Les Irwig’s photographs reflecting the spirit of the Australian beach and bush have received many awards including ‘highly honoured’ in the prestigious Windland Rice Smith International Awards run by the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, USA in 2008: this image is published in their Nature’s Best Photography book which includes the top 100 photographs out of 20,000 entries. Les was the winner of the 2009 $6000 Murrurundi Photographic Prize. One of Les’s pictures was chosen for exhibition in the NSW Parliament in 2011 as a finalist in the NSW Plein Air Photographic competition.
His photographs have been used in several publications, for example on the cover and in his and Tom Weir's article about water striders in Wildlife Australia in 2018, with a simultaneous web article In Australian Geographic.
His images were selected for exhibitions of the Australasian Nature Photographer of the Year collection at the South Australian Museum and inclusion in the Australasian/Australian Geographic Nature Photography Book published by the South Australian Museum and CSIRO in 2009, 2012, 2015 and 2022.
A ‘Perception’ image of Les's was one of the 40 selected for the Head On Vision 2020 book and exhibition, responding to the challenges of that year, and in 2023, was a Highly Honoured Winner in the Art of Nature Category, Nature’s Best Photography International Awards. His image 'Braving the Storm was the winner, using a smartphone, in the Royal Meteorological Society Weather Photographer of the Year and is the April image in the 2024 Weather Photographer Calendar.
Les has had 10 solo and several group exhibitions.
He lives in Sydney, where his work is inspired by his family, the sea and the surrounding Australian bush.
Exhibitions since 2005
[solo exhibitions unless otherwise specified]
VIVID. Gallery Xposure, Rozelle July-Aug 2005.
Joint exhibition with two other photographers. The exhibition was listed both in ’10 things to do’ in the Good Weekend section of the Saturday Sydney Morning Herald and the ‘Plan your weekend’ section of the Sun Herald.
SPRING. Yuga, Glebe Sep-Oct 2006.
PRELUDES. Freeland gallery, Paddington Feb-Mar 2007.
The only photographer in a combined exhibition with three ceramic artists.
Freeland gallery Dec 2008 - Jan 2009.
The only photographer with several ceramic artists.
BUSH SPIRIT. Chifley Tower May-June 2011.
A joint exhibition with an African abstract painter in the foyer of a major office block in the Sydney CBD
webs water woods. Martha's May 2012.
This exhibition introduced photographs showing light diffracted though spider-webs creating stunning natural designs.
SPRING. Aurora Place, Sydney CBD. Sep to Nov 2015.
SUMMER. Aurora Place, Sydney CBD. Dec 2015 to Feb 2016.
NURTURING NATURE. Willoughby Council Foyer Exhibition Space. 13-29 June 2016.
SEA BREAK. The Sneaky Grind, Avalon 1 July to 13 Aug 2016
Australian Museum. Sep to Oct 2017. Two images selected for store display to coincide with the Australian Nature Photographer of the Year Exhibition
SeaEscape. Martha’s, Castlecrag. Oct 2017
AIR. Northern Beaches Creative Space special exhibition. Nov 2017. One artwork chosen for display with selected other visual artists
FIRE. Northern Beaches Creative Space special exhibition. June 2018. One artwork chosen for display with selected other visual artists
at Nature's Pace. Bathers' Pavilion, Balmoral Beach. 28 June-end Aug 2018. A major solo Exhibition.
In View of Change. Bathers' Pavilion, Balmoral Beach, 1 Nov to 24 December 2022. Over 30 photographs
Other publications
Les’s work has appeared on the front cover of books published by the Australian Government and by Blackwell publishing in the UK. His work has been used by Artslaw to illustrate legal issues in photography in public places.
Les Irwig and Tom Weir. Surface Tension. Exploiting the niche between water and air.
Wildlife Australia Magazine Winter 2018.
For digital copy, see: https://pocketmags.com/au/wildlife-australia-magazine/winter-2018
Les Irwig and Tom Weir. 'Skate, jump and slide'
is freely available on the Australian Geographic website