Last year’s winning photo of Vaclav Fiala’s sculpture Universum at the Pilot Hill Sculpture Forest was taken by Tumbarumba local Chantelle Bruton. Photo: Chantelle Bruton.
Aspiring photographers, seasoned shooters and anyone with a camera and an eye for a moment are invited to capture the magic of winter on the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail, as entries open for this year’s Winter Photography Competition.
Back for 2025, the competition invites visitors to share their most inspiring images taken anywhere along the trail, which stretches more than 150 km through the Snowy Valleys region of southern NSW — from Adelong and Tumut, through Tumbarumba and out to the alpine edge of Khancoban.
The prize? A photographer’s dream experience. The winning image will earn its creator a two-night stay in Bondi during Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2025, which runs from 17 October to 3 November.
There, the winner will get a behind-the-scenes experience with an opportunity to work alongside the Sculpture by the Sea professional exhibition photography team for a paid day capturing the iconic coastal event.
The winning winter photo will also be published on About Regional and Region Riverina, giving the winner a platform to showcase their work.
Recent snowfalls have gently cloaked Steinunn Thorarinsdottir’s Contemplation, on the Alpine Ash Walk at Pilot Hill, part of the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail. Photo: Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail.
But entrants will need more than just a scenic backdrop and good light.
Judges are looking for images that capture the spirit of the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail – whether it’s a dramatic bronze form in the forest, a steel structure catching snowflakes in an open paddock or a quiet moment between sculpture and viewer.
Last year’s winning image, captured by Tumbarumba’s Chantelle Bruton, featured Vaclav Fiala’s sculpture Universum glowing through mist and soft light at the Sculpture Forest at Pilot Hill.
Honourable mentions were awarded to three other Riverina locals:
- Louise Cowell, of Wagga Wagga, for her photo of Stephen King’s Grid Study IV;
- Caroline Cattle, of Oura, for her photo of Andrew Townsend and Suzie Bleach’s artwork Borderlands;
- Bradley Weintraub, of Laurel Hill, for his charming photo of his dog interacting with Shen Lieyi’s Rain and another with Sean Henry’s Seated Man.
In its second year, the competition has grown alongside the trail itself, which features more than 60 sculptures by artists from 17 countries.
Works are located across towns, vineyards, forests and walking tracks, and recent additions include large-scale pieces in Khancoban and the Bago State Forest, such as Vojtech Mica’s haunting Phantoms of Corporality – Urban Islands and Greg Johns’ Horizon Figure.
The trail was created as a legacy project after the Black Summer bushfires, designed to boost tourism and community engagement through public art.
With many of the sculptures placed in off-the-beaten-track locations, the trail offers a rare chance for visitors to photograph internationally significant works in landscapes that shift dramatically with the seasons.
Professional and amateur photographers can enter by sharing their image (or images) of a sculpture on the trail via Instagram or Facebook, tagging @snowyvalleyssculpturetrail, using the hashtag #snowyvalleyssculpturetrail, and following @snowyvalleyssculpturetrail and @sculpturebythesea.
Entrants must also send a direct message to the trail’s Instagram or Facebook account to ensure their entry is seen.
Those with private accounts — or those preferring not to use social media — can also email up to six images to [email protected] for consideration.
Entries close at 11:59 pm AEST on 31 August, with the winner to be selected based on creativity, composition and ability to capture the essence of the trail.
For full terms and conditions, visit the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail website.
Whether you’re a smartphone snapper or a DSLR devotee, the trail is open — and the moment is yours to capture.
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
