HILTON photographer Gary Meredith lives to capture that fleeting moment of wonder that nature creates.
Already enamoured with the fairy tern, Mr Meredith grabbed his camera and headed to Rous Head to see if he could grab a snap of the tiny bird during mating season.
“Late one afternoon I was watching a male walking through the colony with a little fish and showing it to potential female partners when his offer was accepted by a female,” he said.
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READ NOW“Thankfully I was able to capture the moment the little fish was transferred hence the title of the image is “The Gift”.”
While intending to use the snap to help promote the conservation of the species, Mr Meredith said he also submitted the picture into the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition.
The photo has been selected as a finalist in the Threatened Species category and he will travel to Adelaide this week for the awards night.
“There are some amazing nature photographers that submit images to this competition each year who are without doubt some of the finest nature photographers in the world, so to just be accepted is a win for me,” he said.
“If I managed to take away an award it would be a huge thrill but I wouldn’t stop there.
“It would only spur me on to produce even better quality images from this point on.”
The award winners will be announced on August 10.
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