Queer Nature Photography Awards 2026
"Cuttlefish"
Marcia Riederer
"Cuttlefish"
Like the queer universe, the cuttlefish refuses simple categories. Fluid, expressive and constantly transforming, it changes colour, texture and pattern in an instant — not to hide who it is, but to communicate, connect and survive. During mating season, some smaller male cuttlefish avoid fighting larger males by disguising themselves as females. They change their colours and body shape, slipping past rivals unnoticed to mate successfully. Some can even display male patterns on one side of their body and female patterns on the other at the same time — a stunning reminder that nature has always been more diverse, adaptable and complex than rigid ideas of gender and identity.
.jpg)
About the Photographer
Name: Marcia Riederer
Age: unknown
Nationality: Brazilian / Australian
How does your identity influence your work?
I am biologist and I truly believe that diversity is richness, that can be wildlife or human diversity. That is is who I am and it shows on my photography.
What message do you hope to convey with your work about the intersection of queerness and biodiversity in nature?
I believe that If diversity is the "tapestry” of our world, then inclusion is the ongoing action of weaving new threads together so that everyone feels valued and respected. Diversity brings a mix of backgrounds, perspectives, and traditions, inclusion ensures that everyone has an equal seat and a voice in the room.
What do you think is the importance of highlighting diversity in both nature and society, and how can photography play a role in this?
Photography has the ability to make public what not many people see, it can be consider a way to express ourselves but mostly it can introduce and cement ideas and concepts, such as diversity, the need to inclusion and conservation.
What is your favorite example of queerness in nature?
After visiting the big cuttlefish aggregation for consecutive years, watching they amazing behaviour. This year is a symbolic one to have this photo selected as it is one of the first times that this event is not occurring, probably due to a huge algal bloom in South Australia ocean, that is affecting all marine creatures.
A note from the Narwhal Rainbow Alliance
Smaller males of cuttlefish frequently engage in "female mimicry"—thus temporarily changing their skin color, texture, and pulling in their arms to disguise themselves as females. This allows them to slip past aggressive, larger guarding males and mate successfully. This complex gender-fluid strategy demonstrates that rigid biological categories are often bypassed in nature to ensure reproduction and survival. This behaviour got well known by Blue Planet II (narrated by David Attenborough). Same-sex behavior—specifically male-on-male courtship and mating attempts —is regularly observed during cuttlefish mating aggregations. This can be with ‘’disguised males’’ or in crowded winter mating events with ‘’undisguised’’ males. Because these cephalopods die shortly after spawning and provide no care for their offspring, the concept of "rainbow parenting" is not applicable to this species. While currently stable in some areas, the Giant Australian Cuttlefish is highly sensitive to environmental changes and local industrial development. Protecting them requires conserving critical coastal spawning grounds and monitoring water quality in their sensitive marine habitats.
Giant Australian Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) – Near Threatened 🟡
Top 13 Award Entries 2026
