Creating Memorable Wildlife Images with Doug Gimesy

Want your wildlife photos to stand out, not just look “technically correct”?
This interactive, small-group workshop at Ted's Melbourne is designed to help you create wildlife and nature images that truly connect with viewers.

Proudly supported by Sony Imaging Australia, this session goes beyond camera settings and sharpness. You’ll explore why some images stay with us and how to bring emotion, story and impact into your wildlife photography.

What You’ll Learn

By the end of this session, you’ll have a clearer understanding of:

• What makes a wildlife image memorable

• How composition, timing, light and subject behaviour affect impact

• The difference between a “good” photo and a powerful one

• How to thoughtfully assess and improve your own images

• How to approach wildlife photography with stronger creative intent

This 2 hour class is split into two engaging parts:

Part 1 – Inspiration & Insight
We’ll explore why images are so powerful and discuss creative elements that elevate wildlife and nature photography beyond technical basics.

Part 2 – Guided Image Review
Participants will take part in a supportive, anonymous group critique. Together, we’ll review submitted images to identify what’s working well and what could be refined next time.

This collaborative approach helps you learn not just from your own images, but from others as well.

What to Bring

• A basic understanding of photography and camera fundamentals

• 2–3 wildlife or nature images you’ve taken

  • High-resolution JPEGs (2000px on the long edge)

  • No watermark

  • Under 2MB per file

  • Each image named as if for a gallery presentation (e.g. Your Name – Image Title.jpg)

• Images must be submitted at least two days prior to the event

• Please submit the images here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sZJgki5f_lMUycThKTZFlVZnKaHMci2y?usp=sharing

  
  

About Doug Gimesy

Doug is a professional conservation and wildlife photojournalist who focuses on Australian issues. His clients include National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, The Smithsonian, Scientific American, Australian Geographic, as well various mastheads like The Guardian.

A Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) he is a four-time finalist in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and winner of the Panda Awards (photo-story) and Big Picture Natural World Photography Competition. He’s had an image selected as National Geographics best animal image of 2020, in 2022, one of his platypus images was used for an Australian $1.20 stamp, and most recently had a double page spread in Mays National Geographic.

His hope is that the images and information he shares, will inspire people to stop, think, and treat the world more kindly.

Head banner photographs by Doug Gimesy