Photography win for scientist

Dr Edin Whitehead says her image of an Antipodean albatross chick that likely succumbed to starvation is a stark reminder that not every chick develops into a fledgling strong enough to take flight.

The photo, captured on the Antipodes Islands by the biological sciences research fellow, was named winner of the wildlife category at the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year awards ceremony on 23 October.

Although she had been a finalist in previous years, and Young Photographer of the Year in 2014, she says she was surprised by the win.

“It was a bit embarrassing – I actually cried. I never go in expecting anything; that’s just my approach to life … and you appreciate everything that you get.”

Edin says it meant a lot to win the award for a photojournalistic image that carried a strong message, advocating for the plight of seabirds. It was captured while she was working as a field assistant for the Department of Conservation’s Conservation Services Programme on the Antipodes Islands, located 860km southeast of Rakiura/Stewart Island.

Scientists have monitored the Antipodean albatross population on the islands for the past 30 years. Between 2005 and 2007, bird numbers crashed due to high female mortality rates and low chick production, and a 2024 survey found numbers still remained far below pre crash levels.

Edin spent last summer monitoring the colony’s population with research ecologist and zoologist Kalinka Rexer-Huber and recalls how she captured the winning shot.

“The light was really nice one evening and I was planning on walking back to our hut to make dinner, but Kalinka was like, ‘No, no, you stay here with your camera. I’ll go back’.”

That’s when she found one of the chicks, dead on the ground.

“We had kind of been anticipating it. As soon as we get to the island, we go around the study area and find all of the chicks from last season, we map all the nests, see who’s been successful, who hasn’t been successful.”

They had seen obvious signs of chicks in distress, which occurs when the parents can’t provide sufficient food, or have ended up as fishing bycatch by longline fisheries, leaving their young vulnerable.

Edin’s love for the natural world stems from her parents, both medical doctors (her mother is now retired), who shaped her curiosity and creativity. Father Tony Whitehead introduced his daughter to birdwatching and passed on his photographic talents; he was also a finalist in the same category of this year’s awards, and has been a finalist in previous years.

“In another life, Dad would have had my career. He’s an obsessive and amazing photographer, so he’s responsible for me being the way I am! Mum’s responsible for the side of me that loves to document and write everything down, which is useful for both research and outreach.”

Growing up in Rotorua, she spent summers by the sea at Mt Maunganui and Ōhope.

“My brother and I are both first-generation New Zealanders, but we often visited family in South Africa. That grew my love for being out in nature; I did a lot of birdwatching with my dad and granddad.

“I’ve managed to get Dad out into the field with me working on seabirds occasionally, and it’s super special sharing that side of my life with him.”

Father and daughter also run a wildlife photography masterclass on Otago Peninsula.

At the awards ceremony, the words of photographer, storyteller and awards’ judge Qiane Matata-Sipu struck a chord with Edin; Qiane talked about the ‘why’ that drives people to capture images and tell stories. Edin originally embarked on a conjoint Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts degree but pivoted as her curiosity to ask questions about the world in a “science-y kind of way” persisted.

It’s a path that’s led to finding her own ‘why’, now researching the impacts of climate change on seabirds, and capturing such award-winning images along the way.

“The story of Antipodean albatrosses and their trajectory towards extinction has been a big part of my life for the past two years,” she says.

“These birds are disappearing, and if my work can help people see and care about that, then it’s worth every moment.”

Kim Meredith