Mammal Photographer of the Year 2020

Mammals are some of our most difficult creatures to photograph in the UK. Entrants to our photo competition prove every year that they are more than up to the challenge of capturing images of these elusive animals, and we expect this year to be no exception. So much so that we’ve created a NEW CATEGORY for capturing the most elusive of mammals!

Wood Mouse by Roy Rimmer – Winner Mammal Photographer of the Year 2019

Each year over 300 entries are received and judged by our panel of wildlife photography experts, and the prizes are presented at the opening of the Mammal Society Spring Conference, which in 2020 will be held at Robinson College, University of Cambridge on 27-29 March. We are delighted that prizes this year will be presented by our Cranbrook speaker, Professor Andrew Balmford, professor of conservation at the University of Cambridge.

How to Enter

Red Squirrel by Malcolm Welch

If you have recently (no earlier than 1 October 2018) taken a fantastic photo of a UK mammal and would like to enter this year’s competition, please review the categories listed and be sure to read the terms and conditions below. Once you’ve chosen the category and are happy with the T&Cs, you can submit your photo(s) using our Online Submission Form. You have until 1 February 2020 to do so!

When filling out the Online Submission Form, we need to know:

your name in the image title so that we can credit you accordingly;
your full name and an email address;
if you are 18 years old or under please let us have your date of birth;
a brief description of where the photograph was taken and the story behind it;
if you are a member of the Mammal Society, your membership number to allow you to be automatically entered in the Mammal Society member’s photo category (joining the Mammal Society is simple and costs less than a cup of coffee a month, find out more here).

If you have any problems with the online form, please email photos@themammalsociety.org

You can view the winning photos from 2019 in our Mammal Photographer of the Year press release here.

2020 MPOY Categories

Mammals of the British Isles

Winners of this category will be well-balanced, dynamic and striking photos that catch the eye.

1st prize:

To be confirmed shortly.

2nd prize:

a day of mammal photography at British Wildlife Centre. Prize kindly donated by British Wildlife Centre. Click on the logo for more information.

Young Mammal Photographer of the Year

Are you an aspiring Mammal Photographer aged 18 or under? If so, this is the category for you. Prizes will once again be split into winners aged 14 and under, and ages 15-18.

Prize for 14 years and under:

a £50 voucher for NHBS and a year’s subscription to British Wildlife magazine. This prize has kindly been donated by NHBS. Click on the logo for more information.

Prize for 15-18 years:

a day of mammal photography at the Westcountry Wildlife Photography Centre. This prize has kindly been donated by Westcountry Wildlife Photography Centre. Click on the logo for more information.

Mammal Society Member

There is a prize for the best photo taken by a Mammal Society member. During photo submission, tell us your Membership Number and you’ll be automatically be considered for this category (as well as any relevant categories). To become a member click here.

Prize for Mammal Society member’s photo:

a £100 voucher from CEWE redeemable on the whole CEWE product range. Prize kindly donated by CEWE. Please click on the logo for more information.

Mammal Comedian

Clicked the shutter just as that rabbit pulled a funny face? Great stuff! You might be considered in our Mammal Comedian category! Just enter your photo(s) as usual and let the judges decide on the comedy value, simple as that.

Prize for Mammal Comedian photo:

a pair of Vivara Tringa 10 x 26 binoculars and a squirrel feeder (and food). This prize has kindly been donated by CJWildlife. Please click on the logo for more information.

NEW for 2020 – Elusive Mammals

The majority of Britain’s mammals are elusive but we’re looking for photographs of mammals which we don’t normally see or which may not have been photographed very successfully in the past. This might be because they are rare, move very quickly (eg a stoat), are extremely small (eg a shrew or a harvest mouse), or because they are largely nocturnal or live underground (eg a bat or a mole). Just send in your photograph as normal and if it fits into this category you could win the prize!

Prize for Elusive Mammals photo:

a Browning Recon Force Advantage Camera Trap. This prize has kindly been donated by NatureSpy. Click on the logo for more information.

We are extremely grateful to all of our Mammal Photographer of the Year sponsors. To read more about them click on the individual logos above.

The 2019 Judges

Zeb Soanes

Zeb is the Mammal Society’s first patron. When he isn’t on his doorstep chatting with Gaspard, his friendly neighbourhood fox, he is a busy radio broadcaster and has just published his second popular children’s book Gaspard – Best in Show. He made his first public appearance as our new patron at this year’s Autumn Symposium “Can cities be made sustainable for wildlife?”.

Zeb is a keen photographer and is looking forward to judging the competition (particularly any fox photos that come his way), as well as picking up some tips from some very talented amateurs.

Brett Lewis

We are happy to welcome Brett back again as judge for the second year running. Brett is a freelance Consultant Ecologist and full member of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) with extensive project management experience in both the ecological consultancy and academic research sectors.

Brett is also a celebrated wildlife photographer with publications in many of the national newspapers, magazines and online media. Brett’s work also appears in academic journals and is used to illustrate scientific publications. He is an active member of his local wildlife recording groups including the Kent Mammal Group, Kent Bat Group and Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group.

“I love to spend time seeking out our native wildlife. I’m always looking to read and enjoy stories that reflect people’s encounters and first-hand experiences of the natural world.”

Roo Campbell

Roo is a member of the Mammal Society Council. His day job is managing the in-situ conservation aspect of Scottish Wildcat Action, a large partnership project conserving the wildcat in Scotland. Roo researched his DPhil on demography and life-history of the Eurasian beaver at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), University of Oxford, in collaboration with the University of South-Eastern Norway. He has an MSc in Applied Ecology and Conservation from UEA in Norwich and a BSc (Hons) in Zoology from the University of Glasgow. With a vast knowledge of Britain’s mammals, as well a keen interest in photography, he is very well-placed to judge this year’s MPOY.

Terms and Conditions

You can email up to 5 photos of British mammals in JPEG format, up to 5Mb (1Mb minimum), telling us where the photo was taken, with any story that goes with it. Please keep large resolution copies of your photos, in case your entry is placed, for promotional and printing purposes. Please make sure that you include your name in the image title so that we can credit you accordingly.
Please tell us your full name, age (if 18 or under), category you are entering, Mammal Society membership number if applicable, location and contact details with your submissions.
Mammals must be British species and must have been photographed within the British Isles (including UK & Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands., Scottish Islands, Isle of Man). Animals in zoos, pet animals and farm animals are not eligible, with the exception detailed in (4).
Photographs of small mammals* in captivity** are allowed so long as they are still free to move and behave as they would in the wild. Animals must not be captured for the purposes of photography, and images must not be contrived to the extent that the animal cannot move or behave freely and naturally.
The Mammal Society does not condone any loss to the highest levels of welfare for any animal when capturing a photo for the competition. If we suspect this might have happened, and cannot satisfactorily resolve this with the owner of the photograph, the image will be disqualified.
We reserve the right not to accept entries where the judges have concerns that taking the photograph may have caused undue disturbance. For the avoidance of doubt it would be helpful for entrants to describe their approach where photographs concern juvenile animals, mothers and offspring, or seals at haul-out sites.
Entries from professional photographers (those whose main income is their photography) are not eligible to enter. Entries are not restricted to those living within the UK; however, the mammals must be photographed within the British Isles.
By entering your image, you agree to grant the Mammal Society the non-exclusive right to publish, feature, reproduce and use it for any purpose at any time in any of its publications, websites and associated media outlets including adverts, cards, press releases, social media, our Mammal News magazine etc in existence now or later invented. The photo will be credited with the photographer’s name wherever possible; however, the Mammal Society reserves the right to use uncredited photos in small images such as those used in social media.
Each image can only be entered once, must have been created no earlier than 01.10.2018 and must be your own original work. You must be the sole author and owner of the copyright of all images entered. The Promoter does not accept any liability for the publication of unlawfully reproduced images.
Computer-generated or computer-altered images will not be accepted, including black and white images. Digital alteration of exposure, sharpness and frame (cropping) is permitted, but other forms of digital enhancement — which could not be achieved through alterations of settings on a manual camera — are not allowed. Artwork and illustrations will not be accepted. Works that have been submitted into other competitions will be accepted.
Prizes are as stated; no alternative can be offered. Reasonable efforts will be made to contact winners. Prizes unclaimed within a reasonable time frame will be reallocated. The judges’ decision is final. The competition may be modified or withdrawn at any time.
In the event of a prize being withdrawn, an alternative prize of equal value will be offered.

*for the purposes of this competition small mammals are defined as the smallest and most elusive species, namely: mice, voles, shrews, stoats and weasels.

**for the purposes of this competition captivity is defined as wildlife centres, rescue centres, wildlife parks etc.