Call for entries

Your chance to win a prestigious photography award and cash prize of £5,000. Winners will have their work showcased in a national touring exhibition and in a stunning book published by AA Publishing.


The competition opens Saturday 1 February 2011.

Now in its third year these awards celebrate and recognise the talents of photographers of all nationalities practicing in the UK, while at the same time, highlighting the great wealth and diversity of the natural history of the British Isles.

With a prize fund of up to £20,000 and the overall winner receiving a cash prize of £5,000, the images receiving judges’ commendations will form part of a series of nationwide exhibitions. The British Wildlife Photography Awards aim to set the standard for wildlife photography in the UK for many years to come.

There are 11 categories and more details of these can be found at www.bwpawards.co.uk. They include:

• Animal Portraits

• Animal Behaviour

• Urban Wildlife

• Hidden Britain

• Coast and Marine.

• Wildlife in my Backyard

• Habitat

• British Seasons

• Documentary series

• Wildlife on Video

New for this year is - Living Landscape: Connectivity

Being connected to the natural world is great for our health, our happiness and for the future. All are inextricably linked. And so The Wildlife Trusts are working on a recovery plan for nature. It is our vision to create a resilient environment; one rich in wildlife and great for people. What we call ‘A Living Landscape’.

This category is purposefully open to interpretation to encourage creativity and fresh and imaginative responses. Connectivity might be physical, sensory, seasonal or otherwise. We are keen to see how this category captures the imagination and how connectivity within the UK landscape is defined. Positive images illustrating how habitats, species, communities and individuals are all connected, and interconnect, within our natural environment, both in rural and urban settings, are encouraged. Whether images capture an imaginative or purely narrative approach; are simple or complex, the winning image will be breath-taking, mesmerising and powerful.

Some typical (and not exclusive) examples:

◦Bee species pollinating crops directly links wildlife with the economy

◦Salt marshes acting as a buffer between land and seas

◦Hedgerows play a part in keeping the countryside ‘stitched’ together

◦Estuaries are the connection for freshwater species with marine life

◦Rivers connecting streams to the sea

◦Sensory connections: the sights and sounds of everyday nature

◦Children playing in a meadow, part of a bigger habitat restoration schem

◦Close up of a wall or pavement, showing the life these physical connections harbour eg lichens, invertebrates

◦Practical conservation volunteers at work, the birth of a new habitat where people come to connect with nature

◦Delight at witnessing a grandchild’s wonderment during their first wildlife encounter

◦School parties connecting within their local community green spaces

◦Symbolic images that epitomize our connection with nature and our landscape


Awards and Prizes:

British Wildlife Photographer £5,000

Each Category prize £1,000 worth of equipment

Including: (or equivalent),Canon PowerShot G12 – Camera, Canon Pixma Pro 9000 MK II – Printer,RSPB Binoculars

Video Award

LEGRIA HF S21 High Definition Digital Camcorder (value £969.00)

Young Awards

There are also three special awards to encourage participation by young people, schools and youth community groups.

Young British Wildlife Photographer (Up to 11) £300

Young British Wildlife Photographer (12 - 18) £500

School, Youth and Community Group Award £3,000 worth of Serif Design Software and Video Camera.

Dates


The competition will be open for entries on Saturday 1 February 2011. The closing date is Thursday 2 June 2011. Entrants will be able to submit entries online or via post.

Sponsors and supporters

The competition is sponsored by The Wildlife Trusts, WWF, RSPB, Canon Countryside Council for Wales, Buglife, Serif, Genesis Imaging and Outdoor Photography.


Supported by: Natural England, The National Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Towergate Camerasure and Country Side Jobs Service.

For more detailed information about the competition, including how to enter, a full description of categories, shooting tips, and terms & conditions, please visit the competition website: www.bwpawards.co.uk.