Get your cameras out and enter your Hertfordshire nature pictures in an annual wildlife photography competition.
To mark World Photography Day today (Friday, August 19), Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust is launching its Wild Snaps competition for amateur photographers of all ages.
Prizes, publication and the opportunity to feature in a photography exhibition at St Albans Cathedral are all up for grabs in the wildlife photography contest.
Now in its third year, organisers are looking forward to celebrating the wonderful wildlife of Hertfordshire and Middlesex, with new categories for under-16s and rivers this year.
There will be an exhibition of the top 30 photographs at St Albans Cathedral in October.
Natasha Aidinyantz, digital communication officer at the Trust, said: “Photography is a great way to connect with wildlife.
"By nature, it makes you look more closely at what’s around and focus on the beauty that exists close by, whether that’s in an urban or a rural location.
"We’re lucky to have a community of people who regularly share their photographs of wildlife with us across Hertfordshire and Middlesex.
"These never fail to inform, surprise and delight us – we’re really hoping that Wild Snaps amplifies this type of response for our following.
"We can’t wait to see everyone’s images and to share the judges’ favourites.”
How to enter Wild Snaps competition
The competition asks amateur photographers and casual snappers across Hertfordshire and Middlesex to submit their best wildlife shots across three categories – General Wildlife, Under 16s and a Rivers category, which celebrates 10 years of the Trust’s Living Rivers project.
Photographs can be submitted online via the Trust’s website at https://www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/wildsnaps until September 7.
For the first time in Wild Snaps history, a judging panel will decide on the best 30 images in the competition.
This expert panel includes Tom Hanner, an award-winning wildlife filmmaker and photographer, and Jeanette Lendon of Jet Black Squares, a professional photographer who has hung up her long lens and now champions smartphone photography.
Will Jobbins, the winner of Wild Snaps 2021 and a talented macro-photography enthusiast, will also judge the entries together with the Trust’s conservation manager, Tim Hill, a keen photographer who has contributed many of his photos to a wide range of publications over the past 20 years.
The panel’s selection will provide the shortlist for the public to vote on from September 19 to September 28.
Everyone who votes will be eligible to enter a prize draw to win an exclusive one-to-one smartphone photography session provided by Jet Black Squares.
All 30 shortlisted photographs will be exhibited at St Albans Cathedral from October 1 to October 20. The exhibition is open to all and entrance is free of charge.
The winners will be presented with their prizes at a special event to be held at the Cathedral on October 3.
The winning images will also be featured in Wildlife Matters, The Trust’s membership magazine.
Additionally, there are monetary vouchers for wildlife watching equipment and Wildlife Trust branded binoculars, kindly donated by competition sponsors, Opticron, plus a variety of unique wildlife experiences to be won.
The runner-up in each category will receive a pair of Opticron 8x21 binoculars, a voucher for a free Badger Watching Experience at Tewin Orchard Nature Reserve, and a £30 voucher for the Waffle House in St Albans.
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