Dr John Chang.
A striking image of a branch retinal vein occlusion captured using multiple imaging modalities has earned ophthalmologist Dr John Chang top honours in the inaugural ZEISS Clarus ‘wow’ photography competition.
The competition, which attracted over 70 submissions from across Australia and New Zealand, challenged eye care professionals to capture unique pathology using the ZEISS Clarus ultra-widefield fundus camera, with the winning entries celebrated at a special gallery exhibition and to be featured in a 2026 calendar.
What set the image apart was its combination of multiple imaging modalities, demonstrating both the technical capabilities… and the clinical value of multimodal imaging
“Not only do these images provide scientific and clinically relevant data, but they’re also in many cases just aesthetically and visually pleasing,” said Rene Hessling, Managing Director of ZEISS Australia and New Zealand, during his opening remarks at the event. “What a great opportunity to showcase some of the results of our Clarus image competition in this setting at an art gallery.”
Clinical Complexity, Technical Excellence
Dr Chang’s winning image demonstrates the clinical applications of high-resolution ultra widefield imaging by showcasing a branch retinal vein occlusion with evidence of retinal laser treatment, alongside an inset featuring optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) of the same pathology.
What set the image apart was its combination of multiple imaging modalities, demonstrating both the technical capabilities of ZEISS equipment and the clinical value of multimodal imaging approaches.
Judging Excellence in Clinical Imaging
The competition was judged by a panel including Michael Yapp from the Centre for Eye Health, Mara Giribaldi from the Art of Ocular Imaging, and Dr Jennifer Arnold from Marsden Eye Specialists.
Mr Yapp explained the challenging selection process: “It was difficult to whittle the entries down at first. The three of us went off and did our own thing. We narrowed it down to our top 10, then combined our selections and came up with a top 15 or 16, and then met together and discussed the different aspects of the photography competition.”
The judging criteria balanced multiple factors, including image quality, composition, clinical significance, and technical execution.
“Whether it was about the quality of the photo, whether it was about artifacts in the image, was it a spectacular image, was it a rare image, was it well composed,” Mr Yapp elaborated. “At the end of the day, the images are to be used in a calendar, so you want them to look good, but it also has to be about how well the instrument was used.”
Regarding the winning entry, Mr Yapp observed, “The winner showcased the montage of two really good shots. It highlighted that you could get more than just what’s in the central 45°, and it actually combined a second instrument to really say you can combine this in different ways.”
More Than Clinical Documentation
The exhibition underscores the dual nature of ophthalmic imaging – both as clinical documentation and as visually compelling imagery.
“It’s a very visual specialty, both in health and in pathology,” Dr Chang reflected. “It’s very beautiful aesthetically. I mean, it sort of feels odd to say ‘beautiful’ when someone’s got a problem. But the different range of pathologies is visually very captivating.”
Dr Chang also highlighted the educational value of such imaging for patients. “I show this to patients when they have treatment so that they can look at their condition and see where they had the retinal laser treatment. It really makes it useful for the patient to visualise it.”
Rebecca Pott, Marketing Manager at ZEISS Australia and New Zealand, explained the competition was conceived to showcase the “wow factor” of unique pathology captured on the Clarus ultra-widefield camera.
“We decided to create an exhibition of those winning entrants to really demonstrate how Clarus images can make you pause and say wow” she said.
The 12 finalist images will be compiled into a calendar, available from November. Additionally, the exhibition pieces will be displayed at ZEISS offices throughout Australia and New Zealand.
To view mivision’s photos from the evening, visit our online photo gallery.
