Photo: Aditya Chavan
Yes, it's that time of the year again! Shutterbugs, dig into your hard drives and send us the very best of your wildlife images. Breathtaking action shots from the wild. Phenomenal portraits of wildlife. Close-up and abstract nature frames. Images that depict conservation and conflict... we want to see it all.
This year's theme is ‘Call of the Wild’.
Submissions open till August 31, 2022, 11:59 p.m.!
At Sanctuary, we combine still images and stirring words to sensitise human hearts and minds. We believe that evocative images have the power to draw out supportive human responses. Conservation photography is an art form that has helped protect wildernesses virtually from the time cameras were invented. It is a blend of technical skills, natural history knowledge, field experience, and an innate desire to protect wild nature. The Sanctuary Wildlife Photography Awards were instituted to showcase the contributions of India's best wildlife photographers. Every year, we receive a vast pool of stunning photographs, which reinforces the urgent need to conserve India's wildlife.
All entries go through a vigorous judging process, designed to distill the very best from thousands of hopefuls. Take a look at our panel of judges below.
1. Images taken in the wild that best depict Sanctuary’s descriptor: ‘Call of the Wild’.
2. The entrant must be the sole author and owner of the copyright for all photos entered. By entering the contest, the entrant certifies that the entries do not infringe on the copyright, trademark or intellectual property rights of any other person or organisation.
3. Images may be photographed anywhere on the Asian continent. Photographers of any nationality are eligible to participate. There is no age restriction on entrants.
4. A maximum of 5 images can be entered by each individual.
5. RAW/DNG/original JPEG files are to be uploaded on your Google Drive and the link has to be shared in the specified field. Rename the RAW/DNG/original JPEG in this format:
First name_Last name_Species_Location_Original image number as generated by your camera_SWPA2022.
For example:
Govind_Balakrishnan_PitViper_Munnar_DSC05679_SWPA2022.
6. Update the story on how the image was captured in the Properties Summary (Windows) or File Info (Photoshop) or Caption field (Lightroom). (Refer to points 4 and 5 in 'Terms and Conditions' section below for more details).
**Failure to follow these details could render the entry ineligible for selection.
- 1st Prize: Rs. 1,50,000
- 2nd Prize: Rs. 75,000
- 3rd Prize: Rs. 25,000
- 5 Honourable Mentions: Rs. 2,500 each
- Certificates of Merit: One-year Sanctuary Asia subscription.
- Certificates will be presented to all winners, Honourable Mentions, as decided by the judges whose decision will be final and not subject to further discussion.
- The Winning, Honourable Mention images will get a chance to be featured in Sanctuary Asia magazine (December 2022 issue) and Sanctuary Cub (curated for Young Naturalists, January 2023) respectively.
- All entrants will receive a free annual digital subscription (12 issues) to Sanctuary Asia magazine.
*Rules and regulations are subject to change without prior intimation.
In case of any queries, please write to images@sanctuaryasia.com
Sanctuary has zero tolerance for unethical practices that put the subjects at risk. No Great Indian Bustard (GIB) photographs shot after April 1, 2013 are eligible, since this highly endangered bird is extremely susceptible to disturbance. Also, for this reason, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has banned its photography during the breeding season. Family pets, garden flowers, domestic or hand-reared animals, those in captivity or restrained in any way and/or photographs of nesting birds will be disqualified. Please carefully read and sign the declaration that must accompany each entry. (I hereby declare that the shooting of this image adheres to the ethical standards stipulated by Sanctuary Asia in letter and spirit.)
