www.WILDNATUREPHOTOTRAVEL.com

The gala awards dinner for the 2026 IRIS Professional Photography Awards (of which I was a finalist in the Nature category) was held yesterday evening in New Zealand. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend in person due to my workshop commitments in Finland, but I was able to catch up on the results through friends on social media on my way back to Sweden.

The four photographs (entered as prints) I chose for the Nature category received Gold with Distinction, Gold, and two Silver with Distinction awards. This placed me in the top three and as a finalist in the category. This was my first time entering the IRIS awards, and I was totally thrilled with this result. I was subsequently blown away to be announced the overall winner at last night’s gala dinner in the Nature category and to be awarded the title of ‘2026 Australian Professional Nature Photographer of the Year’. Having entered prints (my preferred medium), I could only have dreamed of this result. My heartfelt thanks and congratulations to all the judges, entrants, finalists and other category winners.