Scott Portelli is a highly acclaimed and award-winning wildlife, nature, aerial, and underwater photographer. The headline is that Scott recently took gold in the Australian Photographic Prize 2025 - Australian Photographer of the Year. THE Australian Photographer of the Year!
Scott is no stranger to receiving acclaim for his captivating world. Over the past few years alone, Scott has been awarded Wildlife Photographer of the Year (single capture) at the Australian Photographic Prize 2024, Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, and GDT Nature Photographer of the Year.
Other stand-out accolades and awards include first place with Team Australia at the World Photographic Cup and Mountain, Nature and Adventure Photography awards 2025 at the 35th Maria Louisa Memorial International 2025.
"Photography started as a passion — and a way to document the places I traveled."
Does the idea of spending your time off submerged in the icy yet bountiful waters of Antarctica tickle your fancy? Or is photographing the rare, endangered mountain gorillas in Rwanda at the top of your bucket list?
Scott offers a comprehensive range of nature and wildlife workshops in Antarctica, Norway, Iceland, Tonga, and the Falkland Islands. He also loves nothing more than running air (drone), land, and sea workshops and tours in Australia. After all, Australia offers us some of nature's most majestic species and experiences. Now you too can learn from a master nature and wildlife photographer while experiencing and exploring remote corners of the globe.
Scott’s workshops and tours are designed to boost your creative output and put you front and centre amongst exotic, rare, and endangered species. Even without a camera in hand, the life-altering experiences will make you appreciate the natural world more than ever before.
"Antarctica is a visual feast — it’s overwhelming how much there is to shoot."
Given Scott’s work and love of the natural world, his images offer far more than a talking point or a unique piece of wall art. Scott’s images and time spent on locations have allowed him to support and champion essential conservation programs. The nature of Scott’s work sees him travel to some of the most remote locations on the planet. During our live interview, Scott estimated he had been to Antarctica around 25 times! Scott has supported conservation initiatives such as the Tongan Fluke Collective Initiative to identify and document individual whales, locations, and behaviour through his visual media.
Scott is also a documentary filmmaker creating compelling conservation documentary videos - many of which are award-winning as you’d expect! Some of Scott’s standout documentaries include Saving the Planet, One Cause at a Time, The Art of Capturing a Heat Run, and, more recently, Gentle Giants.
“With all expeditions I aim to give back to the scientific and research community. This is in many forms, such as providing fluke shots of whales for identification, donating footage to scientists and government bodies to help in the conservation of a species.”
Over the years, Scott has also exhibited his stunning images at home in Australia and abroad. The exhibitions offer visitors the chance to marvel at Scott’s work and gain critical insight into the plight and conservation of countless species - many of which are endangered.
As the 2017, 2019, and 2021 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, Scott’s images were featured in associated exhibitions at the Australian Museum. Other notable exhibitions include the Whale Vision Exhibition in Reykjavík, Iceland, the Travel Photographer of the Year 2018 Exhibition in London, and the Lord Howe Island “Reef to Cloud Nine” at The Gallery, Hyatt Regency in Sydney. In a world where climate science is constantly challenged, exhibitions such as these cut through political rhetoric and show firsthand the state of the natural world and the impact we have upon it.
"The OM System has taken many of my award-winning shots — I’m not compromising on anything."
Chatting with Scott and discovering more about his journey, creativity, and profound respect for the natural world was an absolute treat. His images and the resulting conservation role he plays will prove critical at a time when environmental impact and species reduction are prevalent. In that respect, Scott could add historian to his resume.
If you’re unfamiliar with The Camera Life Podcast, be sure to take a look at our YouTube channel for the latest episodes and, of course, our back catalogue of weekly shows. Our shows are also available on popular audio podcast platforms. If you like what you see, please give us a thumbs up, subscribe to The Camera Life, and click on the bell icon to receive notifications of upcoming shows. We host two shows weekly, the first being every Thursday at 9am AEDT (Australia), where we interview amazing guests. The second show, The Random Photography Show, airs every Monday at 7:30 pm AEDT. The Random Photography show is a little random, a little loose, and a lot of fun! Be sure to check them out.
Find Scott:
- Website and Photography Workshops: https://www.scottportelli.com/#4
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scott.portelli/
- Australian Photographic Prize - Awards: https://australianphotographicprize.com.au/
- Book A Tour: https://swimmingwithgentlegiants.com/
