As the title suggests, in this Bird Photographer of the Year category we're looking for images that seek to capture the joy that millions of us derive from the birds that visit our gardens and inhabit our towns and cities. The judges are looking for images that celebrate the relationship between birds and people, and which show a degree of creativity and uniqueness. Images that are likely to fare well in this category are those that clearly show the subject in a garden or urban environment and need not necessarily be species that are perceived as classic garden or urban specialists.
Prizes include Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 binoculars worth around £800 and a chance to win £5,000 and the title of Bird Photographer of the Year 2018.
The photographer of the winning image in each category will receive a pair of Swarovski CL Companion 8x30 binoculars with a retail value of approximately £800. The winners will also receive a personal portfolio review by the Director of Photography at Alamy and a special seller's account receiving 100% of any sales revenue for 12 months. Those judged second in each of the categories will receive a runners-up prize of a clothing bundle worth £160 from outdoor clothing and equipment specialists Country Innovation, comprising the following items which can be viewed on their website: Venture Waistcoat Field Pouch CI Knitted Hat CI Knitted Gloves
Main Prize The photographer of the winning image chosen by the judging panel will win a cash prize of £5,000 and the title ‘Bird Photographer of the Year’. The winner will also receive a personal portfolio review by the Director of Photography at Alamy, have their work and personal interview featured on the Alamy website, social media and blog, plus a special seller's account with a personal account manager and receive 100% of sales revenue for 2 years.
Portfolio Prize The winner of the Best Portfolio chosen by the judging panel will receive to Olympus OM-D E M1 MKII camera body and M.Zuiko Digital ED 300mm F/4 IS PRO lens with a combined value £3,500. The winner will also receive a personal portfolio review by the Director of Photography at Alamy and a special seller's account receiving 100% of any sales revenue for 12 months.
Every photo submitted will be available for the crowd to rate once the submissions period has ended. In this contest, the entries are hidden until the rating period begins.
Some contests on Photocrowd also have a judge. After the submission period closes the judge chooses their favourite images and writes some image reviews. The crowd and judge results will be announced on the same day.
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