A stunning underwater photograph of a white soft coral that resembles a psychedelic forest has won the grand prize at Australia's premier nature photography competition. The winning image, titled "Fractal Forest," captures the intricate details of a White Soft Tree Coral (Eunephthya thyrsoidea) and was taken by West Australian photographer Ross Gudgeon in the Lembeh Strait off North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

The extraordinary photograph owes its unique perspective to specialized underwater camera equipment - the Nauticam EMWL, a special underwater camera lens designed for extreme macro photography. Gudgeon's close-up shot reveals the coral's tree-like structure, formed by countless small, rounded polyps that cluster together to create a surface resembling a miniature forest or cauliflower floating in the ocean. The coral's common name derives from this distinctive branching formation that gives it its woodland appearance.

The Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition, organized by the South Australian Museum in collaboration with Australian Geographic, awarded Gudgeon $10,000 in prize money plus an expedition cruise for his winning entry. The image captivated judges with its vibrant colors, bizarre formations, and otherworldly psychedelic quality that transforms a marine creature into what appears to be a fantastical terrestrial landscape.

The competition recognized excellence across eleven categories, with each category winner receiving $1,500. Notable achievements include young talent Isabella Rogers, a 16-year-old from South Australia, who won with her photograph of two pink cockatoos perched on a lamppost at dawn, demonstrating the impressive skills of emerging photographers.

Other category winners showcased the diversity of Australian wildlife and landscapes. Charles Davis won two categories - "Animals in Nature" for his image "PJ Crabs" and "Aerial Photography" for "Jabiru Leaf." Talia Greis captured the "Macro" category with "Liftoff," while Darren Wassell's dramatic landscape "The Beast" took the landscape category. Environmental themes were represented by Etienne Littlefair's "Red Dawn" in the Endangered Species category and Sara Corlis's "Skink in a Tight Spot" in the Human Impact category.

The competition also recognized technical excellence in specialized photography fields. Rachelle Mackintosh won the Monochrome category with "Party Streamer," Marley Butler captured the Astrophotography prize with "Oberon Kenobi," and Peter McGee took the Portfolio category with "Sydney Cephalopod Portraits," showcasing marine life from Sydney's waters. These award-winning images collectively demonstrate the remarkable biodiversity and natural beauty found across Australia and the surrounding waters, while highlighting the artistic vision of the country's nature photographers.