Calling all bird photographers - Amateur or Professional
The International Wildbird Photographer competition is back for its sixth year and once again Bird Watching magazine and co-organisers Warehouse Express have lined up another amazing array of prizes for you to win.

The winner of each category will go forward to the Grand Final to decide who will be awarded the title of International Wildbird Photographer 2008 and the £1,500 cash prize from main sponsors Warehouse Express.

Entry Form | Categories | Rules

Category 1: Birds in Britain The winner of this section will show it is perfectly possible to obtain memorable shots of birds taken in the UK. 1st prize: Swarovski ATS65HD telescope plus 20-60x zoom eyepiece worth £1,480 Runner-up: £100 gift voucher from Warehouse Express

Category 2: Birds of the World Images that reflect the magnificent beauty of birds worldwide. 1st prize: Nikon D300 camera body, worth £1,199 Runner-up: £100 gift voucher from Warehouse Express

Category 3: Birds in Flight Capture the essence of flight – the power or grace of a bird in mid-air, soaring, taking off or landing. 1st prize: Leica 8x32 HD binoculars worth £1,210 Runner-up: £100 gift voucher from Warehouse Express

Category 4: Bird Behaviour The winner will be decided on the overall impact of the image. 1st prize: Canon 10x42WP IS binoculars worth £1,499 Runner-up: £100 gift voucher from Warehouse Express

Category 5: Birds in the Landscape We’ll be looking for artistically pleasing shots of birds within the environment – maybe gulls following a plough, a Kestrel on a high-rise office block or a Bittern blending into a reedbed. 1st prize: Bushnell Elite e2 8x42 binoculars worth £499 plus Manfrotto MN701RC2 055 XV tripod kit worth £249 & Wildlife Watching 5ft dome hide worth £233.66 Runner-up: £100 gift voucher from Warehouse Express

Category 6: Amateur & Amateur Digiscoping An amateur is defined as someone who has never received a fee for work reproduced in magazines or books. Amateur digiscoped shots are also included in this category. 1st prize: Kata HB-205 rucksack worth £209 plus Opticron Imagic BGA SE 8x42 binoculars worth £399 Runner-up: £100 gift voucher from Warehouse Express

Category 7: 18s & Under NEW Junior photographers now have their very own category! Any wild-bird images are considered, as long as the photographer is aged 18 years or under. Entry fee of £10 if entering this category only. 1st prize: Lowepro Vertex 200 rucksack worth £165, plus Giottos MTL3661 plus MH5001 tripod kit worth £145 Runner-up: £100 gift voucher from Warehouse Express

8: Best Portfolio The category all wildlife photographers want to win. To win this category, entrants must submit three pictures that are linked in some way. Each shot needs to be of prize-winning quality in its own right. 1st prize: Sony Alpha 700 DSLR camera plus 16-80mm lens and filters worth £1,499 Runner-up: £100 gift voucher from Warehouse Express

Rules

1. The competition is owned jointly by Bird Watching magazine and Warehouse Express. It is open to anyone except those involved in its organisation or employed by Bauer or Warehouse Express, and their families. All entrants must use the official entry form in Bird Watching magazine, or printed from the IWP website.
2. Winning entries from each category will be awarded prizes from the competition’s support sponsors and then advance to the final judging to decide the overall title of International Wildbird Photographer of the Year. Runners-up in each category will be awarded £100 gift vouchers by Warehouse Express.
3. Each entrant may submit up to three images for each of the solo classes. Each entrant may enter the portfolio class once. The portfolio class requires three images. Entry to this year’s competition costs £20, regardless of how many categories you enter (£10 if entering category 7 only).
4. All submitted photographs must have been taken in the three years prior to the closing date and the entrant should be sole author and copyright owner of each image.
5. Only images of wild birds are eligible for entry. No captive birds. If protected species are the subject, entrants should submit copies of relevant permits from supervising agencies (ie: Natural England).
6. Pictures that have won awards in other photographic competitions, or similar shots from the same sequence, are disqualified from entry. Images previously published in magazines, or similar shots from the same sequence, are ineligible.
7. No image may be entered into more than one category.
8. Formats:
   • Entries can be submitted as digital images submitted on CDs or 35mm transparencies in standard size mounts. Prints will not be accepted.
   • Digital images should be saved as JPEGs in the highest possible quality setting.
   • Minor cleaning of digital images is acceptable, as is the use of levels, curves, colour, saturation, contrast, cropping and sharpening.
   • Images that, in the opinion of the judges, have been excessively altered or digitally manipulated will be disqualified. This includes double exposure, sandwich shots and fusing more than one image.
   • If your entry reaches the final stages of the competition we may ask to see the original JPEG or RAW file, so please ensure that these are available or risk disqualification.
   • Entrants are responsible for the appearance of all images and the judges will make their decisions on what they see on screen. Entrants must submit a sheet of thumbnail images, labelled with species name, with each CD.
9. Labelling:
   • DIGITAL ENTRIES: Every image should be tagged with category number, photographer name and species name (eg C2/J Smith/Yellowhammer). The CD itself should be clearly labelled with the photographer’s name and categories in permanent ink.
     On a separate sheet of paper headed with your name and address, please record the following details for each picture: category number; species name; details of location; time of year taken; equipment used.
     Send all CDs in one package together with entry form.
   • TRANSPARENCIES: Each transparency should name and species name (eg C2/J Smith/Yellowhammer). Put each mounted transparency in a separate envelope and write on it the following information: category number; your name and address; used. Do not seal the envelope. Place all individual envelopes into one package together with the entry form.
   • Return of entries: Transparencies will be returned only if appropriate postage costs are included with entry form. UK-based photographers should include a stamped addressed envelope if they require transparencies to be returned. Digital images and CDs will not be returned.
10. Registration fees and postage costs can be paid as follows:
    • By Sterling cheques made payable to Bird Watching Magazine
    • By international reply coupons
    • By credit card form
11. The winners will be chosen by judges appointed by the organisers, whose decisions on all matters is final. The organisers reserve the right to disqualify any entrant deemed to be in breach of the rules and to award the prize to the runner-up or third-placed entrant.
12. If entries in any particular category fall below the required standard, the organisers reserve the right not to award prizes.
13. The organisers and sponsors reserve the right to free reproduction and exhibition in all media of prize-winning or commended entries, but only in connection with this competition and publicity for it.
14. The organisers reserve the worldwide, royalty-free right and licence for the full period of copyright to publish winning and commended images in a book or magazine, and at their discretion will pay reproduction fees to photographers.
15. All entries are sent at the photographer’s risk and the organisers regret that they cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage.
16. CLOSING DATE: Entries and registration fees must be received by November 30, 2008.

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