Get snapping for wildlife photography competition
03/01/2007
Grab your camera and head for the wilds - the search for the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2007 has begun.
An imaginative eye, a love for the natural world and a camera are all it takes to enter the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, the world’s longest-running and most prestigious wildlife photographic contest. It is open to both amateurs and professionals of all ages and nationalities, and entrants stand to win an impressive £10,000 prize if they become the overall individual winner – the highest prize ever offered in this competition.
Last year the competition last year attracted more than 18,000 entries from 55 countries, and the overall winner was Göran Ehlmé, from Sweden, for his dramatic image of a walrus whipping up the sediment at the bottom of the sea as it gorged on bivalves.
Entry opens on 20 January 2007 and all images must be submitted by 23 March 2007 (postal) or 30 March 2007 (online) to have a chance of taking home the coveted title of Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year. Category winners and runners up will also share in the £12,550 prize pool.
The 12 adult entry categories are:
Animals in Their Environment, Animal Behaviour: Birds, Animal Behaviour: Mammals, Animal Behaviour: All Other Animals, Animal Portraits, In Praise of Plants, Creative Visions of Nature, The World in Our Hands, Nature in Black and White, Urban and Garden Wildlife and Wild Places. The Underwater World category is supported by Project AWARE Foundation (International).
The two special awards are the Eric Hosking Award – given for the best portfolio of six images taken by a photographer aged 18–26 – and the Gerald Durrell Award for Endangered Wildlife – given for the best image of a species officially listed in the 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Any category winner has the chance to carry off the grand title.
"These are some of the most impressive photos of wildlife you will see," said Deborah Sage, Competition Manager. "By capturing the beauty and diversity of the environment in their photos, the wildlife photographers challenge the way we think about our natural world and inspire us to conserve it."
The competition showcases the very best photographic images of nature to a worldwide audience, displaying the splendour, drama and variety of life on Earth and inspiring people to care for its future. It also aims to show the artistry involved in wildlife photography and encourage a new generation of photographers to produce visionary and evocative interpretations of nature.
Winning photographers not only receive a cash prize, they also see their images featured in a special supplement with the November issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine. And the winning images – those considered the most outstanding and memorable of all entries – together with at least 50 commended ones, will go on display at the Natural History Museum, London, from 27 October 2007 before touring the UK and worldwide. They will also feature in a hardback commemorative book by BBC Books.
If you are entering by post, an official entry form must accompany all entries. These will be available in English, German, French and Spanish from the competition website from 20 January and (in English only) in the February issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine (on sale 18 January), or the Shell Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition Office: The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD.
Alternatively call +44 (0) 20 7942 5015 or email: wildphoto@nhm.ac.uk