Wildlife Photographer contest seeks extra u/w photos

The subsequent Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitors, WPY62, stays open for entries solely till 4 December, 2025 – and the organisers say they’re significantly eager on receiving extra underwater entries. There can also be welcome information for opponents aged 26 and beneath.

In current years photos by underwater photographers have finished properly in numerous classes in addition to profitable the competitors outright, although they have been barely much less evident among the many top-placed photos within the 2024 WPY61, reported in October on Divernet.

The competitors, run by the Natural History Museum (NHM) in London, is described because the world’s oldest and most prestigious wildlife pictures competitors and touring exhibition, reaching hundreds of thousands globally by means of its shows and media publicity.

The judging panel of seven specialists for WPY62 consists of French underwater photographer and twice Wildlife Photographer of the Year Grand Title winner Laurent Ballesta.

The judges will choose the highest 100 photos, together with the competitors’s 16 class winners. Besides Under Water, these embrace quite a lot of environmental, portrait and behavior sections in addition to Oceans: The Bigger Picture, Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year and the Impact Award to advertise conservation successes.

Baiting ban

This 12 months for the primary time the competitors prohibits the usage of any type of baiting, besides the place the {photograph} is the results of reliable scientific analysis.

Last 12 months’s introduction of a charge waiver for entrants aged 18-26 resulted in an 84% year-on-year enhance within the variety of entrants on this age vary – so the waiver has been maintained. Photographers can enter as much as 25 photos at no cost.

Those aged 27 and above can enter as much as 25 photos for a £35 charge, whereas entrants aged 17 and beneath on the time limit can enter as much as 10 photos free.

Photographers from 114 nations throughout Africa, South-east Asia and South America which have traditionally been under-represented within the competitors can even enter totally free. Find all the details and enter the competition here.

The exhibition of 100 shortlisted and profitable photos from WPY61 may be seen on the NHM in London till 12 July subsequent 12 months.