![Ben Heaton's photo at the Warrumbungle National Park earned him the joint winner of the Landscape and Vistas section of the competition. Picture by Ben Heaton Ben Heaton's photo at the Warrumbungle National Park earned him the joint winner of the Landscape and Vistas section of the competition. Picture by Ben Heaton](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/07c643c7-c1b5-448e-800d-8723a9726f69.jpg/r0_0_3840_2560_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Photographers capturing the quiet beauty of the Warrumbungles are among those recognised in the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's inaugural photo competition.
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Describing the five winning entries as simply awe-inspiring, the Head of National Parks, Atticus Fleming, said more than 8000 entries were received, an overwhelming response to the competition in its first year.
Among those entries were two vastly different shots from the Warrumbungle National Park - based around an Orana region mountain range - by Ben Heaton and Gavin Kellett.
Mr Heaton was named a joint-winner of the Landscapes and Vistas section of the competition for his shot, Deep Space, while Mr Kellett received a highly commended in the Enjoying Nature section for Ascending Crater Bluff.
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"The fact that we had so many entries representing hundreds of different species of plant and animal, and more than 250 national parks, just reinforces how much the community love our parks," Mr Fleming said of the competition.
"We received entries from amateurs and professionals, and all showed us their appreciation for our protected areas and the native plants and animals that call them home.
"Due to the huge number and high calibre of entries in our most popular category, Landscapes and Vistas, we decided to award joint winners and both are so very deserving of the accolade."
The five winners were selected across four competition categories by a panel of talented guest judges, including Chris Bath, Edwina Bartholomew, Rae Johnston and James Valentine.
"The winning photographs have a wow factor that inspires you to visit national parks. They give you a sense of the beauty of the Australian bush and the vastness of nature," Ms Bath said.
The winners will receive prizes valued up to $2100 each for a holiday in one of the cabins and cottages in a NSW National Park.
Anyone interested in next year's competition can sign up to the mailing list via the NPWS website.
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