Scott Portelli

Scott Portelli has been the recipient of numerous international awards for his wildlife, nature and underwater photography work. Based in Sydney and a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP), he is regarded as a leading professional in his field. He is passionate about wildlife in all its forms, and has previously exhibited collections of his humpback whale images to raise money to help prevent whaling in the Southern Ocean.

Scott was a finalist at the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards in London in 2016, was announced as National Winner of the Sony World Photography Awards in the same year, and also also a winner at the 2015 Travel Photographer of the Year Awards. His conservation documentary Saving the Planet One Cause at a Time also took home two awards at the French Underwater Film Festival in Marseille in 2015.

More recently, he was the winner of the Animal Behaviour category at the 2017 Australian Geographic ANZANG Nature Photographer of the Year Awards, while his humpback whale image 'Fluke' won the Underwater Category at the Asferico International Nature Photography Awards in 2018.

Based in Sydney, Scott has spent thousands of hours in remote locations across the globe including Antarctica, Africa, the Galápagos, the Azores, the Arctic and the South Pacific, filming and photographing wildlife, the underwater environment and the world's wild places.

An accredited licensed RPAS/UAV Pilot, Scott has also worked on aerial projects in some of the world’s most sought-after destinations.

Scott runs photography workshops and lectures to show enthusiasts and experts alike the best way to get the most out of their photography. He specialises in wildlife photography, bringing the best tips and techniques for photographing in challenging locations.

Together with Russell MacLaughlin, Shannon led a hugely successful photographic departure in 2017 and 2018 aboard our Svalbard Polar Bear Explorer ship charter the M/S Freya.

Both Shannon and Russell have also been featured as part of RED Collective, an initiative launched by RED Digital Camera that brings visionaries into focus. The husband-and-wife team have been recognised for their efforts in documenting rare and endangered animals across the globe, helping to promote conservation efforts and bring the fragility and beauty of the natural world to a worldwide audience. Together as "The Wilds", they bring their passion for nature and dedication to conservation to everything they do.

You can watch the full RED Collective video below, where Shannon and Russell discuss their process in capturing nature's intimate, unscripted moments.