

Applications Open Now
About Us:
At CameraPro, we know photographers and videographers are well adept at solving complex problems in original, clever, and inventive ways. When paired with curiosity and a conservation mindset, visual creatives are perfectly positioned to use their storytelling prowess to illuminate important ecological issues from the backyard to the wilderness. The Create Better Grant supports the crucial work and tireless efforts of environmental advocates across Australia; we want to fuel your enthusiasm, enabling you to bring your stories to the forefront and inspire us all to take meaningful steps towards restoring our natural world and safeguarding our planet.
The Create Better Grant is an exciting evolution of the Explorer's Grant launched in 2018. Since its inception, the initiative has assisted social and environmentally-conscious Australian photographers and filmmakers by championing their projects with exposure and funding. Our aspiration for the grant has always been to empower creative visionaries to narrate impactful stories that highlight important causes, and our dedication to that is unwavering.
Ultimately, this initiative serves as a platform for conservation-minded creatives to tackle ecological challenges and rally fellow community members to actively participate in restoring and preserving cherished natural spaces and species. Through financial assistance and exposure, the Create Better Grant helps link photographers and videographers with the resources and connections they need to bring the environmental issues close to their hearts to the forefront.
Register Your Interest!


At The Create Better Grant, we believe in the transformative power of photography. Our mission is to support photographers who are dedicated to pushing the boundaries of their craft and using their work to inspire positive change. Whether you're a budding talent or an experienced professional, we invite you to join us in celebrating the art of photography and its potential to shape perspectives, challenge norms, and drive meaningful conversations.
Capturing moments, emotions, and stories through the lens of a camera is a unique and powerful form of artistic expression. The Create Better Grant recognizes the talent and vision of photographers and videographers who strive to create impactful visual narratives. If you're passionate about photography or videography, and want to make a difference through your art, this grant is your opportunity to shine.
Why Apply to the CameraPro Create Better Grant?
-
Empower Your Vision: The Explorer's Grant empowers you to bring your creative vision to life. It provides the financial backing and resources necessary to tackle projects that ignite change and inspire action.
-
Make a Real Impact: This grant is specifically designed for those who want to make a positive environmental impact through their work. By supporting projects that address pressing environmental issues, the Explorer's Grant empowers you to create visual narratives that raise awareness and inspire action, making a real difference in the world.
-
Recognition and Exposure: Your work deserves recognition! The Explorer's Grant provides a platform to amplify your work and reach a broader audience. Selected projects may be showcased on CameraPro's online and offline platforms, gaining exposure and recognition within the photography and filmmaking community.
-
Professional Growth: The Explorer's Grant is not just about financial support; it's an opportunity for personal and professional growth. It challenges you to push boundaries, explore new ideas, and refine your artistic voice. The experience gained through this grant can open doors to further opportunities in your creative journey.


-
Empower Your Vision: The Explorer's Grant empowers you to bring your creative vision to life. It provides the financial backing and resources necessary to tackle projects that ignite change and inspire action.
-
Make a Real Impact: This grant is specifically designed for those who want to make a positive environmental impact through their work. By supporting projects that address pressing environmental issues, the Explorer's Grant empowers you to create visual narratives that raise awareness and inspire action, making a real difference in the world.
-
Recognition and Exposure: Your work deserves recognition! The Explorer's Grant provides a platform to amplify your work and reach a broader audience. Selected projects may be showcased on CameraPro's online and offline platforms, gaining exposure and recognition within the photography and filmmaking community.
-
Financial Support: The Explorer's Grant provides financial support of up to $12,500 to selected applicants. This funding empowers you to bring your creative projects to life and make a significant impact without the financial burden.
-
Resources and Equipment: As a grant recipient, you'll have access to professional gear and equipment needed to enhance the quality of your work. CameraPro understands that having the right tools can elevate your artistic expression and help you tell your story more effectively.
-
Professional Growth: The Explorer's Grant is not just about financial support; it's an opportunity for personal and professional growth. It challenges you to push boundaries, explore new ideas, and refine your artistic voice. The experience gained through this grant can open doors to further opportunities in your creative journey.
-
Leave a Lasting Legacy: By applying to the Explorer's Grant, you have the chance to leave a lasting legacy through your impactful projects. Your work has the potential to create a ripple effect, inspiring others to take action and fostering a greater appreciation for the environment.
Register your interest for the Explorer's Grant!
Are you an Australian photographer or filmmaker?
Do you want your work to make a real, positive environmental impact?
The CameraPro Explorer’s Grant is your chance to make it happen.
Established in 2018, the Explorer's Grant empowers Australian photographers and filmmakers to support causes and tell stories that make a difference.
We know there’s power in creativity. That’s what fuels our purpose – to inspire and empower people to create a better world – and it’s why we founded the Explorer’s Grant.
To help creators like you change this world for the better.


Cause
Communities or organisations making a positive environmental impact
+
+


Grant
Financial support for both the cause and the story
=
=


Project
Your story, told via photos or video – presented, exhibited or roadshowed (with help from CameraPro) to gain exposure for your cause
Categories & Funding
Eligible entrants may apply for a choice of two categories: photography, or videography.
The Explorer’s Grant judges will select one winner from each category, who will share in $10,00 funding.
Criteria
What?
Your proposed photography or video project should focus on lesser-explored or undiscovered Australian places and ecosystems. All genres and forms of photography and filmmaking are welcome, with the judging panel particularly looking for innovative approaches to long-term nature conservation in Australia. Your project should include a robust strategy for reaching pertinent audiences and involving them in solution-oriented discussions.
When?
Applications are opening soon.
How?
- Select the category you want to apply for - Photography or Videography.
- Complete the Google application form, which includes:
- Applicant Details
- Project Overview
- Project Proposal
- Project Plan & Schedule
- Charity Information
- Examples of Photography/Video
- Submit your application via Google Forms.
Please see our Frequently Asked Questions and Terms & Conditions for full details.
What?
Your proposed photography or video project should focus on lesser-explored or undiscovered Australian places and ecosystems. All genres and forms of photography and filmmaking are welcome, with the judging panel particularly looking for innovative approaches to long-term nature conservation in Australia. Your project should include a robust strategy for reaching pertinent audiences and involving them in solution-oriented discussions.
When?
Applications are opening soon.
How?
- Select the category you want to apply for.
-
Complete the Google application form, which includes:
-
Applicant Details
-
Project Overview
-
Project Proposal
-
Project Plan & Schedule
-
Charity Information
-
Examples of Photography/Video
-
-
Submit your application via Google Forms.
Cost
Judges


Darren Jew
Professional Ocean, Underwater and Wildlife Photographer
Darren Jew has photographed the planet’s landscapes and wildlife from Antarctica to Zambia over a 30-year career spent on mountain peaks, desert plains and beneath the ocean.
Darren was acknowledged as a ‘Canon Master’ in 2011 and is featured in the Netflix series Tales by Light that focuses on a select number of the world’s best photographers. Darren’s unique vision has earned him the accolade of Australian Professional Nature Photographer of the Year six times between 2007 and 2018.


Martin Stringer
2019 Explorer's Grant Recipient
Martin is a melbourne photographer and filmmaker, whose love of nature has inspired his work with numerous environmental NGOs from Australia to Nepal.
In 2019, Martin was awarded as an Explorer's Grant recipient with his project "Replanting a Rainforest", which sets out to raise awareness, funds and seedlings to help restore, protect and buy back the Daintree.


Marian Drew
Australian Artist
Marian Drew is one of Australia's most significant photographic artists, with a practice spanning 30 years in both education and exhibition. She has held more than 25 solo exhibitions in Australia, United States of America, France, Hong Kong and Germany.
Marian is currently Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland College of Art, Griffith University and PhD candidate at the Canberra School of Art and Design, Australian National University. She was Queensland College of Art (QCA) Director of the Photography Program 2005-2016, and QCA Deputy Director, 2001-2003.


Natalia Mroz
2019 Explorer's Grant Recipient
Natalia is a photographer and content producer. For the last 15 years she has documented social and environmental issues for the United Nations, the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and various development and wildlife conservation NGO’s through photography, text, and video.
Her work has taken her from her home in Australia to Africa, where she has been based in Kenya for the last ten years. In 2019, Natalia was awarded as an Explorer’s Grant recipient with her project, Samburu Tribe and the Grevy's Zebra Trust, which engages indigenous African communities to maximise conservation outcomes for endangered species.


Telan Wade
Explorer's Grant Co-ordinator
After co-ordinating the previous Explorer's Grants alongside CameraPro Founder Jesse Hunter, Telan will now be joining the judging panel. Telan has enjoyed facilitating the grant initiative and is excited to learn about Australian based, environmental projects for 2021.
"I believe this is a pivotal time for creatives, we are able to educate and share important stories and truths about what is happening in Australia, but also to help influence change where it is wanted by multiple communities. Over the last 5 years I've been at CameraPro it's been encouraging to see the Photography and Videography demographic widening.
2022 CameraPro Explorer's Grant Recipients


Miriam Deprez
(2022 Photography Recipient)
Miriam Deprez is a photojournalist and PhD candidate whose ongoing doctoral research focuses on the visual politics of violence and resistance. Over the past decade, Miriam has worked as a professional photographer, reporting from Europe, Russia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, rural Australia, and the Middle East with a particular concentration on Palestine, where she also worked as an editor and freelance journalist. Miriam began working with SafeGround in 2017, documenting WWII-era unexploded ordnance in the Solomon Islands and Palau, with their efforts resulting in a book and exhibition at the United Nations in Geneva.
Miriam’s project, Land and Legacy, is a collaboration with Traditional Owners and SafeGround to explore South Australia’s Lake Hart region and visually document the physical evidence of weapons and shrapnel and the harm it inflicts upon landscapes, ecosystems, sacred sites, and the Kokatha people. Working with senior Kolkatha men and land custodians, the Starkey Brothers, Miriam will also photograph the vast, unique landscapes of the Lake Hart region and the Kokatha people’s connection to country and culturally significant sites.


Paul Daley
(2022 Videography Recipient)
Mark has spent the last ten years as a full-time video journalism reporter, providing rural and regional stories for ABC TV, Radio News, and LandLine. He connected with The Walpole-Nornalup National Park Association when covering a story about their wilderness preservation endeavours. Inspired by their essential work, he volunteered his services to help with promotion and securing funding for surveys and public information projects.
Mark’s project, Protect the Walpole Wilderness, will build on his previous volunteer collaboration with the Association by creating a new video showcasing botanists and scientists' work in the Walpole wilderness area. The new project will focus on protecting the giant Tingles and the ancient peat swamps, illuminating how vital it is to restrict the amount of prescribed burning in these areas conducted by the State Government that threatens the viability of this fragile area. Mark’s project will record valuable information on rare, common, and even new species in the area, significantly contributing to future land management and hopefully persuading State and Federal Government bodies to preserve this area for generations to come.
Previous Recipients


Martin Stinger
(2019 Recipient)
Martin Stringer is a Melbourne photographer, filmmaker, and cancer survivor whose love of nature has inspired his work with numerous environmental NGOs from Australia to remote Nepal.
Martin’s project, Replanting a Rainforest, sets out to raise awareness, funds and seedlings to help restore, protect and buy back the Daintree, Australia's most ancient and biodiverse rainforest.


Sarah Osborn
(2019 Recipient)
Sarah’s project, What remains here now?, continues her work with Forgotten Australians, giving voice to survivors of institutional care as they seek justice against their abusers.


Natalia Mroz
(2019 Recipient)
Natalia Mroz is an Australian photographer, writer and audiovisual producer. For more than 15 years Natalia has documented social and environmental issues for the UN and assorted NGOs all over the globe.
Natalia’s project, Samburu Tribe and the Grevy's Zebra Trust, engages indigenous African communities to maximise conservation outcomes for endangered species.


Jimmy White
(2018 Recipient)
Marine biologist and National Geographic expedition leader Dr Jimmy White has dedicated his life to understanding and conserving the natural world.
His project, Meet the Ocean, is an educational non-profit using virtual reality to teach and inspire the public about marine conservation, and to help rehabilitate kids in hospital.


Jolyon Hoff
(2018 Recipient)
Jolyon is an Australian filmmaker who's fascinated by subcultures, identity and community. The Staging Post, his critically acclaimed 2017 film about Afghan refugees stranded in Indonesia, helped spark a refugee-led education revolution.
Jolyon’s project focuses on Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre – a refugee-run school in West Java teaching 2,000 refugee children unable to attend schools.


Marcus Wong
(2018 Recipient)
Marcus Wong is a Perth-based photographer, filmmaker and graphic designer who was named the 2019 WA Young Volunteer of the Year. Through his work, Marcus is dedicated to voicing the untold stories of people in developing countries.
Marcus’ project focuses on Rafiki Africa Ministries, Buwooya Mission School, EthiopiAid and Action Ethiopia – locally run Ugandan and Ethiopian aid organisations assisting disadvantaged children, women and local farmers.
Previous Winners' Testimonies
“Thanks to the CameraPro Explorer's Grant, I am creating a short film to delve deeper and to share stories from the oldest continually evolving rainforest in the world, the Daintree Rainforest which is very dear to my heart.
Furthermore, CameraPro has also donated to Rainforest Rescue enabling the planting of more trees and ensuring that more rainforest is protected forever thus creating wildlife corridors for endangered and threatened species such as the Southern Cassowary and Bannett's Tree Kangaroo”.


“This grant allows me to continue a project that is really important to me, to [survivor of institutional abuse] Margaret and to the Forgotten Australian community.
It will allow me to…raise awareness of Forgotten Australians, be with Margaret as she undergoes her court case to seek justice, and also…give back to a charity that is helping vulnerable children in our society.”
“So grateful to CameraPro who funded this trip to be able to tell the stories of small organisations who often don’t have the resources to be able to tell their story to an international audience”





