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Calling all photographers!

Have you taken any striking images of our beautiful residents or wild birds of prey? Enter your images into our annual competition for the chance to win a private, one-on-one experience at the Trust tailored to your interests, it can include flying or photographing our birds (or perhaps a combination of both!). Plus all winning images will be displayed at the Trust.

We are looking for high quality images with great composition which fit into the following categories:

  1. Portrait – portrait of a Hawk Conservancy Trust bird of prey (or Trust animal).
  2. Action – resident Trust bird of prey (or Trust animal) in action.
  3. Working relationship – between a member of Trust staff at work and a bird of prey (or Trust animal) in any location where the Trust is actively working. For this category, we are really looking for images that show the special connection between human and animal; we recommend that images show at least the head or face of the human.
  4. Flora and fauna – wildflowers, shrubs, plants, trees, insects, mammals, wildlife and the sculptures around the Trust grounds (excludes birds of prey).
  5. In the wild – wild (non-captive/non-Trust) birds of prey in their natural settings.
  6. Impression – we’re after photos that you feel sum up a visit to the Trust. This category is open to your own creative interpretation and is a way for you to show us in an image what you think a day with us is all about.

Please note: by entering this competition you take full responsibility for obtaining permission from all people included in your photograph (if their faces are visible).

This is an annual competition open to entries between 1 January-31 December 2020. No entries will be accepted after midnight on 31 December 2020.

How to enter the 2020 competition

The 2020 competition has now closed for entries – thank you to everyone who has entered.

The 2021 competition will open for entries as soon as judging has taken place. In the meantime, if you wish to enter for 2021, please contact marketing@hawkconservancy.org.

The Prizes

A winning and highly commended photograph will be selected for each of the above categories as well as an overall winner selected from the six category winners.

Overall Winner
  • A private, one-on-one experience at the Trust, tailored to your interests (you can fly or photograph our birds, or perhaps a mixture of both!)
  • A 2022 calendar showcasing all winning and highly commended images. The overall winner’s image will be displayed on the cover of this calendar
  • Your winning image will be part of a display exhibition in Feathers Restaurant
  • A framed copy of your winning image
Category Winners
  • A Half-day Photographic Experience at the Trust
  • A 2022 calendar showcasing all winning and highly commended images
  • Your winning image will be part of a display exhibition in Feathers Restaurant
  • A framed copy of your winning image
Highly Commended
  • A 2022 calendar showcasing all winning and highly commended images
  • Your winning image will be part of a display exhibition in Feathers Restaurant
  • A framed copy of your winning image

The Judges

The overall winner will be selected by TV presenter, zoologist and president of the Hawk Conservancy Trust, Chris Packham. Winners will be announced in the spring of 2021, following the close of the competition.

The Rules

FOR 2020 ONLY: Due to COVID-19 closures at the Trust, for this year only entries do not have to be have been captured during 2020.

  1. Images should be at a size of at least 2000 pixels on the longest edge.
  2. Images should be saved as JPEGs before uploading them.
  3. You must be the sole author and owner of the copyright for all images entered.
  4. Please don’t add an copyright details on to your images (we will always try to credit any images we use wherever possible).
  5. In order to submit your photos to the competition, you must seek permission from anyone featured in photos entered unless they are a Hawk Conservancy Trust member of staff or volunteer at work. If you don’t have the permission of someone featured in your image, please select an alternative image to enter.
  6. Images that show birds of prey eating or catching prey and that, in the opinion of the Trust or its representatives, could cause offence will be removed from the competition.
  7. In order to enter the competition you must pay a one-off fee of £7.50 and this allows you to enter up to 12 images per month from the date of entry until the close of the competition.
  8. Images which could be eligible for more than one category can only be entered once and in one category only.
  9. Full terms and conditions apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please take a look through the below questions before you submit your entries. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

How should I save my images?

All photos should be saved as JPEGs and should be saved with a filename that includes your name, the date it was taken and your caption. Please do not add copyright details to your image. Images should be less than 16MB but with a minimum size of 2,000 pixels on the longest edge.

Why aren't my images showing in the gallery?

When you save your monthly entry, it is saved in our system and a member of our team will be notified. As soon as we have checked and approved your entry, it will be published onto the gallery page. Please not that each month when you add images, all images you have entered for the year will temporarily disappear from the gallery page. They will all reappear as soon as your latest entry has been approved.

My image fits into more than one category; can I enter it into both?

No, you can only enter an image once and in one category.

I took a brilliant photo last year, can I enter it now?

No, all photos entered into the 2020 Photographic Competition must have been captured in 2020.

THIS RULE HAS BEEN DROPPED FOR THE 2020 COMPETITION.

What will you do with my images if I enter them into this competition?

Your image will be displayed in the online Photographic Competition gallery until the close of the competition. Should it be selected as a winning or highly commended image, it will be used in the 2022 Hawk Conservancy Trust Calendar. It will also be displayed in Feathers Restaurant as part of a photography exhibition of all winning images.

By entering your images into the competition, you give the Hawk Conservancy Trust a non-exclusive licence to reproduce the images for any purpose including, but not limited to, the following purposes: judging the competition, display of winning entries held at the Trust, inclusion into the BIAZA photographic competition, inclusion within Trust marketing and promotional material and for use in Trust merchandise. The Trust reserves the right to display, reproduce and publish in any media any entry, without payment, for the sole purpose of the Trust and its promotion and publicity. Should the Trust use any image for promotional or other purposes every effort will be made to give credit to the photographer (where possible).
What are the other terms and conditions for this competition?

2019 Photographic Competition Results

Thank you to everyone who took part in the 2019 Photographic Competition; you certainly gave our judges a tough time!

The overall winner of this competition is Mark Macfeeters for his stunning image of an African White-backed Vulture.

View all winning an highly commended images from the 2019 competition and previous years.

Did you know?
Kestrels don’t build their own nest. Instead, they use nests of other large birds (such as pigeons or crows), holes in trees, crevices in walls and cliff faces, or ledges of buildings.
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