Skip to page content

Skip to page content

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition champions ethical wildlife photography, the faithful representation of the natural world, free from excessive digital adjustment, with honesty in all captioning, and with total regard for the welfare of the animals and their environment.

The young section of the competition aims to discover, encourage and reward the next generation of aspiring nature photographers.

You must be 17 years old or under at the closing date of the competition to enter the young competition. The closing date is 25 February 2013.

Young categories

There are 3 age group categories in the Young competition.

  • 15-17 Years
  • 11-14 Years
  • 10 Years and Under

Images entered in the 3 categories should feature any plant or animal in any subject area covered by the Adult categories, whether portrait or action, environmental or landscape. Care and consideration for the subject must always come first.

Prizes

Winners of each age category will receive:

  • a trip to London for the awards night at the Natural History Museum
  • a prize of £500
  • a year’s subscription to BBC Wildlife Magazine
  • a copy of the Portfolio book featuring their winning image

Winners of each age category are in the running for the grand title of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

The young grand title winner will also receive:

  • a prize of £1,000
  • a commemorative trophy and certificate of recognition
  • a masterclass with a leading nature photographer

Before entering the Young competition, please refer to the Young rules and Image editing guidelines.

Tips to help you capture the best possible images
  • explore your local environment to discover the multitude of species nearby
  • don’t just shoot everything in sight, choose an interesting subject and take as many different photos of it as you can
  • creatures or places you know well or have easy access to can often be the best subjects
  • the simpler the image and the less distracting the background, the greater its impact
  • immerse yourself in nature by getting down to the animal’s eye level, or even lower, for more intimate photos
  • use a tripod or find some other way of making sure your images are pin sharp
  • try to take photos in beautiful light, for example, at the beginning or end of the day, or just before or after a storm
  • the way you frame and crop your subject is as important as getting the focus right and the level and type of light is a vital ingredient
  • select your images carefully and ask your family and friends for their opinions too