Contact Photography
Competition 2025

A trip around the world through the eyes of
UQ alumni, students and staff

Every picture tells a story. We invited students, staff, alumni and community members to share their stories – and show off their camera skills – through our brand-new Contact Photography Competition.

Entries were judged by UQ alum Jon McCormack (Bachelor of Science (Honours) ’91, University Medallist ’92) – an acclaimed nature photographer, author and technology leader. McCormack’s photography captures Earth’s intricate patterns and textures, and is shaped by a lifelong commitment to conservation and advocacy for our ecosystems.

When McCormack isn't behind the camera, he's behind billions of iPhone cameras worldwide as Apple’s Vice President of Software. Through this work, McCormack has developed phone cameras that rival traditional cameras, creating a world where storytelling through images is accessible to all.

Jon McCormack holding an iPhone.

Jon McCormack

Jon McCormack

The winner:

Mongolia by Robyn Chatwood
Bachelor of Economics '88

"I just returned from Mongolia where I had the honour and privilege to live with a local nomad family as the patriarch and his son were preparing to compete with their eagles in a local eagle hunting competition and festival. On the day of the competition, there were 41 eagles and their carers – competing as fathers and sons on 41 plucky Mongolian horses in the Mongolian desert. What a sight and insight into a fast-disappearing culture."

A local eagle hunting competition and festival in Mongolia. The image shows men on horses holding eagles.

Photo by Robyn Chatwood

Photo by Robyn Chatwood

Judge's commentary from Jon McCormack

"A great photograph brings together a compelling subject, thoughtful composition, evocative light and a decisive moment – and many of the shortlisted images achieved this balance beautifully.

"The winning photograph, Mongolia by Robyn Chatwood, stood out immediately for its strong composition, arresting subject and palpable sense of movement. On closer viewing, the image reveals a rich layering of detail that bridges past and present: while the Eagle Festival is rooted in centuries-old tradition, contemporary elements – a printed sign in the background and a man wearing a baseball cap – quietly anchor the scene in the modern world.

"Together, these elements create a powerful and nuanced narrative, making this photograph an outstanding example of visual storytelling.

"A very close runner-up was Street Corner, Indooroopilly, Queensland by Kaitlyn Backhouse: a deceptively simple yet finely composed image that feels unmistakably Australian, elevated by a fleeting, luminous moment of light."

Shortlisted entries

A close-up of a wire fence. There is a road in the background with a truck.
Multiple birds flying over UQ Lakes.
4 cyclists cycling over a bridge at sunrise. They are dressed in winter clothing.
Jacaranda petals on a bench in front of UQ Gatton's Foundation Building.
Golden yellow leaves in Kyoto. In the background, a person is riding on their bike. There is also a small pond/river.
A Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog perched on a reed.
A photo of red leaves.
A sheep on top of a mountain that looks over the Lake District in the United Kingdom.
A road in Hong Kong, taken from a high-altitude perspective. The street is lined with tall buildings and businesses. People are walking along the footpath and street.
A photo of the night sky. It shows the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Bike racks at UQ Lakes. There are jacaranda petals across the ground and a woman walking away in the distance. One bike is on the bike rack.
A small wooden room on a mountain, outlooking snowy caps.
A close-up image of an electronic warfare aircraft flying across Brisbane for Riverfire 2025.

Runner-up

Photo of a street corner in Indooroopilly, Queensland by Kaitlyn Backhouse (Bachelor of Arts '25).

"I took this photo when I was out for a walk one afternoon in Indooroopilly. For some reason, I felt drawn to the little niche on the side of the road. If there's one thing people should know about me, it's that I'm drawn to weird little spaces: concrete, rock patches, corners. Why stand when you can sit on the ground and feel the warmth of the concrete beneath you?"

Photo of UQ Lakes from 2017, taken by Yanyan Hong (Bachelor of Communication '18; Master of Communication '20).

"I often went to [UQ Lakes] whenever I felt low. In those quiet moments, my love for UQ, my alma mater, deepened. The memory of that feeling is perfectly captured by one of my favourite poets, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore: 'I leave no trace of wings in the air, but I am glad I have had my flight.'"

Photo taken in Praia do Laranjal, Pelotas, Brazil by Gregore Mielke (UQ staff member).

"This photo captures a group of cyclists riding into the new day at the end of the Trapiche, a favourite spot for locals, even on chilly winter mornings like this one, with just 4°C in the air and a quiet sense of joy. This sunrise marked the first light after the longest night of 2025 in the southern hemisphere."

Photo of UQ Gatton's Foundation Building by Fi Shearer (UQ staff member).

"I love working at UQ's Gatton Campus and enjoy lunching under the many trees we have."

Photo of Kamo River in Kyoto, Japan by Fong Sau Hin Grace (Bachelor of Veterinary Science (Honours) '25).

Photo of an Eastern Dwarf Tree Frog at UQ Lakes by David de Groot (UQ staff member).

"Since the UQ Lakes rejuvenation, Eastern Dwarf Tree Frogs can be found fairly consistently in the reeds and lomandra around the lake. One such group live near the walk bridge and on this particular morning in early November, a lone frog was perched near the seed head of the reeds it lives on. The photograph was taken on a Canon EOS 1Dx with Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary Lens (which is my go-to wildlife lens, mostly for birds). For those interested in the settings: 1/800th sec, ƒ/6.3, 600mm, ISO 1600."

'Colourful bush tree' on UQ campus by Isra Adel M Barnawi (Master of Molecular Biology '25).

"I took the picture while walking after a full day in the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB) lab."

Photo of the Lake District, United Kingdom by Jack Pianta (Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) '20).

"This photo is from a work break/hiking trip."

Photo taken in Hong Kong by Jihun Cha (Doctor of Philosophy '17).

"This shot, taken from a high-altitude perspective, shows the seascape between Hong Kong's typical high-rise buildings, offering a realistic sense of vertical height and a glimpse into the vibrant daily lives of Hong Kong residents. Date of capture: September 9, 2025."

The Large Magellanic Cloud, taken by Lincoln Rowe (current UQ student).

"A photo of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) taken on the night of 9 October 2025 around 9pm. The LMC is a small galaxy orbiting the Milky Way galaxy, and is home to thousands of Hydrogen Alpha regions (the red smudges) and lots more, most notably the Tarantula Nebula towards the bottom right corner. The photo comprises of 11, five-minute-long exposures stacked together to decrease background noise and increase the amount of colour and detail in the final image. The photo was taken using a telescope mount and a specialised astronomy camera which cools the incredibly sensitive sensor down to -10°C."

Photo of UQ St Lucia campus, taken by Lorraine Liang (UQ staff member).

"When a severe supercell thunderstorm hit Brisbane on 12 October 2025, the Jacaranda Lane near UQ Lakes was strewn with purple flowers on the following morning. I used my mobile phone to capture the serenity of this purple scene through the bicycle racks. The quietness was accentuated even more by a woman slowly walking on this flower-strewn romantic path."

Photo of base camp on Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains, Russia by Peter Roderick Dornan (Diploma of Physiotherapy '66).

"It is probably the highest toilet in the world – certainly has the best view. Taken at about 4,000 metres. I climbed this in 2014."

Photo from Riverfire 2025 by Sidaus Vishwakarma (current UQ student).

"I captured this photo during Riverfire 2025. It is an EA-18G Growler, an electronic warfare aircraft employed by the Royal Australian Air Force to disrupt enemy radar and communications. It blinds enemy air defences to provide safe passage corridors for strike craft, while simultaneously performing reconnaissance. I like to call this photograph 'Glass Canyon Run'."

Honourable mentions

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