About

Charles Davis

Charles Davis has been photographing the amazing natural world around him for over a decade. Primarily focusing on Australian wildlife in and around his home in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales, Charles has a deep respect and love for the fauna of our country. The Davis family has owned a large sheep farm near Cooma, NSW, for six generations, and it is here that he finds much of the inspiration for his work. The knowledge and understanding gained about the Australian high country through generations of farming, hiking, and skiing, has been significant to understanding the animals and their habitats. Charles also spent many years travelling the world snowboarding, giving him the skills needed to travel safely through the mountains to places many never see. All of these life experiences have been pivotal to capturing the fantastic worlds seen in Charles’ photos.

The style of Charles’ work is a fine art approach, creating large, beautiful prints in very limited-edition sets. As the moments he captures are fleeting and never seen again, so too are the number of prints created. Central to Charles’ artistic inspiration are his two aunts and his grandfather, who are all highly regarded award-winning landscape painters.

His photos have been published in magazines, books and publications over the years. Charles has also filmed and worked on many major nature documentaries for the BBC, ABC, and National Geographic working with the likes of David Attenborough. Charles’ works have been sold to private collectors around the world and have won numerous awards, both Nationally and Internationally.

Awards

2023 Wildlife Photographer Of The Year Awards:
Peoples Choice: Finalist "Duckling Huddle"
2023 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Monochrome: Finilist "Adventure Ball"
2023 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Landscape: Finalist "Sponers"
2022 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Monochrome: Finalist "Lone Duck"
2021 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
People Choice Award: Winner "Better Together"
2020 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Monochrome: Winner "Phil’s World"
2019 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Portfolio Award: Winner "Big Step, Little Step"
2019 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Landscapes: Finalist "Fairy Dust"
2018 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Animal Portrait: Finalist "Lyrebird Strut"
2018 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Monochrome: Finalist "Rise Above"
2017 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Animal Habitat: Finalist "Guthega Wombat"
2017 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Animal Habitat: Finalist "Gliders By Night"
2016 Ecology Society of Australia Ecology in Action Photo Competition
Best Portfolio Prize: Winner "The Ascent"
2016 Ecology Society of Australia Ecology in Action Photo Competition
Ecology in Action: 2nd and 3rd Place "Elise"
2016 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Monochrome: 1st Place "Winters Path"
Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Animal Habitat: Highly Commended "Arctic Roo"
2015 National Geographic Por El Planeta
Animal Portrait: Highly Commended "Icy Looks"
2015 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Animal Portrait: Runner-up "Icy Looks"
2014 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Monochrome: 1st Place "Praise to the Rain"
2014 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year
Threatened Species: Highly Commended "Beach Qoukkas"

Documentaries

Tiny World
Commissioned by Apple for their new streaming services, this four-part series aired in October 2020, narrated by Paul Rudd. Charles spent almost 6 months on and off working with a family of wild sugar gliders on his family’s farm and many other places in his local area. The documentary takes a new look at the natural world from the smallest creatures' eyes with a Toy Story like look and an adventurous feel as they go about their tiny lives.
Seven Worlds
Commissioned by the BBC and narrated by David Attenborough, this seven-part series celebrates the natural wonders of each of the worlds seven continents. Charles spent 7 weeks straight in the mountains filming kangaroos in blizzards and wombats wading through deep snow. At the start of filming, Charles was on his own, capturing as much footage of kangaroos and wombats as he could. Later he was joined by a producer from the UK and Dan and Ed from the NHU, who together spent many weeks in knee-deep snow getting to know the highest living wombats in the world and the challenges that come with working in such a cold environment.
Hostile Planet
Commissioned by National Geographic, Narrated by Bear Grylls and Directed by Guillermo Navarro, this 9-episode documentary shines a light on our planet's harshest environments. Charles Spent 3 weeks assisting Dan Hunter and Ed Saltau from the NHU filming freshwater crocodiles eating little red flying foxes as they flew down to drink each morning. The days were extremely humid, with tens of thousands of bats flying overhead and large crocodiles in the water. Charles spent most of his time on a hand-built raft made from 40-gallon drums and wood or in a cherry picker to help film the bats in the canopy for the Jungles episode.
The Magical Land of Oz
Commissioned by the BBC and the ABC, this three-part series aired on the ABC in Australia in 2018 narrated by Barry Humphries. Charles spent 2 months working with a family of wild sugar gliders on his family’s farm until he and Ben Cunningham could capture the first sequence of wild sugar gliders flying and climbing through the trees at night.

Publications

Australian High Country Raptors, Jerry Olsen, Pages 87, 163, 164, 165
Australian raptor species that regularly breed in the high country above 600 metres, from Goulburn in New South Wales to the hills out side of Melbourne, Victoria
Wild, Issue 134 2013, Black Shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris)
A common sight throughout the savannah woodlands, open forests and floodplains, the black shouldered kite (Elanus axillaris) is one of the most beautiful birds of prey in Australia.
Outback Mag Issue 90 2013 An Eagle Eye
Hanging one-armed from a brittle gum, 12 metres above the ground, Charles Davis from Cooma, NSW, has secured some of the best ever photographs of baby wedge-tailed eagles growing up.
Outback Mag Issue 100 2015 Snowy Stop Over (Bredbo Pub)
An enduring bush legend and a prime location have kept this watering hole firmly on the map.
Outback Mag Issue 101 2015 Men from Snowy River
Each year at The Man from Snowy River Festival at Corryong, Vic, Banjo Paterson’s classic poem is re-enacted.
Outback Mag Issue 102 2015 A Tale of Two Towns
The Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme remains one of our country’s greatest engineering achievements. Its impacts – socially, culturally and economically – continue to be felt in the town of Adaminaby.
University Of Canberra, 2016 Annual Report, Front page, back page and contents page
Little red flying foxes fly over a blue Limestone river in the remote Kimberly region of Northern Australia.
Outback Mag Issue 105 2016, Dalgety, NSW 2628
The nation’s loss seems to have been Dalgety’s gain, as the town that was almost our capital remains a quiet, historic spot on the Snowy.
Outback Mag Issue 108 2016 A Holey Revelation
A team of scientists is revealing the secret lives of waterholes in Central Australia and the myriad creatures they sustain
Australian Geographic, Issue 140, 2017, This year's best wildlife photos, Front Page
We're waddling away from winter today in AG with the release of our September/October issue! We adore our wintery cover model, a common wombat, captured by photographer Charles Davis in Kosciuszko National Park.
Outback Mag Issue, 113, 2017, Fresh Prints, Front Cover
For many years, photographer Charles Davis, of Cooma, NSW, has ventured into the cold to capture images of a wide variety of native and feral animals in the snow. One of his most controversial subjects is brumbies.
Australian Geographic, Issue 144, 2018, Big Picture, Spine Chilling
The Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a monotreme, an egg laying mammal that feeds its young on milk. Echidnas as adaptable creatures tha can thrive anywhere from arid deserts in the Northern Territory to the cold alpine regions of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales.
Outback Mag Issue 119 2018, Future Proof
Australian farmers are creatively safeguarding their businesses against changing markets, climate and technology.
Australian Photography Magazine, July 2018, Born To Be Wild.
5 Expert tips to capture astonishing wildlife photos.
Capture magazine, Sep/Oct 2018, Talent Section. Page 6
Turning a passion into a career with Charles Davis.
Outback Mag, Issue 128 2019, Contents Page
A 4m meter salt water crocodile near the mouth of the Fitzroy River, Kimberly, WA.
BBC Seven Worlds One Planet book, 2019
Natural Wonders from every Continent book, Forward by David Attenborough, Pages, Opening Page, 70, 74, 77, 78,79
Outback Mag, Issue 132 2020, Round Up
Wild about brumbies, The brumby debate continues as tension hears up on both sides of the fence.
Outback Mag, Issue 133 2020, Photo Essay
The lengths that Outback Magazine photographers go to for fresh, original imagery.