Bluebottle photographed in shallow water at sunset off south coast, New South Wales, Australia

Justin Gilligan is a conservation photojournalist, Associate Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, and 2023 National Geographic Explorer.   

He has contributed to 24 feature magazine articles for Australian Geographic, in addition to a range of book and diary publications. He has also been featured twice as a guest on Talking Australia, the Australian Geographic podcast.

Many of Justin's images have been recognised in prestigious photography competitions. He has been awarded 7 times in the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year over the past 11 years, including 3 category wins. Since 2008, he has had 38 winning and finalist images in the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition, including the overall winner in 2017, and the portfolio winner on two occasions. He helped judge this competition in 2019. 

Through his work, Justin strives to create images that draw the viewer’s attention to the beauty of the natural world and our diverse connections to it.