Congratulations to the 2021 CameraPro Explorer’s Grant Recipients!
February 27, 2022
CameraPro is thrilled to announce the 2021 Explorer’s Grant recipients and their winning projects.
Congratulations to Jannico Kelk, Paul Daley and Nicholas Carmichael on your outstanding and inspiring submissions!
This year's winners will share in $12,500 of grant funding to support environmentally focussed projects which aim to give prominence to a chosen cause through visual storytelling.
Jannico and Paul, the Photography and Video category winners, will each receive $3000 funding for project production and a further $2000 donated directly to each of their nominated causes.
In 2021, CameraPro opened up the Grant to Junior storytellers aged between 13 and 17 years old. Nicholas, winner of the first-ever Junior category, will receive $1500 funding for his project production and $1000 for his chosen charity.
Here’s a little about our new Explorer’s Grant recipients and their inspiring initiatives:
Jannico Kelk, Photography finalist - Natural Australia Expeditions: The Mary River Turtle
Jannico Kelk (@jannicokelk) is the wildlife photographer and videographer at Natural Australia Expeditions, co-founded with Jonathan Lucas. He has won and been shortlisted in several wildlife photography competitions and works alongside conservation NGOs to visually document some of our most threatened wildlife.
Jannico's project, Natural Australia Expeditions: The Mary River Turtle, seeks to shed light on the critically endangered Mary River turtle and Tiaro Landcare, the grass-roots community group dedicated to protecting this unique reptile from extinction.
‘This grant will enable our team to quite literally dive into the natural history of this cryptic and threatened turtle. For Tiaro Landcare, it will further facilitate a community conservation program that has already achieved worldwide recognition.’
Jannico’s chosen cause: Mary River Turtle Public Fund
Grant: $5,000 funding ($3,000 for project + $2,000 for cause)
Paul Daley, Videography finalist - Fire Lore: Indigenous Cultural Burning
Based on Gullibul Country in the northern NSW town of Kyogle, Paul Daley (@pauldaley) is a videographer and photographer specialising in regenerative storytelling. Paul’s keen interest in ecosystem restoration and regenerative culture led him to work on grassroots projects throughout Indonesia. Now back in Australia, he is inspired to deepen local connections and create content that supports solution-focused regenerative storytelling.
Paul’s project, Fire Lore: Indigenous Cultural Burning, continues his work with the Githabul peoples and local fire ecologists to raise community awareness on the crucial need for indigenous land management through cultural burning.
Paul’s chosen cause: Natural Design Research Institute
Grant: $5,000 funding ($3,000 for project + $2,000 for cause)
Nicholas Carmichael, Junior finalist - Saving Tasmania's Kelp Forests
Nicholas (@nicholas.c_photography) became interested in photography and videography by watching cinema and tinkering with cameras. He is particularly inspired to pursue documentary filmmaking and wilderness photography as a medium to create societal change. A winner of several film and photography competitions, Nicholas would like to explore how editing choices can improve the audience engagement of documentaries.
Nicholas’ project draws attention to the alarming decline of Tasmania’s giant kelp forests and the research and action being taken to save and restore this vital marine ecosystem from extinction.
‘The CameraPro explorers grant will enable me to document the biodiversity of Tasmanian kelp forests and highlight the struggle to save them. The funds will allow the charity to undertake marine research to gain a greater understanding of Tasmania's complex marine ecosystems and kelp forests.’
Nicholas’ chosen cause: Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS)
Grant: $2,500 funding ($1,500 for project + $1,000 for cause)
A huge thanks to this year’s judges: internationally recognised photographic artist and Queensland College of Art associate professor, Marian Drew (@marianddrew); professional nature photographer and Canon Master, Darren Jew (@darrenjew); content producer and 2019 Explorer’s Grant recipient, Natalia Mroz (@nataliamrozphotography); and CameraPro Explorer’s Grant coordinator, Telan Wade. We greatly appreciate their time and expertise in shortlisting dozens of outstanding applications from all over Australia.
Last but not least, thank you to all of this year’s Explorer’s Grant applicants. We are inspired by your passion and projects and encourage you to keep applying for grants and supporting your cause.
Congratulations again to Jannico, Paul and Nicholas!
Stay tuned for more info on each of the 2021 Explorer’s Grant recipients and their projects
Want to know more about the CameraPro Explorer's Grant?