Landscape nominee

In this series, Manolakis captures the striking contrasts of Shark Bay, Western Australia, where a luminous blue lagoon meets the fiery embrace of red sands. Through sweeping aerial perspectives, the images reveal nature’s vivid palette—cerulean waters curling against ochre earth, creating abstract patterns both serene and raw. The interplay of colour and form evokes a land shaped by tides and time, where beauty emerges from the meeting of opposites.

Born in America and based in Australia, Manolakis is a self-taught, multi-awarding-winning fine art aerial landscape photographer. He has garnered impressive attention from the global art community for his unique techniques, heart-wrenching backstory, and his devotion to revealing nature’s majesty through previously unseen viewpoints.

Armed with little more than a flight plan and his camera, Manolakis navigates Australia from overhead, seizing and unveiling the country’s iconic landscapes from hidden angles that expose nature’s mosaic of colours, lines, shapes, and textures. According to Manolakis, just 1% of his photos make the cut.

Manolakis considers himself fortunate to call the Great Southern Land home – but he craves more cinematic grandeur than Sydney can offer. Once a year, he ventures into the atmosphere, orbiting (and re-orbiting) geographic features from small bush planes and helicopters. Despite his young age, Manolakis has already been recognised by All About Photo as one of the most promising rising photographers, propelling the Australian fine art community forward with his distinctive composition and meticulous attention to detail.