All that is Australian in a photo
Stapleton, John. Weekend Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 24 Jan 2009: 5.
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The winner, 22-year-old law student Stewart Webster, took the photograph of a seagull catching a chip near Burleigh Heads on theGold Coast in Queensland. "It was my wife's birthday and we were celebrating on the beach," he said. "One of my friends was throwing chips at the seagulls. I thought their fighting was very interesting and captured it while lying on the grass."
"The seagulls draw your eye in and then you notice the girl on the skateboard and the surfer catching a wave in the background," he said.
"The girl on the skateboard gives a sense of Australia as a young country. The photograph captures a common occurrence which happens everyday in coastal Australia, but it has been captured in a very interesting way."
THE My Australia competition for amateur photographers has been won, appropriately enough, with a photograph taken on a beach, illustrating much that is classic about the Australian lifestyle.
The winner, 22-year-old law student Stewart Webster, took the photograph of a seagull catching a chip near Burleigh Heads on theGold Coast in Queensland. "It was my wife's birthday and we were celebrating on the beach," he said. "One of my friends was throwing chips at the seagulls. I thought their fighting was very interesting and captured it while lying on the grass."
The photograph shows many of the elements of any Australian beach setting: the ocean, surfing, fish and chips, people at play.
Judges were drawn by the many different elements of Australian life in the one image. One of the contributing judges said it captured perfectly the interaction between nature and the environment which Australians take for granted but is actually rare in many other parts of the world.
The Australian's deputy picture editor John Feder said they chose the winning entry because of its sense of vibrancy and movement.
"The seagulls draw your eye in and then you notice the girl on the skateboard and the surfer catching a wave in the background," he said.
"It is very well composed. It gives a sense of our outdoor lifestyle. As well, it has the strong colours prevalent in Australia and also has a human element, which many of the other entries lacked.
"The girl on the skateboard gives a sense of Australia as a young country. The photograph captures a common occurrence which happens everyday in coastal Australia, but it has been captured in a very interesting way."
The My Australia competition attracted more than 500 images in less than two weeks. The galleries of entries have received more than half a million hits on The Australian's website.
Mr Webster will receive a $1000 gift voucher for a wardrobe courtesy of R.M. Williams.
The 20 runners-up will receive an Australia movie-inspired gift bag.
The Australian is inviting readers to submit their photographs of how they celebrated Australia Day. Entries can be made through www.theaustralian.com.au
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READER PICTURES
GALLERIES See all the images, including the top 20 runners-up in the My Australia competition as chosen by The Australian's picture desk
Credit: John Stapleton
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