The annual competition, run by local conservation charity Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, usually attracts good numbers of photographs taken of wildlife in people’s gardens. This number is expected to jump for this year’s competition as people enter photographs of wildlife and wild places they discovered on their doorstep during last year’s restrictions.
Wild photos invited to competition
Pearl-bordered fritillary by Richard Clifford
Judges of a popular photo competition are expecting this year’s entries to be full of doorstep wildlife.
Swallows, near Egdon by Yana Northen
Wendy Carter, organiser of the calendar competition for the Trust, explained “Over the last year we’ve heard many stories of people reconnecting with the nature they’ve found in their garden or in their local areas, which has been wonderful to hear about.
“Of the thousands of entries we’ve received in previous years, we had already started to see an increase in the number of photographs taken in people’s local areas so we’re expecting that to soar this year.
“Nature gives us so much, from our own wellbeing to a healthy planet, and the fact that so many people are taking photos of what they see in their own garden means that they’re doing their bit to take care of the wild on their patch.”
From birds and bees to wildflowers and wild scenes, the annual competition celebrates the beauty and diversity of Worcestershire’s wildlife and wild places.
Red fox by Simon Hislam
Entrants compete to win one of 12 spaces in the charity’s 2022 calendar, with a public vote to help choose the overall winning image to take pride of place on the front cover.
A further 24 runner’s-up images feature as smaller insets in the calendar. All photos have the chance of being used to help the nature conservation charity to promote its work throughout the county.
All Trust staff are involved in judging a longlist of images, which are then whittled down to a shortlist judged by a smaller team that includes two experienced wildlife photographers and previous winners of the competition.
Lesser hornet hoverfly by Jill Orme
Wendy added “The deadline isn’t far away now and we’re starting to see increasing numbers of entries arrive; we’re really looking forward to seeing this year’s entries.
“Judging is always difficult - we get a wonderful array of stunning wild images and we’re never disappointed by what photographers manage to capture of our local wildlife and wild places.
“Previous winning images have been taken on compact and phone cameras as well as DSLRs - it’s about experiencing and capturing the magic of our natural world.”
The small team of judges, which includes professional wildlife photographer Pete Walkden and semi-professional Jason Curtis, are looking for striking images that make people say ‘wow’.
Last year’s winning photograph, taken by Bromsgrove’s Richard Clifford, was of a beautiful pearl-bordered fritillary taken in the Wyre Forest.
Misty morning spider web by Jean Young
Other winners included an urban fox in Worcester by Simon Hislam, a garden spider web covered in morning dew near Pershore by Jean Young and an adult swallow feeding its young in a garden near Pershore.
Entries must have been taken in Worcestershire and should be of wildlife or of the county’s many wildlife-friendly places. Photographs of people encountering and engaging with wildlife are also welcome.
The popular calendar raises funds for the Trust’s work and images are also considered for use across the Trust’s range of greetings and Christmas cards.
Photographers have until Monday 5th April 2021 to enter. Entry forms can be downloaded from www.worcswildlifetrust.co.uk/photography-competition
Winning and runner’s up images from previous competitions can be seen at the Trust’s Flickrstream
