Our natural winners
THE Ipswich region has been captured in all its glory in the 2013 Weather Channel calendar.
The calendar features 12 stunning Australian weather shots showcasing the wonderful natural environment, as captured by talented amateur snappers and keen weather watchers.
Among those to feature in the 2013 calendar are Flinders View photographer Phillip Rettke with his shot of a fiery sunset at Willowbank, and Hatton Vale photographer Mark Calleja with his misty morning picture taken at the foot of the Minden Range, west of Ipswich.
Mr Rettke owns a small transport company and is something of a photography fanatic, capturing many memorable shots over the past few years, including a stunning time-lapse shot of one of the final F-111 dump and burns.
He captured the calendar image on a private property in Willowbank about two years ago.
"It was just one of those days where the cloud was hanging around and I knew it would come up alright," Mr Rettke said.
"It all came together in the end."
The man behind the Minden Range shot was mechanic Mark Calleja, who took up photography after his wife bought him a camera last year.
A relatively new resident to the Lockyer Valley region, Mr Calleja said he loved the natural beauty of the place.
"I used to live in Sydney and always wanted to move up here," he said. "At sunrise there is always a lot of fog down at the bottom of the mountain."
The 12 pictures were chosen via The Weather Channel's increasingly popular calendar competition.
More than 500 entries were received, making it even tougher for the channel's Facebook fans to choose their favourites.
The calendar is available to purchase now at weatherchannel.com.au/shop for $15.
