Don’t Miss These 5 Amazing Nature & Wildlife Photo Contests

If you have a camera and enjoy any aspect of the great outdoors, be it animals, oceans, deserts, gnarled tree branches, mushrooms, whatever, you should seriously consider entering some of your photos in one (or all) of these photo contests. Most are annual, so if you don’t get to it this year, keep it in mind for next. Not only does that give you a great goal to work towards – you’ll have a chance to see what the pros think about your work, and maybe win one of the many nice prizes.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition Held by BBC Wildlife Magazine and the National History Museum in London, this prestigious competition is now in its 45th year. They welcome pros, amateurs and youths to enter in the 9 main (3 for youths) and 3 special categories. The cost to enter is 20/3 images, and the jury picks one winner and one runner-up in each category. The winners in the adult categories are awarded 500, and the runners-up 250.

The three youth categories – 10 years and younger, 11-14 years, and 15-17 years – are free to enter, and you can submit up to 10 photos of landscapes, plants and wild animals. Here also, one winner and one runner-up are selected from each category, and are awarded 250 and 100 respectively. The winner of the grand prize, the ” Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year” receives 500 and the opportunity to spend a day shooting with a well-known wildlife photographer.

The three special awards have more specific photo requirements. The Eric Hosking Award is open to photographers 18-26 years of age, and you need to enter a 10-image portfolio of your best work. The One Earth Award puts the spotlight on conservation issues, and for this one, they want thought provoking photos that are memorable and encourage respect for the natural world (don’t think only negative photos here, positive messages are more fun to look at). The Gerald Durrell Award focuses on endangered wildlife, and the species in the photos you submit must be on the 2008 IUCN Red List, listed as critically endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened. One winner per category is selected, and each receives 1,000.

The prize of all prizes, The Wildlife Photographer of the Year, is awarded to the single image the jury finds most striking and memorable of all category winners. The award is presented at a special ceremony at the National History Museum in London, where the winner is presented with a check for 10,000. All winning and commended images will also be part of an exhibit at the museum, which then tours all over the world. The 2009 deadline is March 27.

Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards Named in memory of photographer and conservation advocate Windland Smith Rice, this annual contest, held by Nature’s Best Magazine and the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, is open to amateurs, pros and youths (under 18). The 16 categories include some that you don’t see in every competition: People In Nature, Small World Spectaculars, Zoos & Aquariums, Creative Digital, and Camera Club, where your club enter the contest as a group. The Grand Prize winner, category winners, and “Highly Honored Images” receive cash prizes and their photo(s) included in an exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. For an entry fee of $25 you may submit up to 20 photos, and the deadline is May 4, 2009.

National Wildlife’s 2009 Photo Contest Open to everyone over the age of 17, this annual competition is looking for photos of mammals, birds, people & nature, backyard habitats, landscapes & plant life, other wildlife and global warming & wildlife. Pros, amateurs and youths are judged separately. The winner of each category is awarded $1,000, and two Grand Prize winners receive $5,000 each. You can enter up to 20 images for $15, and that also gives you a year’s subscription to National Wildlife Magazine. The deadline for 2009 is July 20.

The Great Outdoors This contest, open to pros and amateurs, is sponsored by National Geographic and Photo District News, so you know winning won’t be easy. But don’t let that discourage you – this is a great opportunity to get your nature photos seen by the pros. The categories are so broad that anyone should be able to find at least one that fits their favorite subject(s): Parks & Safaris, Plants, Animals, Insects, & Gardens, Beaches, Islands, Underwater, Scenes Of The Natural World, and Outdoor Sports & Activities. The entry fee per image is $12 for amateurs and $35 for pros, and the deadline is April 20 2009 (although you may enter as late as May 4 for an additional $10/image). The grand prize is a five-night stay for two at Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya Hotel in Mexico, and other prizes include gift certificates to B&H, a digital camera, and passes to PDN PhotoPlus International Conference & Expo.

he EuroNatur-Foundation’s “Nature Treasures in Europe” This contest is all about European landscapes, plants and animals. There is no cost to enter, and you may submit up to 5 photos before the March 31st deadline. Among the prizes are trips for 2 to Spain and Germany, and the winning photos will be exhibited at Schloss Wolfstein in Freyung (Bavaria) as well as printed in several online and offline publications.