2017 Wildlife Photo Contest

About The Photographer

A true world traveler, Gary Mc Alea was born in Dublin, Ireland, where he spent his childhood. He then moved to South Africa, where he spent about twenty years learning to love nature and animals, and developing a love of capturing their incredible moments to share with others. Photography was a way to enhance the colorful stories the Irish can’t help but tell at every turn. Gary has now lived in Austin, TX, USA for fourteen years. This is where he met his lovely wife, Katheryn, who thankfully shares his love of wildlife and nature. Gary has also travelled in Asia, India, Europe, Mexico, the Carribean, Australia and New Zealand, finding different animals, locations and events to photograph in each area. One of his favorite experiences was finding a large pod of dolphins bubble fishing off of the coast of New Zealand. He and his wife spent hours photographing them, amazed by their coordination, collaboration, and sheer determination, saying, “It was mesmerizing!”