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A Gadwall duck mid flight, wings out flying from left to right

Credit: Clive Bowley

Nature of the Nene Valley SPA Photography Exhibition

Stretching through Northamptonshire, the Nene Valley and its network of lakes and wetlands is a vital natural asset to wildlife and people the area. Home to internationally important populations of wintering waterbirds - wigeon and shoveler, gadwall and teal, great crested grebe and bittern among them, a broad range of wildlife thrives. Every winter, more than 20,000 waterbirds make this place their home, and the sites are visited by countless people who enjoy peaceful reflection, as well as recreation here- we want to share the experience of those who love the Nene Valley just as much as we do. 

You don't have to be an expert to see something extraordinary here. You just have to look.

Nature of the Nene Valley is a photography exhibition celebrating this special landscape through the eyes of the people who know it best - those who walk, cycle, birdwatch and explore it every day. We're inviting photographers of all ages and abilities to submit their best shots of the valley and its wildlife. The top 12 images from each category will be included in an exclusive 2027 calendar.

Some highlights from last years exhibition 'Beautiful Birds of the SPA':

A Gadwall duck mid flight, wings out flying from left to right

Credit: Clive Bowley

A Glossy Ibis on the edge of water, looking for food.

Credit: Andy Panton

A red kite is mid-flight under a common turn which is chasing it from above

Credit: Peter Jousiffe

A Sandpiper stands in shallow water with it's beak in the water

Credit: Wayne Weedon

Tell us your story 

Along with your photograph, we'd love to hear a little about what the Nene Valley means to you. In no more than 150 words, tell us what drew you to this particular shot — or simply what keeps drawing you back to this landscape. 

It might be a species you've watched for years, a favourite corner of the valley in a particular season, or a moment you stumbled upon by chance. Whatever it is, we want to hear it in your own words, to be displayed alongside your photograph.  

How to enter 

We welcome entries in two categories: 

Open category — for photographers aged 18 and over

 Apply now

Youth category — for photographers aged 17 and under 

Apply now

Please note: to be suitable for print, all submissions must meet the following technical requirements: 

  • Format: JPEG/JPG or TIFF
  • Resolution: 300 pixels per inch (ppi)
  • Minimum dimensions: 3508 x 2480 pixels (A4)
  • Orientation: landscape
  • Raw file: photographers may be asked to supply a copy of the original raw file on request 

Images that do not meet these specifications may not be able to be included in the exhibition or calendar.Please fill in your details below and upload your images. Max 3 images per entrant. 

Read the full terms and conditions of entry

Information provided on this form will be used to process your entry into the Nene Valley SPA Photography Exhibition 2026, to manage the use and accreditation of your images (see usage rights in the terms and conditions) and to contact you with news directly relating to this competition (e.g. the exhibition details and the launch of the calendar). With your permission, we will also let you know about future competitions or exhibitions and send you regular updates about the wildlife in our three counties, ways to get closer to nature, project updates, events, volunteering opportunities and fundraising news.

We value your privacy and promise to keep your personal details safe and secure, and we will never sell your data. For more details on how we manage your data, visit wildlifebcn.org/privacy

The Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants, The Manor House, Cambourne, CB23 6DH. Registered charity no. 1000412

#open-category

Open Category Application Form (Over 18s)

If you are over 18, please apply using this form.

Permissions
Please note this is an application form for the 'Open' category (Over 18s). If you are under 18 years old, you will need to apply via the 'Under 18s' application form and have permission to enter from a parent or guardian. For further information please see our Terms and Conditions. 
Your details
Contact preferences

The Wildlife Trust BCN would like to keep in touch with news about future photography competitions and the 2026 calendar, plus regular updates about the wildlife in our three counties, ways to get closer to nature, project updates, events, volunteering opportunities and fundraising news.
 

I am happy to be contacted by:
Your photograph/s

Please upload your photographs here. Images must be landscape (not portrait or square), 100MB or smaller and in TIFF or JPEG format.
 

First entry

Tell us about your photograph. Please give details of the subject and location in the Upper Nene Valley Special Protection Area, with the name of the nature reserve if applicable as well as what the photo means to you. Please note that photographs without a location given will not be accepted. If your photograph has a title, please specify that here also. (150 wds max) 
Please note that photographs must be in landscape orientation. Please do not include your name in the filename.
One file only.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif jpg jpeg png bmp eps tif pict psd txt rtf html odf pdf doc docx ppt pptx xls xlsx xml avi mov mp3 mp4 ogg wav bz2 dmg gz jar rar sit svg tar zip.
The accumulated size of all files in this form cannot exceed 100 MB.

Second entry

Tell us about your photograph. Please give details of the subject and location in the Upper Nene Valley Special Protection Area, with the name of the nature reserve if applicable as well as what the photo means to you. Please note that photographs without a location given will not be accepted. If your photograph has a title, please specify that here also. (150 wds max) 
Please note that photographs must be in landscape orientation. Please do not include your name in the filename.
One file only.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif jpg jpeg png bmp eps tif pict psd txt rtf html odf pdf doc docx ppt pptx xls xlsx xml avi mov mp3 mp4 ogg wav bz2 dmg gz jar rar sit svg tar zip.
The accumulated size of all files in this form cannot exceed 100 MB.

Third entry

Tell us about your photograph. Please give details of the subject and location in the Upper Nene Valley Special Protection Area, with the name of the nature reserve if applicable as well as what the photo means to you. Please note that photographs without a location given will not be accepted. If your photograph has a title, please specify that here also. (150 wds max) 
Please note that photographs must be in landscape orientation. Please do not include your name in the filename.
One file only.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif jpg jpeg png bmp eps tif pict psd txt rtf html odf pdf doc docx ppt pptx xls xlsx xml avi mov mp3 mp4 ogg wav bz2 dmg gz jar rar sit svg tar zip.
The accumulated size of all files in this form cannot exceed 100 MB.
Terms and Conditions
CAPTCHA
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
#youth-category

Youth Category Application Form (Under 18s)

If you are under 18, you must have the permission of a parent or guardian to enter and they must enter your photos on your behalf. Read more in our terms and conditions. 

Permissions
Please note if you are under 18 years old, you will need a parent or guardian to submit your photo(s) on your behalf. For further information please see our Terms and Conditions. 
Parent/Guardian Details
If you are submitting photo(s) on behalf of a child, please enter your details below. 
Contact preferences

The Wildlife Trust BCN would like to keep in touch with news about future photography competitions and the 2026 calendar, plus regular updates about the wildlife in our three counties, ways to get closer to nature, project updates, events, volunteering opportunities and fundraising news.
 

I am happy to be contacted by:
Your photograph/s

Please upload your photographs here. We advise using the description boxes to give us some information about the image: Where was it photographed? What was happening? What makes the photo special to you?Images must be landscape (not portrait or square), 100MB or smaller and in TIFF or JPEG format.
 

First entry

Tell us about your photograph. Please give details of the subject and location in the Upper Nene Valley Special Protection Area, with the name of the nature reserve if applicable as well as what the photo means to you. Please note that photographs without a location given will not be accepted. If your photograph has a title, please specify that here also. (150 wds max) 
Please note that photographs must be in landscape orientation. Please do not include your name in the filename.
One file only.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif jpg jpeg png bmp eps tif pict psd txt rtf html odf pdf doc docx ppt pptx xls xlsx xml avi mov mp3 mp4 ogg wav bz2 dmg gz jar rar sit svg tar zip.
The accumulated size of all files in this form cannot exceed 100 MB.

Second entry

Tell us about your photograph. Please give details of the subject and location in the Upper Nene Valley Special Protection Area, with the name of the nature reserve if applicable as well as what the photo means to you. Please note that photographs without a location given will not be accepted. If your photograph has a title, please specify that here also. (150 wds max) 
Please note that photographs must be in landscape orientation. Please do not include your name in the filename.
One file only.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif jpg jpeg png bmp eps tif pict psd txt rtf html odf pdf doc docx ppt pptx xls xlsx xml avi mov mp3 mp4 ogg wav bz2 dmg gz jar rar sit svg tar zip.
The accumulated size of all files in this form cannot exceed 100 MB.

Third entry

Tell us about your photograph. Please give details of the subject and location in the Upper Nene Valley Special Protection Area, with the name of the nature reserve if applicable as well as what the photo means to you. Please note that photographs without a location given will not be accepted. If your photograph has a title, please specify that here also. (150 wds max) 
Please note that photographs must be in landscape orientation. Please do not include your name in the filename.
One file only.
100 MB limit.
Allowed types: gif jpg jpeg png bmp eps tif pict psd txt rtf html odf pdf doc docx ppt pptx xls xlsx xml avi mov mp3 mp4 ogg wav bz2 dmg gz jar rar sit svg tar zip.
The accumulated size of all files in this form cannot exceed 100 MB.
Terms and Conditions

Please read the full Terms and Conditions .

CAPTCHA
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.