Forest in the snow wins Aussie photo contest

5 July 2017 Forests in photos

“Australia’s certified forests are incredibly diverse, and our winning entry highlights the enjoyment they give to visitors from all walks of life.” 

The words of Simon Dorries, CEO of Australian Forestry Standard (AFS), as he announced Robyn MacRae as the Australian winner of the Experience Forests, Experience PEFC photo contest.

A farmer’s daughter, 2014 Churchill Fellow, teacher and keen photographer, Robyn was thrilled about her win in the contest.

She receives a $500 gift voucher from AFS and enters the international 2017 PEFC Photographer of the Year contest, with a chance to win a trip to Helsinki, Finland, to attend the 2017 PEFC Forest Certification Week.

About the photographer

Robyn is married to Peter MacRae who works in radio services at the Forestry Corporation of NSW. She teaches design and technology at the TAFE NSW Riverina Institute in Tumut and has worked as a volunteer for Youth at Risk, a school-based program designed to help young people with special needs.

Robyn’s interest in photography began while growing up on her father’s farm – “beef, sheep … he tried everything” – extending to time as an art director on a magazine.

She captured the winning photo on her Cannon 7D camera. A picture taken during a snowfall among the towering sugar pines, the hidden gems in the Bago state forest, an incredibly diverse forest covering native alpine ash, historic plantation stands dating back to the 1920s and large areas of commercial radiata pine.

An entry from Robyn’s workmate at TAFE, Fiona D’Alessandro, was highly commended by the judges, and was also taken in the Bago state forest.