Natural England - Get outside and get snap happy for the British Wildlife Photography Awards

Get outside and get snap happy for the British Wildlife Photography Awards

2 April 2009

A brand new competition, the British Wildlife Photography Awards, is being established to celebrate the talents of amateur and professional photographers and to highlight the great wealth and diversity of British natural history. Natural England is sponsoring the ‘Wildlife in my Locality’ and the special ‘Schools, Youth and Community Group Award’ as part of its ‘One Million Children Outdoors’ campaign.

Natural England is delighted to be involved with these inaugural British Wildlife Photography Awards as it is a great opportunity to motivate people of all ages – especially schoolchildren – to get outside with a camera to capture what amazing wildlife is living in their garden, or around the corner in a local nature reserve, or further afield in other nature reserves or national parks. 

The four-month “call for entries” period runs from Thursday 2 April to Friday 31 July coinciding with school and family holidays right across the UK.

There are seven categories to give people a wide selection of ideas to choose from:

1. Animal Portraits

2. Animal Behaviour

3. Urban Wildlife

4. Hidden Britain

5. Coast and Marine

6. Wildlife in my Locality

7. Habitat: animals in their environment and plants and partners

There are two special awards to encourage young people, schools and community groups to participate by submitting portfolios of work: the ‘Young British Wildlife Photographer Under 18 Award’ and the ‘Schools, Youth and Community Group Award’. Affordable entry fees have been set up to encourage all demographic groups and ages to take part.

With total prizes worth £13,500 and the overall winner receiving a cash prize of £5,000, there is plenty to celebrate. There will be an Awards ceremony in the autumn and a premier launch exhibition at a prestigious London photographic gallery for all winners and commended entries. A year-long nationwide tour of the exhibition will follow throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

The British Wildlife Photography Awards are being supported by Natural England, WWF-UK, The Wildlife Trusts, The Woodland Trust, The National Trust, The National Trust for Scotland and Outdoor Photography Magazine. With this level and breadth of commitment, it is hoped that the BWPA will set the standard for British wildlife photography for many years to come.

For details on how to enter the competition, entry fees, category prizes, Special Awards prizes, the judging panel, the Awards ceremony and launch, and the nationwide exhibition tour dates and venues, visit: www.bwpawards.org

Download a colour poster to help promote the competition in your school, your community group or your locality.

• Marine poster

• Red squirrel poster

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