Mobile navigation

News 

VisitBritain backs Photography competition

Future, the special-interest media group, has launched its sixth annual Digital Camera Photographer of the Year competition (http:///www.poty2010.com) – supported for the first-time by the global tourism body, VisitBritain (http://www.visitbritain.org).

The Digital Camera Photographer of the Year competition is a leading contest for anybody with a passion for digital photography. It’s open to both amateur and professional photographers of any nationality, with the aim of revealing images that are creative, inspirational and technically superb and rewarding the overall winner with a prize of £10,000.

VisitBritain will champion its very own “Britain Inspired” category in the Digital Camera Photographer of the Year. Entries will be welcomed from across the globe, with photographers encouraged to celebrate the natural environment, activities and people that make Britain one of the world’s greatest destinations.

By partnering with the popular online photography contest, VisitBritain will promote Britain as a leading holiday destination for photographers, whilst building global awareness of Digital Camera Photographer of the Year competition, which attracted 101,000 submissions last year, from 126 countries. Playing a key role in managing the UK’s travel and tourism marketing, the VisitBritain website attracts over 2m unique users a month, available in 46 localised editions and spanning 26 different languages.

Using a variety of print and digital marketing activities to raise awareness of the competition and drive entries, VisitBritain will promote their involvement with regular online photo galleries and posts on its ‘Love UK’ Facebook page. The Digital Camera Photographer of the Year will also be promoted with an exhibition hosted by VisitBritain’s flagship London Regent Street Visitor Centre. Running from the start of May, the photographic gallery will include images of the UK from the last five years of the competition.

Jasmine Teer, Photography Manager, at VisitBritain said: “Visitors’ visual memories of their travels around Britain will help us inspire many more people to visit us.

“Our ‘Britain Inspired’ category gives consumers the opportunity to show what they love most about Britain – whether it is our great landscapes, unrivalled heritage, iconic landmarks or eccentric events.”

Matthew Pierce, Group Publisher of Future’s Digital Creative portfolio, added: “With Digital Camera Photographer of the Year growing in reach and influence every year, we are delighted to welcome VisitBritain to the growing number of organisations backing the world’s largest online photographer competition. The support of VisitBritain allows us to jointly promote Britain as an ideal destination for keen photographers.

“Our competition is about blurring the lines between amateur and professional photographers and is intended for anybody with an eye for detail and a creative streak. With the support of our partners and some of the world’s finest photographers, we continue to grow from strength to strength, with further announcements to come.”

The Digital Camera Photographer of the Year is organised by Future’s Digital Camera magazine and its sister-site - PhotoRadar - the company’s online photography destination. Once again, both the Royal Photographic Society and Telegraph.co.uk return to support the competition in 2010.

Digital Camera Photographer of the Year 2010

• Landscape

• Portrait

• Wildlife

• Travel

• Creative license

• Fashion

• Britain Inspired (media partner: VisitBritain)

• Adrenaline

• Documentary / reportage

• Joy (media partner: Telegraph.co.uk)

With the website now open for submissions, photographers need to enter their work into any of the 10 categories by Tuesday, 31st August. A leading panel of judges including; award-winning photographic artist Steve Bloom, leading landscape photographer Colin Prior, and president of the Royal Photographic Society Rosemary Wilman, will decide on the winning images for each category, and who walks away with the ultimate ‘Digital Camera Photographer of the Year’ accolade, scooping international recognition and a grand prize of £10,000.