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.

Today I am wrapping up my workshop here in northern Finland for Wolves and Bears and will be making my way back to Sweden later today. I will have a full trip report in the coming weeks, once I have had a chance to process some photographs, but it has been a phenomenal experience here in Finland with our group. Yesterday we had one of the very best wolf encounters I have experienced in more than a decade of photography in Finland.

In competition news, late last night, I received the exciting news that I am a finalist to win the Nature category of the 2026 IRIS Photography Awards. This is my first time entering the awards, and I am feeling humbled and thrilled to have had my prints score so highly and to make the finals. The category winners will be announced at the Gala dinner in New Zealand tomorrow.

Yesterday, the live judging for the 2026 Iris Photography Awards was streamed to YouTube. Although I could not tune in to watch the live stream, I was able to catch up on the results late last night here in Finland after getting back from the photography hides (currently in the middle of our Wild Nature Photo Travel workshop for Wolves, Bears and Wolverines). This was my first time entering the Iris Awards, and I chose to enter four prints into the Nature category. The four prints I entered went on to score Gold with Distinction, Gold and two Silver with Distinction awards – a result I am absolutely thrilled with. The overall category winners will be announced next Sunday. You can watch a recording of the livestream below.

My entry into the 2026 Iris Awards was on the recommendation of a good friend (thanks, Rob!), who suggested I enter because I could submit fine art prints in lieu of digital files. Many of you already know I am a huge advocate for print, and the opportunity to submit prints for judging was compelling enough to get me to enter the awards. To my knowledge, there are very few print competitions left (outside of photography clubs), and I feel strongly it’s important to support print wherever possible. For me, there is something quite magical about crafting the perfect print, and it feels far more satisfying to submit a finished print than a digital file.