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 2023. No entries will be accepted after midnight on 31 December 2023.

How to enter the 2023 competition

• Pay the £7.50 entry fee via our online shop (this is a one-off fee that allows you to enter up to 12 images per month from the date of entry until the close of the competition).
• Register to create your account (if you have created an account when purchasing entry, you will need to still register here as the two are not linked).
• Login to your account.
• Once logged in you will be asked for the receipt number from your entry purchase (this is a five digit code).
• You can then upload your images for the current month (up to twelve per month), as well as labelling them and choosing which categories they fit in to.
• Upload images and save.
• You can log back in to your account to add additional images to your entry at any time but please be aware that you will only be able to amend and add entries for the current month.
• Take a look at your images in our Photographic Competition Gallery (please note that your entry must be approved by a member of our team before it is displayed and this could take up to three working days).

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.

• Portrait – Neil Cave, Photographer (Visit his website)
• Action – Andy Hinton, Head of Development at the Trust
• Working relationship – Mark Hemming, MH4.0 (Visit his website)
• Flora and fauna – Guy Edwardes, Wildlife Photographer (Visit his website)
• In the wild – Oliver Smart, Wildlife Photographer (Visit his website)
• Impression – Paul Durrant, Graphic Designer for the Trust (Visit his website)

The overall winner will be selected by TV presenter, zoologist and President of the Hawk Conservancy Trust, Chris Packham. Each year, winners will be announced in spring, following the close of the competition.

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 or watermarks 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. Use of Photoshop/Lightroom is permitted, however the integrity of the photo should remain. Artistic emphasis must remain on the photography and not the editing. Photographs should represent the original object or subject and photographs that, in the opinion of the Trust or its representatives, have excessive editing may not be approved.
10. Full terms and conditions apply.

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.

Thank you to everyone who took part in the 2022 Photographic Competition; all of your entries are certainly making our judges decision a tough one!

The twelve winning and highly commended images will be announced on our website and social media in April 2023. The overall winner of the competition, as chosen by Chris Packham will be announced at our Members’ Event on Saturday 3 June. To view the winning entries of previous competitions, please click here.