The Environmental Photographer of the Year 2022 award, in partnership with Nikon Europe, has just opened for submissions. Photographers from all over the world are invited to enter the competition held by CIWEM and WaterBear, which celebrates the challenging, beautiful yet powerful images that encourage humans to take better care of our planet while highlighting mankind's impact on the environment.
The competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers and is broken down into two main categories: Environmental Photographer of the Year, who will be awarded a cash prize of £5,000 (approximately $6,000 / AU$8,700), and young environmental photographer of the year which is open to aspiring photographers under the age of 21. The youth winner will be awarded a Nikon Z series camera plus two Nikkor S lenses of their choice.
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There are also four subcategories this year: Visions of the Future, which awards photographers who have awe-inspiring interpretations of our environment in the future; Recovering Nature is about images that show nature’s ability to recover in the face of adversity; Keeping 1.5 Alive awards action-focused photography that highlight the urgency of curbing global warming; and Adapting for Tomorrow calls attention to images that how to show how communities and nature are finding a way to live with the effects of our changing environment.
This year’s judges include an ethics panel to improve accountability and transparency in image selection. A group of expert journalists, photographers and wildlife experts will help choose this year’s winning photos.
"It is important to showcase the interconnected nature of development, poverty reduction, equality, security and climate action and the unprecedented effort needed from all sectors of society to address the defining issue of our time," said Terry Fuller, chief executive at The Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management.
"There is no more powerful way to do this than through the universal language of photography. CIWEM is committed to ensuring that the 2022 EPOTY competition challenges and inspires those in front of and behind the lens."
Entries for the competition close on 31 August and winners will be announced on 24 November. There is no entry fee and each participant may enter up to three images. To find out more information and to see galleries from previous years, head to the EPOTY website.
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