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photography competitions you should enter

12/2/2015

There are so many wildlife photography competitions out there, how do you know which ones are worth your time and effort to enter? I've compiled a list of some competitions worth considering, from the most prestigious to little-known gems.

UK

Amateur Photographer of the Year www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

BBC Countryfile Photographic competition www.countryfile.com/subject/photographic-competition

Bird Photograph of the Year www.birdpoty.co.uk

British Photography Awards www.britishphotographyawards.org

British Wildlife Photography Awards www.bwpawards.org

International Garden Photographer of the Year “Wildlife in the Garden” category www.igpoty.com

Landscape Photographer of the Year http://www.take-a-view.co.uk

Luminar Bug Photography Awards www.photocrowd.com/photo-competitions/photography-awards/bpa-2020

(Every two years) National Insect Week photo competition, Royal Entomological Society www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/competitions

*Outdoor Photographer of the Year www.opoty.co.uk

Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition (celebrates the power of photography to communicate science) https://royalsociety.org/journals/photo-competition/

RSPB Photography Contest‎ “Wildpix” (for children up to age 18) www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/families/children/join_in/competitions/wildpix/index.aspx

RSPCA Young Photographer Awards https://young.rspca.org.uk/ypa/home

Royal Society of Biology photography competition www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/rsb-competitions/photography-competition

The Wildlife Trusts offer a range of local competitions www.wildlifetrusts.org/WildlifePhotography

Travel Photographer of the Year http://www.tpoty.com/

Underwater Photographer of the Year https://underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com/

Wildlife Photo Contest (Will Burrard Lucas)
www.wildlifephoto.com/wildlife-photography-competition

Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Natural History Museum of London www.nhm.ac.uk/wpy/

WWT Waterlife Photography Contest https://www.wwt.org.uk/discover-wetlands/waterlife-magazine/waterlife-photography-competition/

Zoological Society London Animal Photography Prize https://www.zsl.org/about-us/zsl-animal-photography-prize

EUROPE

Asferico Photo Contest, Italy https://lnx.asferico.com/concorso/en/home_english/

GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Germany www.gdtfoto.de

Glanzlichter Projekt Natur + Fotografie, Germany http://www.glanzlichter.com

MontPhoto, Spain http://montphoto.com

Montier Photo Festival, France www.photo-montier.org

Nature Photographer of the Year, The Netherlands www.naturephotographeroftheyear.com

Oasis Photo Contest, Italy www.oasisphotocontest.com/

Siena International Photo Awards (SIPA), Siena, Italy https://sipacontest.com

World Press Photo Award, Amsterdam, the Netherlands www.worldpressphoto.org

REST OF WORLD

Audubon Photography Awards www.audubon.org/photoawards-entry

Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year http://naturephotographeroftheyear.com.au

Big Picture Natural World Photography Competition, California, USA www.bigpicturecompetition.org

Global Arctic Awards International Photography Competition, Russia https://arcticawards.ru/en

Golden Turtle international wildlife contest, Moscow http://wncontest.ru/en/about/

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Rashid AlMaktoum International Photography award, wildlife category (HIPA) www.hipa.ae

International Ocean Art Photo Competition www.uwphotographyguide.com/ocean-art-underwater-photo-competition

International Photography Awards www.photoawards.com

International Landscape Photographer of the Year, Australia https://www.internationallandscapephotographer.com/

Kuwait Grand Photography Contest, Middle East www.kwtphotography.com

Mangrove Action Project World Mangrove Day Photography Awards https://mangroveactionproject.org/mangrovephotographyawards

National Geographic Travel Photo Competition, USA
www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2019/11/national-geographic-traveller-photography-competition-2020

National Wildlife Federation Photo Contest www.nwf.org/photocontest.aspx

Nature’s Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards, USA www.naturesbestphotography.com

Nikon Photo Contest, Japan www.nikon-photocontest.com/en

Ocean Geographic Pictures of the Year Awards http://ogpicoty.ogsociety.org

Picture of the Year International https://www.poy.org

Sony World Photography Awards www.worldphoto.org

Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
https://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/

Wilderness Photo Competition https://wilderness-safaris.com/photo-competition

If I've missed off any great wildlife photo competitions, do let me know!

How to survive a charging rhino: 16 life-saving tips

11/2/2015

16 top tips from Bryce Clemence, rhino guardian and anti-poaching team leader in Save Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe

1.     Rhinos will either run away from you or charge you.

2.     Rhinos do not give warnings or make mock charges – when a rhino makes a decision, it always follows through.

3.     Rhinos can cover 30m, accelerating from 0–55kmph, in just three seconds – do not make the mistake of thinking them heavy and slow. They will come at you flat out.

4.     Don’t panic and run – you cannot outpace a rhino. And, if you are in a group, don’t scatter – try to stick together. Make an escape plan before you approach and stick to it.

5.     Know which direction the wind is blowing at all times – be sure the rhino cannot smell you. Don’t forget, the wind direction can change.

6.     As you approach a rhino, make sure you identify all suitable escape trees near you (within three seconds’ distance) at all times, just in case you get into trouble.

7.     Never leave yourself with no cover – move from tree to tree.

8.     You have just three seconds to get out of a rhino’s path, so move sideways, not backwards.

9.     Move behind a tree – to the ‘blind side’ – and then climb.

10. Choose a tree with a girth of 30cm diameter or more and climb to a height of six feet, higher if you can manage it, as quickly as you can. Black rhinos stand 1.5m at the shoulder and you need to get above horn height. They can and do look up.

11. Rhinos use all of their senses – hearing and smell – and though they cannot see well, they can detect movement.

12. Make sure your escape tree is sturdy enough – a furious rhino may simply push down a smaller tree.

13. Rhinos will attempt to use their horn to toss you aside. They put their heads down when they run, so the horn is normally at thigh height on the average human and can inflict a terrible wound.

14. The impact of a direct hit at 55kmph can be as dangerous as a blow from the horn. If you are standing, it could break your back.

15. If you have no time to escape, and the rhino is upon you, dive to the ground and lie feet-first toward the rhino. It may miss you or it may trample you, so try to roll out of its way at the last minute.

16. Rhinos may be colour-blind but they react to red and white so avoid wearing these colours.

I hope this helps you to get out of a tight spot – but remember, the trick is to not get into one in the first place.

photography competitions you should enter

How to survive a charging rhino: 16 life-saving tips

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