Jeanete Zanotto

Photographer of the Year awards, Australian Photography Magazine

My portfolio of four images titled “No Tree is an Island” was judged in the Top 20 of the Animal and Nature section of the awards and published in the February 2022 edition.  The portfolio looked at the fragmented environment of the Queensland Bottle Tree, which cuts a lonely figure on many farms and grazing properties.

The images were shot during a road trip last September and drew on a variety of equipment – a drone (DJI Air 2S), a wide angle lens (10-22) and a standard zoom (28-105). This was my first time using a drone and I feel it achieved a unique perspective in telling the story. An abnormally windy day also helped illustrate the issue of erosion. I travelled solo with many stops and starts and my gear taking pride of place on the passenger seat. With thousands of kilometres travelled in the bush and thousands of images taken, one of the biggest challenges was keeping dust off the sensor and the lenses.

As a former journalist and academic as well as a keen bushwalker and traveller, I have a strong interest in the social documentary/street/photojournalism and nature/travel genres. I also enjoy altered reality, strong graphics, minimalism and B&W.

My favourite aspect of photography is the ability to tell a story… to put a frame on the world, to capture a moment, to see something others don’t.

Jeanete Zanotto EFIAP, FAPS, QPSA

storytellerimages.com.au