Mr Passlow was named Australian runner-up in the The Nature Conservancy's 2019 Photo Contest - a competition that received more than 120,000 entries from 152 countries, including 9111 from Australia.

The 51-year-old's photo of a common garden katydid was taken in the front yard of his Warners Bay home one afternoon back in 2012. Mr Passlow said the photo had been entered into a few competitions in the years after he took it, but it had essentially been kept in the proverbial photo album until The Nature Conservancy contest.

"I thought it fit the description of what they were looking for, so I dusted it off and sent it out again," he said.

"I took it at home, it was just the natural light. I was just looking around the front yard for things, just to play around with this new flash that I bought myself as a Christmas present."

The self-described "amateur" photographer said he had been taking photos "as a serious sort of hobby" for about a decade.

Mr Passlow said he was passionate about the environment and enjoyed nature photography the most.

"I'm passionate about nature and conservation," he said.

"These competitions are made to bring attention to the cause. Even if you don't win you know you've given them the access to the photo in relation to the cause. So it's nice to get some credit back."

The best Australian photo was awarded to Benjamin Maze of Sydney. His shot was of a storm taken from within a cave in the Blue Mountains.

The Nature Conservancy's chief marketing officer Richard Loomis said the photos would help spur the work of the organisation.

"The natural world inspires a sense of wonder in all of us," he said

"Indeed, at the very soul of conservation is a deep awe of nature.

"These photographs are a powerful reminder of the importance of sharing our vision of nature and working together to save the lands and waters on which all life depends.

More of Steve Passlow's photography can be viewed on 500px.com.