What started as a routine early morning walk around Herdsman Lake for Perth hobbyist photographer Donald Chin ended with a snap that has catapulted the 58-year-old onto the national stage.

Mr Chin is among a talented contingent of WA finalists shortlisted for the prestigious 2026 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition.

His nominated photograph captures a juvenile tawny frogmouth stretching its wings to shield its two siblings just as a light shower began to fall.

“Initially they had their eyes closed,” Mr Chin said.

“And just as some light showers started to fall, one of the tawny frogmouths stretches out his wings and I was like, wow, I was pretty excited. He opened his eyes and yeah, I took that shot.

“I was really thrilled.”

Now in its 23rd year, the competition — produced by the South Australian Museum — is widely considered the pinnacle for nature photography in the region.

This year’s contest attracted a staggering 2129 entries from 501 photographers across 17 countries, spanning 10 categories.

Only 100 images made the final cut for the upcoming exhibition.

Former winner and 2026 judge Ross Gudgeon said narrowing the field required ruthless attention to detail.

“The standard this year was extremely high,” Mr Gudgeon said.

“It was very easy getting down to 200 photos, but it then got very difficult narrowing it down again to the final 100.

“In the end, it was pretty much attention to detail that was the difference.”

The powerhouse crop of WA finalists also includes Lewis Burnett, Nathan Watson, Georgina Steytler, Beth Baker, Elizabeth Oxnam, Brooke Pyke, Matt Deakin, Kendra Campbell, Sharon Jones, Scott Portelli, and Francois Brassard.

For Mr Chin, who focuses his lens primarily on wildlife and landscapes, just making the shortlist among such high-calibre peers is a victory.

“This is my third year entering the competition and each year I can see the images are getting better and better,” he said.

“The quality of the work being submitted, it’s really pristine.”

The overall winner and category winners will be revealed via a video announcement on Thursday, August 27, ahead of the exhibition opening at the South Australian Museum on Saturday, August 29.

The stakes are high, with a $10,000 grand prize for the overall winner, $1500 for category winners, and a People’s Choice award to be voted on by the public and announced in January.