Cornwall wildlife photo competition returns with a phone-only twist

Point your camera at a seal, a kestrel, or a goose staring you down, and you could end up on the wall of a cathedral this autumn. Cornwall Wildlife Trust has reopened its wildlife photography competition for a third year, and this time there is a category built around the camera most people already carry everywhere.

Six categories, and a new one just for phones

The competition is open to all ages and abilities, and it runs across six categories this year. Nature on the Edge looks at the challenges facing Cornwall’s wildlife and habitats, from climate change and pollution to the pressure people put on the natural world. Beneath the Surface celebrates the county’s marine environment, from kelp forests and reefs to whales, fish and the divers exploring below the waves. Coasts & Tides is about the life, wildlife and people that make the Cornish coastline what it is. A Cornwall Where Nature Thrives, sponsored by Classic Cottages, looks for stories of hope and nature recovery. Young Photographer is set aside for young people with a passion for wildlife and a camera.

The newcomer is Nature in Your Pocket, a smartphone-only category for the everyday, spontaneous moments of wild Cornwall that anyone can catch. No expensive kit required, just the phone in your hand and something worth pointing it at.

Winning shots head to Truro Cathedral

Winning and shortlisted images will be exhibited at Truro Cathedral this autumn, so the best entries will be seen well beyond a screen. The Trust frames the whole thing as an invitation to celebrate wild Cornwall through the lens of a camera or a phone, from the dramatic coastlines and marine life to the wonders and the worries of the natural world.

How to enter

The competition opened on 5 August and entries close on 13 September 2026. Details and the full rules are on the Cornwall Wildlife Trust website, and images go in through the competition entry page. Anyone with a question about entering can email [email protected].

The sponsors behind it

This year’s competition is supported by Classic Cottages and Insite Graphics, whose backing helps the Trust run the competition and the exhibition. Cornwall Wildlife Trust says it is still looking for additional sponsors, and anyone interested can contact Rowan Hartgroves, Corporate Partnerships Manager, at [email protected].

The closing date is 13 September, which gives phone photographers a little over five weeks to catch Cornwall at its wildest.