Photography Competition 2021
The 2021 competition is now open for entries on the theme of 'celebrate the seasons'.
The competition celebrates the wildlife and wild places of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Free to enter, it is for photographs taken anywhere in our three counties and is open to all ages. We are delighted to be supported by Opticron who will provide the top two prizes, and WTBCN Corporate Members Campkins Cameras who will provide the third place prize. 24 winning images will be chosen in total by an experienced judging panel and published in our 2022 calendar, which will go on sale in Winter 2021.
How to enter
The competition is now open for entries. You can submit up to three photographs using our secure online form. Please read the full terms and conditions before submitting your entry.
Closing date
Sunday 2 May 2021, 12 noon
Prizes
1st Prize: £250 worth of optics from Opticron
2nd Prize: £150 worth of optics from Opticron
3rd Prize: £100 worth of equipment from Campkins Cameras
Theme
Celebrate the seasons
Judges
Opticron: Chris Galvin
Chris has worked for Opticron for over a decade, and will be a familiar face to many in the region. With a wide knowledge of wildlife, equipment and impressive portfolio himself of wildlife and gig photography, Chris has kindly been a judge for several years now.
Ann Miles
An experienced photographer, Ann teaches general and nature photography at university degree level and has had images placed in two of our photography competitions. You can read her blog and visit her website for more information and examples of her work.
Simon Wantling
Many of you will be familiar with the winner of two of our previous photography competitions, though Simon’s stunning work speaks for itself - and he has since become a professional photographer. Whilst his shots of owls have been universally praised, his work covers all sorts of wildlife. You can also catch him on his YouTube channel.
"I am delighted to be a judge for this important event in the Wildlife Trust BCN calendar. Photographs of our wildlife are one of the best ways to 'speak' to the public about the importance of bodies such as the Wildlife Trust in conserving our wonderful creatures and plants." - Ann Miles
Full terms and conditions
Competition poster for promotion
Help us spread the word about the competition - download and share the poster.
Wildlife Photographer Showcase: Matt Hazleton
One of the past winners of our Photography Competition, Matt Hazleton, tells us how he got started
Wildlife Photographer Showcase: Colin Bradshaw
Photographer Colin Bradshaw, whose photographs have been chosen to feature in several Wildlife Trust BCN calendars, gives us the lowdown…
Wildlife Photographer Showcase: Kevin Lunham
Kevin tells us how he got into wildlife photography, and shares his experiences on Wildlife Trust reserves
Wildlife Photography Tips
Dawn over Bradlaugh Fields by Carl Everitt
1st Prize - Photography Competition 2020
'Hare and Seek' by Janice Elliott
2nd Prize - Photography Competition 2020
Brown hare in snowfall by Kevin Pigney
3rd Prize - Photography Competition 2020
The winners of the 2020 competition
1st Prize: Carl Everitt
2nd Prize: Janice Elliott
3rd Prize: Kevin Pigney
Congratulations also to the following photographers, whose pictures have also been chosen to feature in our 2021 calendar: Warren Bourne, Colin Bradshaw, Mike Harris, Matthew Hazleton, Michael Howard, David Jackson, Ann Miles, David Mills, Gary Norman, Ashley Pead, Guy Pilkington, Martin Swannell, Mark Tyrell, Colin Waite, Mick Watson and Hedley Wright.
Please note that the stunning 2021 calendar made with the 2020 winning images has now sold out.
Great spotted woodpeckers by Dave Wesson
Garden and Home Gems category winner - Photography Competition 2020
Garden and Home Gems Category
In addition to the main competition, we had an additional category for 2020 that was introduced along with our extended deadline, celebrating the wildlife of our homes and gardens while we were all in lockdown. Thank you to everyone who entered photos in this category.
Garden and Home Gems Winner: Dave Wesson