Ben Wilkinson, Brutally Beautiful - South West Tasmania #2 (PLACES WILDERNESS 2025)

Captured during a 7 day, off track hike into the remote wilderness of South West Tasmania's World Heritage National Park. The weather was wild, pelting us with relentless rain that soaked us to the bone. Long days with heavy wet packs were filled with mist that reduced visibility to metres but made for moody images. I captured this single frame image just as the last light of day illuminated the peaks in the background. I remember standing there shivering but in awe of its power and beauty before I escaped to my dry tent and fell asleep exhausted. I believe this is 'proper' wilderness, untamed, dangerous, remote and wild.. to me it was 'Brutally Beautiful' and I love it the effect being in these regions has on my being. wilderness /ˈwɪldənəs/ noun an uncultivated, uninhabited, and inhospitable region. Venturing into regions that place you at the mercy of nature and the elements due to their remoteness is a wonderful type of photography. There's no planning, no waiting, just small windows of opportunity where you have to use every ounce of effort, energy and skill you have to capture fleeting moments of beauty. What a beautiful privilege it is to be there.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.