Local photographer Oscar Hetherington has been awarded Landscape Photographer of the Year and runner up for Overall Photographer of the Year at the Otago Museum Photography Awards.

Oscar, who is just 20 years old, was “very excited and shocked” when his image, ‘Top to Bottom’, was selected for both of those awards in a large field with over 4000 entries, he told the Wanaka App.

Oscar had held the image back from social media knowing it was ‘special’.

“I aim to shoot and share something unique so sometimes hold onto a photo for up to a year or so until I find the right way to share it, via print or in a magazine or enter it into any awards. This was also the first time I had entered the Otago museum photography awards.”

When Oscar visits Wanaka, his home town, he takes to the skies with his father, a pilot, in search of new terrain and beautiful views. This is how ‘Top to Bottom’ was captured, on a mid-winter evening last year flying over Mt Ionia in Mount Aspiring National Park. 

“It stands out to me because it gives the perspective of peering over the edge of a mountain top all the way down to the valley floor and rivers below,” Oscar said.

Oscar first picked up a camera when he was 14-years-old, with a view to capture and document adventures with his friends.

He loves shooting and creating images, and describes his approach to image making as “unconventional.”

Many of his images are taken in the ocean and in extreme conditions in the outdoors, but overcoming these challenges is something Oscar enjoys the most.

“I know that every story has a different way of being told. I like to think as a problem solver, and action taker.”

“I've definitely had a few close calls, had mild hypothermia once or twice and always get a good adrenaline rush from shooting in the ocean.”

Oscar wants to sell his prints as fine art, and work with companies whose values align with his love of risk taking, story-telling and problem solving.

“I'm looking forward to the future, exploring new places, sharing stories and taking lots of photos,” he said.

See more of Oscar’s stunning visuals here.