Annual photography competition 2024

Calling all wildlife photographers

As the end of the year approaches this is the ideal time to look back on all the wildlife experiences that you have captured as a photographer and enter our annual competition. Not only is this a chance to win a years FREE membership to the reserve but it is a great chance to share your photographs with everyone. Sometimes our visitors don't get to see all the wildlife that inhabits the reserve so please share your photos with us.

There are a variety of categories that can be entered, whether your photograph is of a common woodland bird, the comical marsh frog or one of our livestock grazers please sort through your collection and send your entry in to the reserve.

The categories are

Best bird life

Best kingfisher

Best animal

Best livestock

Best wading bird

Best landscape

Best wildfowl

Best invertebrate

Best wildfowl

Best botanical/fungi

Best young photographer

Best in show (decided by public vote)

We are taking entries from 1st to 10th December, then all photographs will be on display from 14th December in our classroom, the Holt, so that visitors can view all entries and vote for their favourite overall winner which will be used on next years membership card.

There are a few rules so please read them below, any questions then just ask and good luck! We are really looking forward to seeing some of the amazing photographs that have been taken here at the reserve throughout 2024.

Terms of entry

• Any picture entered must have been taken between 01/12/2023 – 10/12/2024. Entry open to all visitors and members and it must be their own work.

• Exhibitors may enter every eligible category if they wish, but entries are limited to 2 images per photographer per category.

• All pictures must have been taken within the Tophill Low recording area (I.e. the Yorkshire Water owned site, Watton Nature Reserve or the Approach road to Angram Farm).

• Photo post processing is permitted.

• Photos can be submitted from 12pm 1^st December and entries close at 12pm on the 10th of December 2024. No early or late entries will be considered. Entries must remain in the exhibition for the duration of the exhibition. The exhibition will start on the 14^th December and run until 5^th January.

• Competition results will be announced at 5pm 20^th December 2024 via the Tophill Low Nature Reserve blog. Public vote submission will be shared on social media on 3^rd January with the winner being displayed in the Reception Hide and could become the new Tophill Low membership card for 2025/26.

• All pictures must be no larger than A2 (or 420mm X 594mm) including any mount. No wooden or glass frames will be accepted. They must be clearly labelled with your name on the reverse, no images with names on the front will be considered so public voting is fair.

• ‘Best Young Photographer’ category is open to ages 17 years and under. Direction and guidance permitted from an elder – but photographs must be taken by the younger.

• Photos will be displayed and judged by a team assembled at the discretion of the Reserve Warden. It will be the judging panel’s decision, and they may refuse entry to images considered not to meet the criteria. The panel’s decision is final.

• The judging panel will not involve any exhibitors in the competition.

• ‘Best in Show’ will be chosen by public vote via public ballot. The ballot starts on 14^th December and closes at 5pm on the 3^rd January 2024. No late votes will be counted. The vote is limited to 3 selections per voter. Your 3 selections can be taken from any category.

• Tophill Low Nature Reserve reserves the right to use the images supplied in the promotion of the site and could be used for the 2025 membership card. Credit will be given to the photographers wherever appropriate.

• A prize of a season’s free membership will be given to the winner in each category. If you win more than one category, you will still only receive one membership. The upcoming membership season start is 1^st April 2025.