Nick Melidonis APP.L M. Photog. V
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things”
Henry Miller
Hello, I’m Nick and thanks for dropping in.
Three of my great passions in life are photography, travel and teaching and I am very fortunate to have made those my life’s vocation. The exhilaration and sheer joy of experiencing new landscapes, wildlife, people and cultures in some of the world’s most scenic and wild locations has kept me travelling for most of my life. Nothing pleases me more than to share those experiences with like- minded people and it has led to photo and cultural tours to Greece, Borneo, Africa, Spain, Indonesia and Iceland.
I was born in Alexandria, Egypt of Greek parents and migrated to Australia at the age of six. A large proportion of Greeks in Melbourne and Perth are from Alexandria. My father is from Mitilene, Lesbos and he often talked about the idyllic way of life in the Greek Islands. I travelled to Greece in the mid 90’s to discover the way of life my father knew and fell in love with the place. My first book ‘Aegean Light’ was spawned from those early trips and also influenced my decision to become a professional photographer in 1999.
Over a couple of years, I put together my first Photo and cultural tour and led a small group of people to the fabled Cyclades Islands in 1999. This has now become a yearly trip. Recent tours have included Delphi and Meteora and In 2015, I added the myth-laden Peleponese area of Greece.
As a corporate trainer and teacher in the past, I also enjoy sharing and teaching about my journey in photography and have always been a keen explorer of the creative process of what makes a successful photographic image. I write about my photography adventures in Australian and US photo and Lifestyle magazines. Some of these articles are in my Publications page.
Music and sailing are also passions of mine. I enjoy singing and playing guitar and enjoyed success with many Australian folk and pop groups with one platinum record. I have been skippering my boat ‘Hellas’ in yacht races from Royal Perth Yacht Club for many years and I am happy to say I hold nine state titles for my yacht class. I served on the committee of Royal Perth Yacht Club during the winning and defence of the America's Cup. I shoot many yachting events and was fortunate to be one of the media photographers covering the 2011 ISAF World Sailing Championships in Fremantle WA.
A near fatal fall off a cliff in Karijini National Park during a 2010 shoot in remote WA was a life-changing experience (see ‘Chords for Angels’). It profoundly changed the way I look at life now and I was touched by the support I received from friends and the photography community in Australia. As one kind soul put it in a ‘Get Well’ email she sent me; “Maybe you were spared because your best work is yet to come”. I live each day knowing that’s possible
"There are a lot of great photographers on the speaking circuits who communicate their passion, but few are able to communicate passion as well and with a clear understanding and direction that the audience can take away and apply to their own lives. This is where Nick Melidonis excels. He’ll draw you into his world of landscapes, travel and fine art with inspirational images, then describe a simple process you can follow to develop your own style and create your own masterpieces. Nick’s presentation techniques are engaging, humorous and educational and he can speak on everything from composition and photographic philosophy to practical camera and Photoshop techniques – everyone leaves his seminars and workshops on a high."
Peter Eastway, Grand Master of Photography
Publisher, Better Photography Magazine
I am available for travel and commercial assignments and as a speaker and workshop presenter. My images are also available for purchase as fine art, stock photography or commercial use. Please see 'Contact' page to send me a message and for enquiries.
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Major Awards and Honours
Nick is one of only three photographers to have won the AIPP ‘Australian Professional Landscape Photographer of the Year’ three times. Nick was awarded the West Australian Professional Landscape Photographer of the Year in 2005. He is also the 2011, 2013 and 2015 runner-up to the ‘Australian Travel Photographer of the Year’. In 2002, Nick achieved a Master of Photography from the AIPP and is currently an M. Photog. V (five gold bars)
In 2016, Nick won the silver medal in the Nature category (landscapes and wildlife) in the World Photographic Cup held in Portugal with 28 nations competing with his photo of the Camel Train, Nubra Valley, India ranked number two in the world in that category.
The same photograph was a finalist in the prestigious National Geographic 2016 Travel Photographer of the Year.
It also received a Gold with Distinction at the Australian Professional Photography Awards in 2016 and was that years highest scoring travel photograph
