Entries for our 2025 Wilderness Photographer of the Year, presented by Mountain Designs are coming in thick and fast, and in a series of stories we speak to finalists of last year's comp for their tips. Our first interview is with Benjamin Maze.
What was the biggest lesson you took away from entering – and becoming a finalist – for Wilderness Photographer of the Year 2024?
That it’s worth giving a crack! You never really know what is going to resonate most with judges. I had actually entered my winning image in another competition with some hopes for its performance and came away a little disappointed with a pretty average score. For whatever reason, it just didn’t connect with those judges that time.
For the same image to turn around and win the “Places” category in Wilderness Photographer of the Year is quite the stark contrast. I’ve entered other images in various competitions that I didn’t think would amount to much, only for them to become judge favourites and perform quite well. Just keep creating work that you love and connect with, and if you put it out there you never know what might stick.
What have you been doing with your photography since the competition?
I’ve been slowly developing my landscape photography workshops over the last few years, which I’m now lucky enough to be able to run in areas across Tasmania, NSW and even Scotland. Post competition, March and April took me to both the Tarkine and Bay of Fires in Tasmania running some of these group workshops, as well as a range of other locations throughout the state for other landscape photography work.
Right now, I’m working on plans for the next 6-18 months, between new workshop offerings as well as personal projects that I’m excited to come to fruition. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to photograph our natural world for work, though I would do so for the rest of my life regardless of whether it provided income or not.
What’s your best photo tip for anyone entering Wilderness Photographer of the Year?
Photography competitions are all about standing out and being a cut above the other entries. There are many ways to do this - whether it be via the location depicted, composition, light, technique or editing style. In a competition such as this one, where honouring the true nature of the subject is a priority, the primary categories where you can excel are in location, light and composition.
If you feel like you’re limited in one of these – let’s say you’re still learning good technique, or you’re limited with where you can travel – then you can try to focus more energy into the others. Don’t try to recreate the success of other work out there, because by default it has already been done first, and most likely done better. Rather, develop your own creative eye and work on taking great photos that truly are unique to you.
What’s your favourite time of day to shoot and why?
My first answer is sunrise. Though I hate getting up early, there is something magical about seeing the landscape waking up for the day. That transition from darkness to pre-dawn glow, to the brilliance of the sun beginning a new day just never gets old (until you get bad conditions a few too many times in a row). Elements such as mist, fog and frost are also much more likely in the morning than the evening, with the change in temperature and humidity creating interesting atmosphere.
With that said, many photos in my portfolio were captured in mid-morning or mid-afternoon light, where the light is perhaps less colourful but often incredibly dynamic. There is a subject matter and photography style to suit any type of light at any time of day; it’s just a matter of being open minded to it and not placing restrictions on your craft.
Fixed or zoom lenses – which do you prefer and why?
I personally love working with zoom lenses in the landscape. As someone who carries 3 lenses covering 14mm-400mm on them at all times, and frequently switches between such focal lengths, I find locking myself into a prime lens far too restrictive. I’m quite often making very subtle adjustments on zoom levels when fine tuning a composition; it also allows me to adapt faster to changing light & conditions. With that said, there is certainly a case for the intentional restriction of a prime lens; it’s just not part of my natural workflow at this point in time.
Click here to enter the 2025 Wilderness Photographer of the Year.