The Friends of Paxton Pits are delighted to announce a new photographic competition which will run for a year from 1st September 2022 to 31st August 2023.

The Competition will celebrate Paxton Pits as a nature reserve for all seasons.

There will be a prize for the best photograph taken in each season and an overall prize for the best photograph of the year. Twelve photographs will also be selected for a calendar and the overall winner will feature on the calendar cover. All photographs selected for the calendar will win prizes.

Further details of prizes will be published shortly.

An exhibition of entries for each season will be held in the Visitors Centre and other venues.

Images must have been taken at Paxton Pits Nature Reserve or on immediately adjacent land, e.g the Sailing Lake or the planned extension land. The judges’ decision on the definition of adjacent land is final. Images may only be taken from public access areas.

Images must have been taken during the period for which they are entered and must not have won an award in National or International Competitions.

The full rules for the competition are here.

Season Dates

SeasonDatesClosing Date
Autumn1st September to 30th November 202215th December 2022
Winter1st December 2022 to 28th February 202315th March 2023
Spring1st March to 31st May 202315th June 2023
Summer1st June to 31st August 202315th September 2023
Overall1st September 2022 to 31st August 202315th September 2023

How to Enter

Entries for the summer season must be submitted in a digital format by email and entries must be accompanied by an entry form. Each photographer may submit up to 5 images per season up to a maximum of 20 images.

If you would like to submit additional photographs for the overall prize, please use this entry form. This allows you to enter another 5 photographs which can be taken at any time during the year. There is no need to resubmit photographs you have entered previously as they will be automatically considered for the overall prize.

The file name of each image should be (Photographer’s Name) followed by (Image Name) followed by (Date of photo).

Any photograph showing identifiable people must be accompanied by a release form.

Entries should be sent to photocompetition@paxton-pits.org.uk

The full rules for the competition are here.

The photograph at the top of this page was taken by Jackie Hill and was the overall winner of our 2018-19 Photography Competition.