Drumroll please, as we announce the results of our annual photography competition! Before we do that, though, we would like to thank the many amateur photographers who entered – the judges, Todd Weeks and Colin Walkington, were impressed by the talent on display.

Todd and Colin found there has been a distinctive shift towards photos taken on phones, showing that you don't need to have an expensive DSLR camera to capture beautiful images. As always, the wide variety of subjects reflected the diversity of the competition area, which encompassed Arrowtown and its wider environs.

The competition grows in popularity every year, and in 2022  we received a record number of entries from 60-odd photographers. The entrants mainly live in the Arrowtown and Queenstown district, but a fair few were visitors from as far south as Invercargill and as far north as Auckland.

Congratulations to the finalists, the category place-getters and the overall champion, Henric Matthiesen of Auckland. For his entry in the Nightscapes section, “The Long Wait”, Henric receives $200 and will hold the Jade & Opal Factory Trophy for a year. 

Category winners

Seasons
First - Rob Crawford for “Macetown Gold”
Second - Teresa Julian for “Majestical”

History
First - Lyn Alves for “The Lavender Path”

Youth
First - Eva Hemingway for “My Home”
Second - Nina Hamilton for “Best Mates – Lake Hayes Jetty”

Landscapes
First - Rob Crawford for “Magical Macetown”
Second - Chad Robinson for “Head in the Clouds”

Outdoor recreation
First - Deb Owen for “Lake Hayes Morning Tranquillity”
Second - Nicole Mudgway for “Best Mates”

Nightscapes
First - Henric Matthiesen for “The Long Wait” 

The APBA wishes to thank our judges, the Jade & Opal Factory, Print Central and the Lakes District Museum & Gallery for their support. The printed photos of the finalists will be on display at the Lakes District Museum as part of the Bayleys Arrowtown Autumn Art Exhibition until 19 June 2022.