Eden Marine High School graduate Harrison Warne has wasted little time in making an impression outside the classroom, gaining national recognition for his wildlife photography.
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On the back of two local awards earlier this year, the 18-year-old’s close-up of a Gippsland Water Dragon has taken out second prize in the Ecological Society of Australia photography competition.
The photo, taken behind Top Fun in Merimbula, also featured as the Australian Geographic photo of the week in October.
“It was great – I was pretty excited to get that sort of recognition,” Mr Warne said.
“I was looking at a photography and filmmaking course in Townsville, but now I’m thinking I’d prefer to go to Cairns – I think there’s a better program there.”
The national recognition is the latest reward in what has been a fruitful year for Mr Warne, who was the youngest survey leader at a Mimosa Rocks Bioblitz earlier this month.
He has also picked up the $1000 Future Leaders Environment Day Award from the Bournda Environmental Education Centre, and won several categories of the Atlas of Life photography competition.
He told the Magnet earlier this year that his interest in photography only began around two years ago.
“I’ve always been involved with animals and going out into the bush, but then two years I picked up a camera and started taking photos,” he said.
“People gave me good feedback, and then a couple of people sent me links to the Atlas of Life photography competition and said I should enter.
“Before I got my Canon, I was just using a point-and-shoot camera, so it was usually just reptiles that I was photographing.
“But now that I’ve got good lenses I’m also doing landscapes, birds and mammals.”
To see more of his work, like ‘Harrison Warne Wildlife Photography’ on Facebook by clicking here.
