-month subscription to Aftershoot Essentials, valued at $240.
1. Matty Smith – The Whale's Welcome
2. Dallian Macadam – The Puppeteer
3. Lynn Stephens-Tait – Myrdalsjokull Glacier
4. Mieke Boynton – The Ascent
5. Tony Hewitt – Outlier
6. Alan Boyd – Explosion of Colour
7. Tori Savage – The Void
8. Jack Hochfeld – Polar bear, Svalbard, Norway
9. Karen Nomikos – Flamingos Everywhere II
10. Matty Smith – The Smiling Assassin
11. Karen Waller – Illuminate
12. David Dahlenburg – Barossa Blue Gums
13. Tony Hewitt – Nox Flore
14. Matty Smith – The Silent Roar
15. Mark Gray – Bonsai
ADVERTISING & FASHION
Kane Feaver, 'Mandarina Duck' – Winner, Advertising & Fashion, The Capture Awards 2025.
WINNER: Kane Feaver – Mandarina Duck
New Zealand-based commercial and advertising photographer Kane Feaver captured this image for the South Korean arm of Italian fashion label Mandarina Duck. “I had a blast photographing this,” he says. “We stayed really nimble and worked quickly, but it was hard to go wrong with the amazing models, wardrobe and locations we had. Australian models in the wild landscapes of New Zealand’s South Island, in the back of a classic British car – voilà!
"You have to work fast, as the whole motion crew is waiting for you while the light is fading because it’s the middle of winter, and the daylight hours are already ridiculously short.
"I’m always working on a few projects, and the connecting tissue for most of my work is isolation and things being out of place. Drama – with a touch of whimsy.”
Web: www.kanefeaver.co.nz
Instagram: @kanefeaver
Prize: $2,000 cash, WD prize pack valued at $1,500 plus a Wonderful AD-089CH 72 Litre Dry Cabinet with Digital Hygrometer valued at $484.
Forough Yavari, 'Lily of the Valley' – Runner-up, Advertising & Fashion, The Capture Awards 2025.
RUNNER-UP: Forough Yavari – Lily of the Valley
Forough Yavari is a Melbourne-based visual artist and award-winning fine art portrait & fashion photographer whose work reflects her global perspective and personal history.
Born in Iran during the revolution, she grew up during a time of war, finding early solace and self-expression through art. This passion led her to formally study painting at university, where she developed a strong foundation in storytelling through art.
Since moving to Australia in 2011, Forough has merged her skills in painting and photography to create evocative works exploring identity, resilience, and emotional depth. Her art has earned numerous accolades, including two-time International Portrait Photographer of the Year, Capture Magazine’s 2023 Advertising & Fashion Award winner, and finalist recognition in the National Portrait Gallery, Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, and Martin Kantor Portrait Prize. Her works have been exhibited globally in major galleries and international art fairs.
Lily of the Valley is from a series of images born from a fashion concept exploring how objects shape and transform the human body. These forms serve as both armour and ornament, enhancing beauty while concealing and revealing traces of youth, vitality, and lived experience. Through sculpted wearable surfaces that contour the body, the work celebrates the dialogue between self and material, presence and form. It reimagines fashion as a language of reflection and transformation, inviting us to see ourselves not as separate from the physical world, but as part of an intricate dance between body, object, and being.
Instagram: @foroughyavari
Prize: 12-month subscription to Aftershoot Essentials, valued at $240.
1. Kane Feaver – Mandarina Duck
2. Forough Yavari – Lily of the Valley
3. Vaughan Brookfield – R.M. Prime
4. Carly Soderstrom – The Magician
5. Forough Yavari – Reverie
6. Franziska Link – Lauren
7. Kane Feaver – Rain Pt II
8. Glenn Hunt – Outback Opera
9. Kane Feaver – Disturbia
10. Steven Popovich – Indulgence Magazine
11. Kane Feaver – Disturbia Pt II
12. Chrissie Hall – Bubbles and More Bubbles
13. Chrissie Hall – Zinnia and Beautiful, Black Bird
14. Kane Feaver – Rain
15. Venkatesh Kittur – Blue Drift: The Modern Denim Statement
ART & CONCEPTUAL
Jasmine Skye Smith, 'Reach' – Winner, Art & Conceptual, The Capture Awards 2025.
WINNER: Jasmine Skye Smith – Reach
Jasmine Skye Smith started her photography business in 2012 while on maternity leave from paediatric nursing. She says she didn’t know much about photography or business at the time – but thankfully didn’t let that stop her.
In ‘Reach,’ Skye Smith has captured the Australian Olympic Artistic Swimming Team in the waters of Rottnest Island.
"Inspired by the beauty and balance of Renaissance Art, I wanted to capture a sense of unity underwater – a collective reach toward the light," says Jasmine. "We descended into the water together, holding still until everything aligned – movement, light, and emotion suspended in water. The open ocean brought its challenges – shifting currents, seaweed, and filtered sunlight – but that unpredictability gave the image its magic.”
Skye Smith says that for her ‘Reach’ is more than a photograph: “It’s a reflection of what I love most about creating underwater – that delicate balance between control and chaos, breath and stillness, art and endurance.”
Web: www.jasmineskyephotography.com.au
Instagram: @jasmineskyephotography
Prize: $2,000 cash, plus a WD prize pack valued at $1,500.
Heidi Margocsy, 'Hold Onto Now.' Runner-up, Art & Conceptual, The Capture Awards 2025.
RUNNER-UP: Heidi Margocsy – Hold Onto Now
Heidi Margocsy is an Australian photographer currently working in California. She describes her photography as "heart-centred and story focused, celebrating the extraordinary in every subject". Her images have been exhibited in around the world and she is currently working towards her first solo exhibition in 2026.
"I photographed Deonté and Anese in early 2025,” she says. "When I’m creating portraits, conversations with my subjects become an integral way for me to reach beyond the surface: what fuels them, what brings them joy, what pain or fears are they carrying quietly.
"On this day, we discussed the importance of presence, and the often-challenging act of staying grounded while the world changes. This image is a representation of that conversation. Of finding what is real and tangible as the world shifts around us. It is a visual reminder that now is all we ever really have and that sometimes, simply holding onto this fleeting moment is the most courageous thing we can do.”
Web: www.inherimagephoto.com
Instagram: @inherimagephoto
Prize: 12-month subscription to Aftershoot Essentials, valued at $240.
1. Jasmine Skye Smith – Reach
2. Heidi Margocsy – Hold Onto Now
3. Bruce Moyle – Angelus Insecta
4. Forough Yavari – Silent Wings
5. Neil Murphy – With Vision Comes Growth
6. Kris Anderson – Control
7. Dane Beesley – Strut
8. Concetta Gurzeni – Relever – To Rise
9. Pamela Pauline – Here on Earth
10. Mace Wighton – The Angel
11. Carly Soderstrom – Justice
12. Guy Templeton – The Leaving
13. Elle Leontiev – Ephemeral Beauty
14. Joy Kachina – Fallen Angel
15. Fernanda Pedroso – Threshold
WEDDING & EVENT
Ben Connolly, 'Jason & Trent' – Winner, Wedding & Event, The Capture Awards 2025.
WINNER: Ben Connolly – Jason & Trent
Queensland-based wedding photographer Ben Connolly is a has photographed more than a thousand weddings over his 22-year career.
“The image ‘Jason & Trent’ was created in a hotel room on the Gold Coast while they were getting ready,” says Connolly. "I’m not a fan of tradition, and neither are they, so in the lead up to the wedding I discussed with them the advantages of them getting ready together and they loved the idea.
"We created this photo in front of a half-open sliding door and curtain. They both had similar coloured suits but Trent’s was slightly darker so I placed them on either side of the curtain with Trent’s darker suit on the high-key side.
"The idea behind the image was contrast, but with it I also wanted to convey a message of warmth, masculinity and tenderness that, despite the contrast, complimented both Jason and Trent’s warm and carefree personalities."
Instagram: @benconnollyweddings
Prize: $2,000 cash, a H&Y Filters 82mm RevoRing Basic Portrait Photography Set, valued at $535, plus a FLM CP22-S4 II travel 22mm 4-section carbon fibre tripod, valued at $545.
Melanie Panteli, 'First Look' – Runner-up, Wedding & Event,, The Capture Awards 2025.
RUNNER-UP: Melanie Panteli – First Look
Melanie Panteli is a wedding photographer who shoots in New Zealand and Australia. She says she is one of the lucky ones who can say they truly love their job. Her aim is to create images that resonate with emotion and romance, and will stand the test of time for her clients.
"This image of Sophie and Vincent was captured as they were about to see each other for the first time before the marriage ceremony.” recalls Melanie. "A private and emotional moment – just the two of them away from their guests and families. The nervous energy melted away the moment Vince turned around and saw his girl.”
Instagram: @melpanteliphoto
Prize: 12-month subscription to Aftershoot Essentials, valued at $240.
1. Ben Connolly – Jason & Trent
2. Melanie Panteli – First Look
3. Scott Kristian Kelleher – Wedlocked
4. Frances Terlich – Stormy Skies
5. Fiona Bowring – Love Shack Gothic
6. Karen Button-Burns – You & Me
7. Melissa Crisa – Miss Mayhem
8. Ben Connolly – McLean Wedding
9. Karen Button-Burns – Let’s All Hug the Bride!
10. Chris Jallard – Ready for Adventure
11. Melanie Panteli – Silhouette
12. Thanet Kaewduangdee – Where Love Finds Its Way
13. Abi Hackling – Wahine Marena
14. Lucy McGoldrick – The Cyclone
15. Romea Wharehoka – Framed