Open for entries

Put down that smartphone, and dust off your camera… entries for the 2022 New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year are now open. The country’s richest and most popular photographic event, Photographer of the Year encompasses a competition, exhibition, audience voting and awards night.

Win a share of $6000 cash, a voyage with Heritage Expeditions, a cycle trail with Adventure South, public notoriety, industry back-slaps and the envious stares of your peers, all on one stage.

Read carefully—there are new categories, new sponsors, new opportunities to win...

You'll be competing for the grand prix Nikon Photographer of the Year, Electric Kiwi Young Photographer, Ockham Residential People's Choice, and Resene Colour awards. Categories include Resene Landscape, Leica PhotoStory, Auckland Zoo Wildlife, Lumix Society, Lightforce Aerial, Resene Built Environment and a new Adventure category sponsored by Adventure South. Photographers keep copyright—this isn’t a rights grab.

Start preparing now as entries close midday, Wednesday 13 July.

Check out the entry conditions.

Image; Douglas Thorne

Expedition prizes, for young and old!

The Grand prix winner of the Nikon Photographer of the Year receives a Heritage Expeditions cruise to remote Auckland Islands, Campbell Island and The Snares valued at more than $12,000. Learn more...

For the first time we are also able to offer the Electric Kiwi Young Photographer of the Year a six-day Alps-to-Ocean cycle trail with Adventure South worth more than $2000. Learn more...

*Flights and pre- and post-tour accommodation not included. Image; T Kraakman.

A bit of admin...

There is a small charge of $25 to enter Photographer of the Year to cover some administration costs. But included in that fee is a free six-month digital subscription to NZGeo.com—2500 stories, 10,000 images and 250 hours of natural history television programming from NHNZ available on-demand.

However, for the first time, we've waived the fee for young photographers (under the age of 25 on Sep 1, 2022), but you still get the subscription... so we're basically paying you to enter, it's madness.