Are you passionate about capturing the beauty, challenges, and stories of our environment through your lens? Environmental photography contests offer incredible opportunities to showcase your work, make a difference, and potentially win recognition and prizes. Our curated calendar of international environmental photography competitions helps you discover and track the most prestigious and meaningful contests worldwide.
Next environmental photo contest
Xpozer City Photo Contest 2025
List of environmental photography competitions
Explore our comprehensive list of environmental photography contests, carefully organized by submission deadlines. From wildlife conservation to climate change documentation, these competitions celebrate photographers who capture Earth’s most compelling environmental stories. Browse through the opportunities below to find the perfect environmental photography challenge for you.
And if you know of any environmental photo contest that is not on our list, Send it to us!
January 2025
February 2025
March 2025
May 2025
July 2025
September 2025
October 2025
*This list includes contests that are specific to this type of photography or that include a category dedicated to it. However, you may also be interested in going through our complete photography contests list in which you can also participate.
Why Enter Environmental Photography Contests?
Environmental photography competitions offer unique opportunities that extend far beyond potential prizes. These contests serve as powerful platforms for environmental advocacy and personal growth as a photographer. When you submit your work to environmental photo awards, you’re not just competing – you’re contributing to a global dialogue about environmental conservation.
Many winning images from environmental photo contests have sparked important conversations about climate change, conservation, and our relationship with nature. Your photographs could influence policy makers, educate the public, and inspire action for environmental causes.
Additionally, participating in these environmental photo competitions can:
- Help you build a professional portfolio focused on environmental themes
- Connect you with like-minded photographers and environmental advocates
- Provide exposure to international audiences and potential clients
- Push you to improve your technical and storytelling skills
- Create opportunities for your work to be featured in exhibitions and publications
Understanding the Categories of Environmental Photo Competitions
Environmental photography encompasses various sub-genres and themes that reflect different aspects of our natural world and human impact. Most environmental photo challenges organize their submissions into distinct categories:
Conservation Photography
Focused on documenting wildlife, habitats, and conservation efforts. These images often tell stories about endangered species, habitat restoration, or successful conservation projects.
Climate Change Documentation
Capturing visible evidence of climate change impacts, from melting glaciers to extreme weather events, as well as human adaptation and mitigation efforts.
Human-Environment Interaction
Exploring the relationship between people and nature, including both positive and negative impacts of human activity on the environment.
Landscape and Wilderness
Images submitted to these types of environmental photo challenges seek to celebrate the natural beauty of raw environments and highlight the importance of their conservation.
Essential Tips for Environmental Photo Prizes Submissions
Creating impactful environmental photographs requires a combination of technical skill, storytelling ability, and ethical considerations. And all of these characteristics need to be reflected in every image you submit for an environmental photography contest. Here’s how to strengthen your environmental Photo awards entries:
Strong environmental photography submissions typically demonstrate:
Research and preparation on the subject and its environmental significance. Understanding the context helps create more meaningful images that will help you stand out in any environmental photography competition.
Technical excellence in challenging conditions, as environmental photography often requires working in unpredictable weather and lighting situations.
A clear narrative that communicates environmental issues or celebrates natural beauty in a way that resonates with viewers and judges.
These tips are just a small introduction that will hopefully help you in your participation in environmental photo contests. But they are only a small support, the real journey and the best tips you will discover by participating and improving in the different environmental photography awards that you can find in our list.