The Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is beginning its annual search for the best and most astonishing images from around the world, whether they come from the wildest places on Earth or urban gardens. With the bar being raised each year, the 2009 competition promises to be bigger and more inspiring than ever before.

‘This is the greatest and most prestigious competition for wildlife photographers anywhere in the world. It raises the profile of wildlife photography and provokes a wider awareness of wildlife conservation. It is not just professionals who are successful – amateurs of all ages have won awards in the competition many times. In recent years the judges have been particularly impressed by the standard of images being produced by many young people.’ Mark Carwardine (Chairman of the judges)

The winning photographer will be presented with £10,000 at an awards ceremony at the Natural History Museum, London, in October. Each category winner receives £500 and every runner-up £250. Special Award winners receive £1,000.

Info:
online entry fee: £20
postal entry fee: £27 (CDs only)
closing date for online entries: Friday 27 March 2009

Veolia Environnement Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year
If you are 17 years or younger, this is the competition for you. You can enter pictures of any wild animals, plants or landscapes. The judges will be looking for original, beautiful or striking shots rather than rare or exotic subjects. Creatures or places close to home that you know well or have easy access to may be your best subjects.
The three categories are: 10 years and under, 11–14 years, 15–17 years
The winning photographer will receive £500 and a day out with a well-known wildlife photographer. Category winners will receive £250 and runners up £100.

Adult categories
You can enter up to three digital images or scans of transparencies in each of the following categories.

1. Animals in Their Environment
Images in this category must show how the animal fits into its natural home and convey a sense of place. Remember, the environment is as important a part of the picture as the animal itself, allowing you to tell a story and reveal more about your subject.

2. Behaviour: Birds
3. Behaviour: Mammals
4. Behaviour: All Other Animals
Images must capture a memorable, unusual or interesting behaviour. It is crucial to show genuine behaviour (just looking or sitting isn’t enough). Judges will look for images with an aesthetic appeal, a unique interest value and dramatic action.

5. The Underwater World
Images must feature marine or freshwater life taken under water. A combination of interest value and aesthetic appeal is just as important underwater as on land. See a list of top ten tips (PDF 1.5MB) for underwater photographers from Project AWARE

6. Animal Portraits
Portraits should capture the unique character or spirit of the subject. Images should be imaginative and convey a sense of intimacy and immediacy.

7. In Praise of Plants
Pictures should capture the beauty, diversity and importance of plant life. The judges will be looking for artistic merit rather than a simple scientific record.

8. Urban and Garden Wildlife
Look for nature on your doorstep, and capture images that are unusual, poignant, beautiful or striking compositions of wild animals or plants in urban or suburban settings. Judges will be looking for uncommonly good images of common subjects.

9. Nature in Black and White
The judges will be looking for skilful use of the black and white medium, where pure graphic quality and a well composed image can often increase the intensity. Sepia tone images are allowed. The subject can be any wild landscape, animal, plant or other living organism.

10. Creative Visions of Nature
Photographs should reveal new ways of seeing natural subjects or scenes, conveying an imaginative, unique or abstract view of wildlife or wild places. Realism takes a back seat in this category – the judges will be looking for artistic vision and true originality. Let your imagination run wild.

11. Wild Places
Images should show scenes that are truly wild and awe-inspiring. But there is much more to it than a breathtaking landscape – the judges will be looking for beautiful light, a true feeling of wilderness and a sense of awe.

Special Awards

Eric Hosking Award
This award encourages and rewards the talents of young photographers aged 18–26. You must submit a portfolio of 10 images you think represents your very best work. Judges will choose five or more images for the winning portfolio.
Prize: £1,000

Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife
This highly important award raises our awareness of endangered species through photographic excellence. The images must be memorable and capture the unique character or spirit of the subject.

Species photographed must be categorised in the 2008 IUCN Red List as critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or near threatened at an international or national level (if the latter, please supply details).
Prize: £1,000

One Earth Award
Photography plays a critical role in conservation, and this award seeks to highlight conservation issues or actions. Don’t rely on the shock value of your subject – the judges will be looking for genuine photographic merit. Remember to focus on positive messages as well as negative ones. Images can be graphic or symbolic, but must be thought provoking, memorable and encourage respect or concern for our natural world.
Prize: £1,000

Judges
Mark Carwardine (Chair) zoologist, writer and photographer
Jack Dykinga, landscape photographer
Laurent Geslin, photographer
Chris Gomersall, wildlife photographer
Orsolya Haarberg, nature photographer
Josef (Sepp) Hackhofer, nature photographer
Tim Harris, manager, nature and garden collections, Photoshot
Tony Heald, wildlife photographer
Rosamund Kidman Cox, editor and writer
Jan-Peter Lahall, photographer
Tor McIntosh, picture editor
Vincent Munier, nature photographer
Erik Sampers, photo director, Terre Sauvage
Brian Skerry, marine wildlife photojournalist
Sophie Stafford, editor, BBC Wildlife Magazine

Competition Link / Set Reminder

Digital Photographer of the Year organised by Digital Photographer magazine.

Categories

Overall Digital Photographer of the Year 2008 – Send us your six best images, spanning at least four photographic genres.

Or you can enter any of the following individual categories:

Portrait Digital Photographer of the Year 2008
Landscape Digital Photographer of the Year 2008
Travel Digital Photographer of the Year 2008
Documentary Digital Photographer of the Year 2008
Wildlife Digital Photographer of the Year 2008
Macro Digital Photographer of the Year 2008
Wedding Digital Photographer of the Year 2008
Black and white Digital Photographer of the Year 2008

Prizes

The overall winner of the Competition will receive a Fujifilm S5 Pro, and other prizes TBC.

Category winners will be awarded a Fujifilm camera, model listed below:
Overall Prize – FinePix S5 Pro
Portrait – FinePix S1000fd
Landscape – FinePix S100fs
Documentary – FinePix F60fd
Travel – FinePix F100fd
Black and White – FinePix Z100fd Tuxedo
Macro – FinePix F50fd
Wildlife – FinePix S8000fd
Wedding – FinePix Z20fd Pink

The competition is open worldwide.

Closing date for all entries is 14 November 2008.

Winners announced online and in issue 78 of Digital Photographer magazine in January 2009.

Competition Link / Set Reminder

50 winners will share $40,000 in cash prizes!

The RitzPix Photo Contest is FREE, easy to enter, and the rules are very simple and straight forward. Best of all, there are 5 photo categories with 50 winners, including 5 Grand Prize Winners who are awarded $2,000 each, and 15 First Prize Winners who take home $1,000 each!

Entries must be received between June 1st, 2008 and September 15th, 2008. All pictures must be original photographs. Amateur photographers only, no professional photographers may enter. No purchase necessary to enter. Winners must be 18 years or older and will be notified by mail. No more than three entries per person will be accepted and only one prize per household will be awarded.

A panel of distinguished members of the New York Institute of Photography will be judging this year’s contest. Remember, any photo, from any type of camera can win! Images will be judged based on color and content. Sharpness will be judged relative to the film size only. Staff and faculty of NYIP will award a Special Judge’s Prize for the best panoramic photograph entered into any of the 5 categories. Judging will take place in October, 2008. Winning photos will be posted online in January 2009.

Categories
People
Scenic
Animals
Digitally Enhanced
Black and White

Prizes
5 Grand prize winners – $2,000 each!
15 First place winners – $1,000 each!
30 Runner-up winners – $500 each!

Competition Link / Set Reminder

Introducing the 8th Annual Everyman Photo Contest.

Since 2001, The Everyman holds an amateur photography contest with the belief that anyone who’s ever taken a picture in their life has taken at least one good picture.

The main rule is simple: NO PROFESSIONALS! A professional is defined as anyone who profits from their photography in any way other than photo contests.

The categories:
- black & white
- landscape / nature
- people / portrait
- travel / architecture
- macro / abstract
- from the attic
- buddy james best title

Prizes in each category:
- first place $50.00
- second place $30.00
- third place $20.00

The from the attic bonus category includes photos taken more than 25 years ago.

The Buddy James Best Title award was inspired by and is in honor of a 2002 entrant who raised the bar as for what is possible in titling an image.

All photos entered will be evaluated by a panel of at least fifteen judges from around the world. Of the judges, none are professional photographers nor are they trained in the ways of artistic presentation or composition. Each judge will simply select the photos that strike them most for whatever reason.

Deadline: September 1, 2008

Competition Link / Set Reminder