SAE congratulates the SAE Auckland-sponsored Junior and Video category winners

The D-Photo Sigma Amateur Photographer of the Year competition is New Zealand’s largest amateur photographic competition. SAE Auckland were honoured to support the competition for the first time this year, sponsoring both the Junior (under 18s) and the newly-created Video category.

This year the annual competition received a record number of 9337 entries across the 11 categories. SAE Auckland Head of Department, Film, Michael Miller, was one of the seven competition judges.

“The overall quality of work was extremely high with some very entrancing shots. This made the judging both extremely challenging and extremely rewarding. 

The Junior category winner was 18-year-old Dylan Martin, with a portrait photo, ‘The Window To The Soul.’ 

Michael Miller says, “It’s impressive to see someone of this age with such an astutely developed eye for storytelling in a single image.”

Dylan Martin is thrilled with his win. He began taking photos four years ago, aged 14. 

“This is the first time I’ve ever been in a competition or seen my photographs professionally produced on a gallery wall. It’s such a thrill.” 

He says the competition win has inspired him to continue following his passion for photography. 

Second place winner was Bien Chapple-Law with ‘Rise’. Third place was Max Henry Killoh with ‘Duality’.

Video Category entries had to be 30 seconds or less, and filmed on either a DSLR/DSLM or smartphone. Connor Lee Pritchard won with, ‘So Many Colours’. 

Shot on a Sony A7s, Michael Miller says of the work, “This stood out to me immediately. The use of intense but fun lighting makes for a colourful and cheeky piece of cinematography.”  

Second place was Nazar Abbas with drone landscape, ‘New Zealand Colours’. Third place was a time-lapse beach piece by Jack Burden ‘Coromandel Nights’. 

Both the SAE-sponsored categories winners received an SAE Auckland Scholarship. 1st prize is $1000 off course fees from any SAE programme; 2nd prize is a $750 and 3rd a $500 discount.

SAE campus director, Dr Suzette Major hopes that the competition inspires entrants to pursue and develop their creative leanings even further.

“The results show a wealth of talented photographers out there. We feel the Video category has great synergy with the Bachelor of Film Arts degree we offer here, and the Junior category recognises and supports new talent. The scholarships we are offering are a reflection of our commitment to helping talented photographers develop their passion into a formal qualification in film making.”

D-Photo magazine is New Zealand’s biggest selling photographic title. Other competition categories included Action, Aerial, Creative, Landscape, Macro, Monochrome, Nature, People and Travel.

For more information about SAE New Zealand, visit www.auckland.sae.edu or call T: +64 (09) 373 4712