Capture the Essence of an Orion Expedition

Year after year our photography just keeps getting better as photographer guests and members of our expedition team capture the essence of Orion. Our first photography competition in 2008 saw guests photos feature in our 2010 deluxe brochure, with the winning entry being selected as the back cover. Due to the success of our first photography competition and to encourage and reward those of you who also return with exceptional images from Orion's ‘paths less travelled’, we are running our second (and hopefully annual) photography competition.

You don’t have to be a professional photographer, just have a keen eye for capturing the moment. This might be a picture from the base of King George Falls, intricate wooden carvings in PNG or perhaps it’s a relaxed moment taken onboard the ship. Whatever you choose, if you believe it really captures that special moment then we want to see it! Your photo may even make its way into our 2012 deluxe brochure.

This year you have the chance to win a Leica camera - famous the world over as a quality brand and the perfect first or second camera for enthusiasts.

HOW TO ENTER
Upload your images online - Click here to enter competition.

A maximum of 5 photographs per voyage per person will be accepted.
Please view the terms and conditions before submitting your entry.

DESTINATION CATEGORIES AND CLOSE DATES
The Kimberley & Arnhem Land – CLOSED
Papua New Guinea & Melanesia – CLOSED
New Zealand & Sub-Antarctic Islands – CLOSED
Antarctica – CLOSED
Other (Forgotten Islands, Spice Islands, SE Asia, Tasmania, Heritage Reef & East Timor) – CLOSED

Individual destination winners will be announced in the relevant issues of pathways newsletter. The overall winner will be announced in the May pathways newsletter. 

JUDGES
Peter Eastway 
Award winning and Grand Master of Photography
 
His passion for landscapes led Lonely Planet to choose Peter to write their international photography guide book on landscape photography. Peter is also a Grand Master of Photography, one of only a handful in the world. In 1996 and 1998 he was the AIPP Australian Professional
Photographer of the Year. He was Australian Landscape
Photographer of the Year in 1995, 1996 and 1998, Australian Illustrative Photographer of the Year in 2004, and NSW Professional Photographer of the Year in 1995, 1996 and 2004. Recently he won the Grand Award for the Commercial Category at the 2005 WPPI Exhibition in Las Vegas.

Sarina Bratton
Founder and Managing Director of Orion Expedition Cruises

With 25 years extensive experience in the Australian travel industry, Sarina has long held a passion for the development of the cruise industry. Highly impressed with our first photography competition, Sarina is looking forward to seeing more wonderful photographic interpretations of our voyages. As founder of Orion Expedition Cruises she is well positioned to offer opinion on which image(s) best capture the essence of Orion. 

Nick Rains 
International Photographer

He studied Zoology at university in Britain which led him to a career in photography. Over the years Nick has worked with the Australian Tourism Commission, Tourism NSW, Penguin Books, Readers Digest Books, Shell Petroleum, BBC TV, Sports Illustrated, World Heritage Commission, Australian Geographic plus many more. He is involved with teaching and writing and is currently the editor of Better Digital Camera magazine.


Please note a shortlist will be selected by Orion Expedition Cruises Marketing Department.

WINNERS & PRIZES
Destination Winners
The 5 destination minor prizes will be awarded to each photographer selected to have taken the best photograph for that destination category (refer to above for the 5 destination categories and deadlines for submission).

Each winner will receive a copy of:

'The Ice Beneath My Feet'
Personally signed by Diana Patterson

Diana Patterson is one of Orion's Expedition Team Members and the first woman to head an Antarctic research station. An intimate and riveting account of Diana’s year at Mawson, the day-to-day reality of life in this frozen environment and the adventures of the delightful, vital characters we meet along the way  (men, huskies, penguins!) are utterly captivating. A must-read for anyone who harbours their own Antarctic dream.


'Two Below Zero – A Year Alone in Antarctica'
Personally signed by Don & Margie McIntyre

Margie & Don McIntyre had sailed south from Australia in search of adventure in one of the earth's last frontiers. They would be there for a year. Winter was still months away but already the weather was ferocious. They were alone & beyond rescue.


Plus a mixed dozen of premium Central Ranges Bunnamagoo Wines.

Bunnamagoo Estate wines are the outcome of a long-standing personal interest on the part of the directors of Paspaley Pearling Company in artisinal wine-making. The intention is to apply the same sort of discrimination and patience to wine-making that brought them success with their pearls.



Minor prizes will be announced and awarded to the winners selected after the completion of each series of 2010/11 voyages to various regions.

Overall Winner 
In addition to receiving the prizes as a destination category winner, a major prize will be awarded for the photograph judged best overall from all photographs submitted.

The major prize is a Leica V-Lux 20 compact camera.

The perfect companion go-anywhere camera to take with you when larger cameras are too bulky.

Highly regarded by professional photographers, the Leica brand has long been synonymous with high quality photography - and the Leica V-Lux 20 is the perfect pocket-sized camera with which to capture those wonderful moments in life. The camera has numerous automatic functions and 12 x zoom lens with an enormous focal range from 25 to 300 mm.

Optional manual settings for aperture and shutter speeds offers even the most demanding photographers complete creative control. There is even advanced HD movie and GPS image tagging – an extraordinary camera which will make a great addition to any photographers collection.

All winners will be announced on this page and in the relevant edition of Orion's pathways newsletter.