We would like to thank the many photographers who entered the Arrowtown Photography Prize 2021. The judges, Todd Weeks and Colin Walkington, were encouraged by the talent on display, with many people entering for the first time. The variety of photos reflected the diverse scenes in the competition area, which encompassed Arrowtown and its environs. Colin said, “There were so many fantastic entries with some awe-inspiring photography. Some of the winning photos truly took our breath away and it was a difficult deliberation.”

We’ve seen the competition continue to grow in popularity, with a record 138 photos received from 50 photographers. There were a very high number in the Landscape section followed closely by the Nature section. Entries mainly came from the Arrowtown and Queenstown district with some further afield from Invercargill, Dipton, Alexandra, Auckland and Christchurch.

Judges awarded winners $100 for first in each section and two second prizes of $50. The overall winner was Marcus Wehrle for his entry in the People section, “Penelope”. Marcus receives $500 and the Jade & Opal Factory Trophy. 

Section Prize Winners

Seasons:
First - Cara McMeeken for “Blossoming Into Spring”
Second - Rob Crawford for “Winter Wonderland”

Architecture: First - Tom May for “Autumn Cottage”

History:
First - Ana Sepulveda for “Once Upon a Time...Arrowtown”
Second - Debbie Fahey for “Dispensary”

Junior: First Equal - Alissa Atkin-Coutts for “Lupin” and Holly Viana for “School”

Landscapes: First - Chad Robinson for “Mt Dewer's Magic”

Macro: First - Lois McArtney for “Lupin Detail”

Nature: First - Renato Baldichia for "Bush Creek Hike"

Nightscapes: First - Renato Baldichia for "Crown Range - Snake Lights"

People: Marcus Wehrle for “Penelope”

Sport and Recreation: First - Tom May for “Thirsty Work”

You can find all the prize winning photos, as well as the names of the other finalists, on the Photography Prize page.

The APBA wishes to thank our judges, the Jade & Opal Factory, Print Central and the Lakes District Museum and Gallery for their support.   All finalists and winning photos will remain on display at the Lakes District Museum until Sunday 23rd May, as part of the Ray White Art Exhibition also on display.