Award

British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) 2026 Category Winner

My entries and insights from the 14th Edition of the British Wildlife Photography Awards - winning a category, highly commended and seven more featured in the beautiful book.

Published 15 December 2025

The British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) runs annually, with entries open from March to June, then judging done through the summer with RAW file requests in late September or early October. Those in the book are informed later that year, with those being highly commended or winning categories announced in the spring, before the process repeats.

The competition is a staple of British wildlife photography, attracting well over 10,000 entries each year. Whilst it has a broad range of categories specifically in wildlife, my main focus is usually on those that have more of a landscape spin: Wild Woods, Botanical Britain, Black & White and Habitat (e.g. deer in a wood).

I particularly like the book that is released, which includes a lot more images than those that are awarded. I estimate there are roughly 450 images in the book, whereas only around 60 images receive an award. Even being shortlisted puts you in roughly the top 10%, which is an excellent achievement.

The 2026 British Wildlife Photography Awards book inclusion

I'm thrilled to say that I've had seven photographs plus my four-image project included in the 'Collection 14' 2026 BWPA book. I was thrilled last year in 2025 to have one image in the book, so to have such a high number included this year is really surprising and humbling.

I'd also like to congratulate all other photographers who made the book, and good luck to all of you with the awards.

These images selected for the book will therefore be in contention for an award — these being "Highly Commended", "Runner Up" or "Winner" for each of the categories.

The book is a real highlight of the British photography calendar, and I always thoroughly enjoy flicking through the beautiful hardback book, and admiring the excellent work from fellow photographers. As a landscape photographer, I have absolute admiration for wildlife photographers — the patience and dedication is unmatched, and the results speak for themselves.

Huge congrats to Alastair Marsh, who has his incredible hedgehog photograph on the cover this year. What a stunning capture, I just love the framing and overall feel of the photograph. It's just perfect for the cover. Great work Alastair!

Sunbeams rake through morning mist in a beech woodland in the Chilterns, Oxfordshire, carpeted with bluebells at peak bloom. The low-angled light catches individual shafts between smooth grey trunks, lifting the violet floor against a pale, fog-softened interior. A fallen branch in the mid-ground anchors the composition without disrupting the stillness. Buy this print →

My awarded photographs for the 2026 BWPA

For this Summer photograph, I captured beech trees that were backlit during a foggy sunrise. I just love the pillars of the beech trunks, and the deep greens of the leaves. Temperatures in summer are now often very high, and woodlands provide essential shelter and cooler temperatures for our wildlife. Trees are extremely efficient at absorbing heat, and helping cool our environment.
From a composition perspective, I love how these trunks work together in silouhette. The low growth on the central tree provides a key focal point to the photograph, and as you study it, your eye is drawn to various other aspects, such as the glowing light in the woodland void behind, the younger trees in the foreground and the deep greens at the edges of the frame. I also love the monotone style of this photograph, being blacks, greens and whites.
I captured this photograph with my Sony A7RIV paired with the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art lens.
Camera Settings were 3.2s, f/11, ISO100 at 48mm focal length on a tripod.
Note: There was no wind on this morning, hence the use of a long shutter speed without impact on the photograph. I wanted to ensure the light was "glowing" through the trees, and that the trees were silouhetted. — For this Summer photograph, I captured beech trees that were backlit during a foggy sunrise. I just love the pillars of the beech trunks, and the deep greens of the leaves. Temperatures in summer are now often very high, and woodlands provide essential shelter and cooler temperatures for our wildlife. Trees are extremely efficient at absorbing heat, and helping cool our environment. From a composition perspective, I love how these trunks work together in silouhette. The low growth on the central tree provides a key focal point to the photograph, and as you study it, your eye is drawn to various other aspects, such as the glowing light in the woodland void behind, the younger trees in the foreground and the deep greens at the edges of the frame. I also love the monotone style of this photograph, being blacks, greens and whites. I captured this photograph with my Sony A7RIV paired with the Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 DG DN Art lens. Camera Settings were 3.2s, f/11, ISO100 at 48mm focal length on a tripod. Note: There was no wind on this morning, hence the use of a long shutter speed without impact on the photograph. I wanted to ensure the light was "glowing" through the trees, and that the trees were silouhetted. Buy this print →

The autumn colours were truly spectacular in this woodland in the Chiltern Hills in Oxfordshire. The deep late autumn greens turning into gold at the edges, just at this transition into winter. The fog was thick enough to help soften the background, however left enough light and detail through to give the scene wonderful depth. The result is an almost painterly scene that invites you to walk down the path and explore this woodland further. Buy this print →

Snow covers every branch on this scene from the Scottish Highlands, along a river that feeds the famous Loch Morlich in the Cairngorms National Park. A truly winter wonderland scene. Buy this print →

The results were announced in late March, and it was a better outcome than I dared hope for.

"Woodlands Throughout the Year" won the British Seasons category — my four-image portfolio of British woodlands across spring, summer, autumn and winter. "Bluebells at Sunrise" was also awarded Highly Commended in Wild Woods, and six further images were included in the Edition 14 book.

Read the full write-up, with all four portfolio images and the stories behind them.