Apply BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2025 (Up to $5,000)

The BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition 2025 portal are now open, BigPicture is chaired by award-winning conservation photographer Suzi Eszterhas. The competition will be judged by a renowned panel of international nature and conservation photographers and photo editors.  Apply for the world’s top photo opportunities

Application Deadline. 02 March 2025, 8:59 AM

Now in its twelfth year, BigPicture encourages photographers from around the world to contribute their work to this competition that will both celebrate and illustrate the rich diversity of life on Earth and inspire action to protect and conserve it through the power of imagery. Enter your nature, wildlife and conservation images for a chance to win a share of $12,300 in cash prizes and be exhibited at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

The Grand Prize winner will receive $5,000 and the First Place winners of the seven official categories and Photo Story category will each receive $1,000 in cash and also have their winning images featured in the annual exhibit. All category winners and finalists will be featured in the Academy’s exhibit opening Fall 2025.

People’s Choice finalists will be determined in June 2025 and the public will be invited to vote for their favorite image in July 2025. The People’s Choice winner (the image with the highest number of votes) will receive $300 in cash and the winner and finalists will be featured on the BigPicture website and in the 2025 exhibition interactive.

Since launching in 2014, BigPicture has established a fast-growing reputation within the photography community, receiving a four-star rating from The Photographer’s Guide to Photo Contests by Photo Shelter six years running. In 2018, Chronicle Books released Wonders: Spectacular Moments in Nature Photography featuring more than 100 breathtaking images from the BigPicture competition. In 2023, BigPicture produced Seeing It All: Women Photographers Expose the Planet with a foreword by Dr. Sylvia Earle, renowned marine scientist and ocean advocate.

Photographs and photo stories will be judged on originality, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit pursuant. See full competition rules for details on scoring.

What’s the theme?

• There are seven content-specific categories, including a Photo Story category, which is the only category with a specific theme. This year’s Photo Story theme is called: In My Backyard

What can I win?

• One Grand Prize winner receives $5,000, Each category 1st place winner receives $1,000 and will be featured in the California Academy of Sciences exhibit. One People’s Choice winner receives $300.

Who can submit?

• BigPicture is open to all photographers worldwide, except employees, volunteers and Board Members of the Academy.

What can be submitted?

• They allow single image submissions in any category, except Photo Story where we require 6-8 images.

Submission fee

• $25 for up to 10 single image submissions in any category. ‍
• $15 for each 6-8 image Photo Story submission.

15% early bird discount until January 15th, 2024 with discount code BPEARLY15

Click here and apply