Herald trio zoom in on awards

Natalie Slade's picture of Avondale Union Parish celebrating White Sunday, or Children's Day, is in the New Zealand Geographic competition. Photo / Natalie Slade

Herald photographer Natalie Slade's picture of Avondale Union Parish celebrating White Sunday, or Children's Day, is in the New Zealand Geographic competition.

A Samoan procession of 100 children and parents, thousands crowding Auckland streets to cheer the All Blacks and a striped boarfish at the largest of the Kermadecs' Milne Inlets.

Images taken by Herald photographers are among 39 photos that were selected from more than 3100 entries for the New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year Award. Herald staff members Natalie Slade, Brett Phibbs and Richard Robinson are among the finalists.

The images for the annual competition are on display at Auckland Museum until October 22.

Professional photographers Arno Gasteiger, Andris Apse, Kim Westerskov and Geographic editor James Frankham are this year's judges.

Frankham said judges were looking for photos that "had an element of surprise" rather than ones that were "technically perfect".

Public votes for the Audience Award can be made either at the exhibition or online, and the winners will be announced at an awards night at the Auckland Museum on October 25.