The Nature Conservancy 2019 Photo Contest is currently collating thousands of entries from nearly every country in the world, with winners to be announced next week (September 9-13).

In the meantime, photographers and fans of nature photography are encouraged to cast their vote for the people's choice award, with Sapphire Coast locals Teena Burnell and Julie Warren right in the mix.

"I'm pretty stoked to be a finalist," Teena told Australian Community Media this week.

Her image "Nature's Repetition" is a beautiful shot of tea tree reflections in East Gippsland.

"It was due to me and a friend doing lots of exploring, through scrub in our gumboots, chasing the light," she said.

"It was off the beaten track, chasing the light on the water led us through the bush to that waterhole."

The photo was taken on a Canon 550D with a 55-250mm lens, an ISO of 200 at 1/30 sec, f/8.

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Teena said she doesn't always enter photo competitions, but "likes what Nature Conservancy stands for".

"I won a competition with them in 2017 called GreenDesk, which promoted bringing nature into the office, or making sure to take a break to go outside and breathe fresh air."

She said anyone aspiring to enter photography competitions like this is to make sure you stand out.

"There are so many entries that to get anywhere you need to be something really different, really eye-catching, that stands out above all the other photos."

While Teena took to the bush to find her image, Julie looked up to capture an extraordinary shot of a sulphur-crested cockatoo, she titled "Grand Entrance".

"I am lucky enough to live in rural NSW on the South East Coast of Australia. A variety of birds visit, including the sulphur-crested cockatoos, who generally make a raucous entrance to my garden," Julie writes on her contest entry.

"This female was coming down to land, and WOW was she glorious, with her wing and tail feathers at full extension!"

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This year's contest is the first time the Australian arm of the organisation has joined its international cousins, making it "a truly global" search for the best photos of nature, associate director of communications Tony Jupp said.

While there will be an overall international winner as well as winners in several categories, entries from Australian photographers will also be in the running for a national prize, judged by renowned South Australian nature photographer Ben Goode.

The Sapphire Coast has had great success previously, with the 2017 winner being Harrison Warne for his eye-catching image of a gecko.

Both Teena and Julie's photos are also in the running for the People's Choice award, with voting available until this Sunday, September 8.

Visit nature.org to cast your vote and to check out the huge gallery of amazing photos from around the world.

To go directly to Teena Burnell's photo, click here

For Julie Warren's photo, click here