New for 2025 – Documenting animals
Can you use your camera to tell us a story about animals? We're looking for three photos: a beginning, a middle and an end. Your story will document real events, places, people and animals. Your aim can be to inspire, educate, make change – or simply record real life. Be curious, and a story will appear! Be creative, and you'll tell your story in the best way possible.
The brief
We want you to show us the real world, choosing authentic actions and situations. Your three photos can document a moment in time or take us on a longer journey. Do you want to raise awareness, spark a discussion, or detail the world as it is today? We welcome a range of approaches, as long as the story is clear and has a positive message.
Although your story will be about animals, you can also focus on a habitat or a person – what part do they play in the story?
Examples of great shots
You can submit photos in any format – portrait, landscape, or even square! This is a new category, so there are no previous winners, but take a look at this great example of an owl-ringing story.
Getting started
We'll be looking for a story that leaves a lasting impression. What is happening in the wider world? We know that not everything that happens is good, but let's inspire others by celebrating the positive. Can you visit a nature reserve or conservation project? Do you know of people who spend time making a difference to animals, like the bird-ringing shots above? Or can you create your own story, for example, by encouraging animals through rewilding parts of your surroundings – in country, garden, town, or city.
Think of your three images as a whole, rather than a series of individual shots. They need to be stronger as a set – working together to tell a story. It might help to plan your shots first, maybe even create a storyboard. Or perhaps your reactions are fast enough to document a story as it happens.
Now you have the story clear in your head, and the photos to illustrate it, can you explain it to us in around 120 words? Tell us what inspired you. Give us some background. What does your story mean for the animal or animals involved?
When you're out and about trying to get the perfect shot, don't ever put your safety at risk.
Entering the competition
Remember to include a description of your photo, in 120 words or fewer. Tell us where you took the photo, why you took it, and give any details you think are interesting or tell the photo's story.
Read the full rules and terms and conditions before you enter and check out the prizes.