Biological Sciences News
Biology students’ photographic talent put on show
(9 Oct 2009) National Geographic eat your heart out.
Biology students at the University of
Canterbury are showcasing a flair for nature
photography to rival the pros.
The 2009 Biological Sciences Imaging Competition attracted more than 100 student entries and the awarding of 10 merit awards was testament to the high calibre of the entries making the job of judges Duncan Shaw-Brown and Eve Welch (Photographic Services) incredibly tough.
This year’s event theme was “The Colour
of Life” and event organiser Matt Walters,
science communication and digital imaging
technician in the School of Biological Sciences,
said the students’ interpretations of the theme
were wide-ranging.
The competition, which is open to all biological sciences students, gives students the opportunity to share their imaging work with a wider audience and vie for a range of prizes, and is a way for the School to promote science communication.
“This is our fourth annual scientific imaging competition and the quality of images has been increasing every year,” said Mr Walters. “It is great to be able to display the student images and showcase biology to a wider audience.”
In addition to the student images, more than
50 images by staff members in the School
were also on display in the exhibition, held in
the upper level foyer of the Science Lecture
Block from 30 September to 9 October.
The overall winner was D’Arcy Webber who
was awarded a dive training package from
Awesome Scuba for his majestic image, The
Sentinel, which captured the karearea or New
Zealand falcon.
Second place went to Jessica Dickinson for her
entry called Waterworld, taken in Michaelmas
Cay, Great Barrier Reef, and third went to
Andrew Barnes for his image entitled A Hairy
Morsel, depicting a close-up of invertebrate life
at Ngel Nyaki, Nigeria. Jessica was awarded a
$200 Photo & Video International voucher and
Andrew received science books valued at $100
sponsored by the School of Biological Sciences.
Mr Walters said the School was already looking
forward to next year’s competition.
“The theme has already been set to allow
students the full year to come up with new
images. It will be ‘One Sum Many — The
Numbers of Biology’.”
Following the Science Block exhibition the images will be on display around the School and also on the School’s Facebook page.
Entitled The Sentinel, this image by UC student D’Arcy Webber won the top prize in the School of Biological Science’s annual scientific imaging competition.
Jessica Dickinson was placed second with this photograph
entitled Waterworld.
A Hairy Morsel, by Andrew Barnes was placed third.