People walk through sea foam at Tweed Heads after Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
Labourers clear debris and rubble on the top floor of what was once a hotel which was destroyed by the Nepal earthquake in the Nagarkot hill station village anciently known as Mandapgiri in the Bhaktapur District, Nepal.
Anti-immigration protesters and counter-protestors clash in Melbourne Australia
A senior Army officer looks out towards protestors following a Anti-Coup protest in Bangkok
President Barack Obama black & white photo from G20 summit
Scott Morrison tackles a junior soccer player during the 2022 federal election campaign.
Aboriginal bull rider Kaleb Comollatti looks on while wearing leather chaps adorned with the Aboriginal flag at the Deniliquin Ute Muster.
Bag Pipers Break Record For Largest Ever Bagpipe Ensemble in Melbourne Australia 2025
A portrait of Victorian mountain cattleman Charlie Lovick at his home in Merrijig, Victoria, Australia on the 1st of July 2021. Asanka Brendon Ratnayake for The New York Times.
Sri Lankan army soldiers stand at a crime scene in Sainthamaruthu where a body lies on the ground after a raid on a suspected hideout.
Extinction Rebellion leading a mock funeral featuring a large puppet of a burning Koala

News and reportage photography

For more than a decade, Asanka Brendon Ratnayake has covered breaking news, politics, social issues, natural disasters, protests, major events, the effects of climate change and longer form visual stories across Australia, Asia and the Pacific.

His assignments include regular work for leading international agencies such as Getty Images, Reuters and The Associated Press, along with editorial assignments for The New York Times.

Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese walk up the MCG players race during Modi’s visit to Melbourne.
Portrait of an elderly Aboriginal woman at her home in Warburton.
A wool handler compacts freshly cut wool into a bale in Gippsland during a period of pressure on the Australian wool industry.
Jonacani Masi comes out of the water holding two rejuvenated pieces of Coral at Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort in Sigatoka on the main island of Viti Levu in Fiji on the 4th of October 2018. Asanka Brendon Ratnayake for the New York Times.
Buddhist Monks get ready to commence the Victorian United Nations day of Vesak
PDRC protesters gather inside police headquarters in downtown Bangkok during the Shutdown Bangkok protests in January 2014.
Friends gather around a smoking fire pit in the Ute paddock camping area during the Deniliquin Ute Muster in New South Wales.
Police arrest a protester during anti immigration rallies and counter protests in Melbourne.
Six Telstra Ballet Dancer Awards nominees pose during a media call at The Regent Theatre in Melbourne.
A woman wearing a colourful headpiece smokes a cigarette during Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse.
Rohingya boy Mohammed Rafiq shows surgical scars after receiving medical treatment outside a camp near Sittwe, Myanmar.
Spectators watch smoke rise from a wall of fire display at the Avalon Australian International Airshow.
People evade a crashing wave at Tweed Heads ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Grounded in news awareness, ethical practice and a commitment to the public record, Asanka approaches assignments with an understanding of how stories develop, shift and unfold.

His work spans daily news and longer form reportage, with a focus on careful observation, context and accurate visual storytelling.

Spectators shield themselves from dust during a ute circle work competition at the Deniliquin Ute Muster.
Sri Lankan army personnel stand outside a rented home in Sainthamaruthu after a raid on a suspected hideout.
A portrait of Wool Producers Australia president Steve Harrison inside his shearing shed in Gippsland, Australia.
Three young boys stand outdoors on a cloudy day. The boy in the center holds a string of fish, wearing a headscarf and a jacket. The other two boys wear dirty, old clothing and sneakers, and they look at the fish with serious expressions.
An army reserve officer sharpens his saw at the Tambo Bushland reserve in the small town of Wiseleigh in the North East of the state of Victoria on 14th of January 2020. Asanka Brendon Ratnayake for The New York Times
A young man pulls a kite string as he flies his kite as he is surrounded by other flying kites as the sun sets on Galle Face.
Interior of a synagogue with wooden pews, ornate traditional woodwork, and lit brass chandeliers. A person in formal attire and tefillin stands near the front, with a Torah covered in blue velvet and gold embroidery on a table.
People inside a small, old-fashioned barbershop with mirrors, posters, and cluttered surfaces. A barber is cutting a customer's hair while others wait.