Photography Competition

Intimate, thought-provoking portraits that reveal the character and spirit of a Suffolk species. 

Dynamic images capturing fleeting moments of wildlife in action or on the move. 

Landscape photography that celebrates the natural beauty and distinctive character of Suffolk’s wild places.

Images celebrating the connection between people and the natural world, recording moments where humans and nature meet, interact, and coexist. 

Powerful images highlighting the vital role of freshwater ecosystems - from rivers and lakes to marshes and estuaries - and their importance for people and wildlife.

Documenting unexpected and often unseen wildlife encounters within urban environments. 

Alternative perspectives on Suffolk’s wildlife and landscape, using abstract photography to capture the simple beauty or complex artistry of nature. 

Shining a spotlight on the incredible diversity and creativity of Suffolk’s emerging photographic talent. The Young Photographer Prize will be awarded to one competition entrant aged 16-24 years old, with two highly-commended runners-up. 

Each individual entrant can submit a maximum of three entries, distributed among the categories as they wish. No single image may be entered into more than one category. All images must have been taken in Suffolk in 2025 or 2026. Please ensure each image is no more than 20MB in size.

Entrants are required to provide their full name, email address and phone number. We request this personal data for the purpose of the administration of the photography competition. This data will be processed and stored in a secure manner and will only be kept for the duration of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust Photography Competition 2026. We will store the data of the winners in order to make contact and to facilitate the award of prizes.

All images submitted to the competition may be used by Suffolk Wildlife Trust on their social media accounts, associated local, regional, national or international press releases and media, as well as on their website, publications, internal and external exhibitions associated with the Trust and future promotional materials to promote the Trust’s work, unless specifically stated by the entrant. Copyright will always remain with the photographer and Suffolk Wildlife Trust will make every reasonable effort to ensure that name credits of entrants are reproduced on images published in online and printed publications.

All images submitted must be the work of the individual submitting them. It is the responsibility of each entrant to ensure that any images they submit have been taken with the permission of the subject (where necessary) and do not infringe the copyright of any third party. Entrants must warrant that the photograph they are submitting is their own work and that they own the copyright for it.

The welfare of the wildlife subject is more important than the photograph itself. If entries are found to have evidence of undue disturbance or stress inflicted on wildlife in the process of taking the photograph, the entrant will be disqualified. Please avoid damaging habitat or disturbing wildlife in search of the perfect shot.

Images generated using AI (Artificial Intellegience), or heavily editted with AI, will be disqualified.

Events may occur that render the competition itself impossible due to reasons beyond the control of the promoter and accordingly the promoter may at its absolute discretion vary or amend the promotion. The entrant must agree that no liability shall attach to the promoter as a result thereof.

All information detailing how to enter this competition forms part of these terms and conditions. It is a condition of entry that all rules are accepted as final and that the entrant agrees to abide by these rules.

Submission of an entry will be taken to mean acceptance of these terms and conditions.

If you have any problems uploading your images or you have any further questions about the Suffolk Wildlife Trust Photography Competition 2026, please email comms@suffolkwildlifetrust.org.

A panel of judges will choose one winner and four highly-commended photographs from each category. The judges will also select choose one young phootgrapher to award the Young Photographer Prize. An overall winner will then be decided by a public vote.

All images will be anonymous while being judged by our panel. The panel will include a Trust staff member, volunteer, and photographer, along with the competition sponsors.

Each category winner will be printed in the Autumn/Winter 2026 edition of Wild Suffolk magazine (the Trust's membership magazine).

Winning photographs, and selected highly-commended photographs, will also be displayed at a public exhibition in Ipswich in the autumn of 2026, plus be featured in the 2027 Suffolk Wildlife Calendar.

Additionally, the winner of the Young Photography Prize will win a one-to-one photography course with a wildlife photographer.