A resident of Ballalaba, George snapped his prize winning shot of Skua gulls in Antarctica, where he previously lived and worked. "I was at Cape Jules in Antarctica, not far from Mawson's Hut" recalls George. "I was wandering around a rocky outcrop and the usual Adelie Penguins were nesting there with some Skua gulls. The gulls ignored me totally, and started doing their threat display at the other birds. I snapped the shot from around 6 metres away.

You can just see a penguin in the background looks suitably unimpressed at having the 'neighbours from hell' alongside him!"

In fact it was the inclusion of this penguin that led the Head Judge Hugh Hamilton to remark "What makes this shot great is the penguin cowering in the left of frame...without it this is a good shot, with it it's a great shot."

George's victory sums up the opportunity online photographic galleries like PhotoArtGallery.com bring to its members, according to Andrew Coppin, Founder and CEO of PhotoArtGallery.com.

"George is a great photographer, but until now he hasn't been able to enter a lot of competitions in Australia, let alone internationally because he lives in rural NSW. With free Galleries such as ours the world has come to George's doorstep! We're the real winners because we can now share in George's wonderful talent."

George has won a Photography course from the Photography Institute worth approximately $1000.