Tarneit man Vinay Mote is flying high after winning a major prize in the Wyndham Photo Competition.
Mote’s picture of a wattlebird at Camelot Park in Tarneit won the “most shared” and “professional portrait” categories of the contest, which was run by the Rotary Club of Laverton Point Cook.
Twelve images from the competition, which attracted a total of 170 entries, have been published in the club’s 2018 fundraising calendar.
Mote won $500 in the contest, which he has donated to charity.
He said because the photo award was local, he decided to give $250 to the Mercy Hospital Foundation, to help out patients at Werribee Mercy Hospital.
Mote donated another $250 to Birdlife Australia, the nation’s largest bird conservation organisation.
“I think I am community-minded and I like to volunteer and donate and give back to society whenever I can,” he said.
Mote said his love of photography started during childhood, when he would photograph weddings and travel with a film camera.
Nowadays, he works as a professional wildlife and nature photographer. He also teaches photography and takes people on overseas photo tours in countries such as Kenya.
“I aim to teach people photography, to be at one in nature and care for the planet,” Mote said.
See vinaymote.com or rotarylpc.org.au/product/2018-calendar/ for details.
