Scavenger Hunt Photo Contest 2024

Prepare for a summer of adventures with The Week Junior Science+Nature's Scavenger Hunt Photo Contest. This summer holiday we’re challenging our readers to get outside, have close encounters with nature and get creative with a camera.

Shortlisted entries

All entries that are featured in Science+Nature issue 79, will win a nature book bundle (worth £65), plus complimentary tickets to The Photography & Video Show 2025 (worth £48), taking place 8–11 March 2025 at ExCel, London. 

Book bundle titles:

The Children’s Book of Wildlife Watching by Dan Rouse (DK)

Make Art with Nature by Pippa Pixley (DK)

Wild Planet: The Inspiring Life and Wisdom of Sir David Attenborough by Hayley Rocco (Oneworld Publications)

Wilding: How to Bring Wildlife Back: An Illustrated Guide by Isabella Tree (Macmillan Children’s Books)

Be a Nature Explorer! by Peter Wohlleben (Greystone Kids)

How do I enter?

The competition is open from 00:00 on 19 July 2024, and runs until 11.59pm on 26 August 2024. To enter your photos into the contest, ask a grown up to upload them to sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk/scavenger-hunt. You are allowed one image per entry, but there is no limit on how many times you can enter. 

The judging panel will be made up of staff from The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine, plus at least one independent judge. Winners will be announced in issue 79 of The Week Junior Science+Nature, on sale on 13 September 2024. 

What do the judges want?

The judges are looking for well-composed, colourful and creative images that show beauty in nature. Here are a few pointers to help you:

1. Keep in mind that the winning photo will go on the front cover. Your pictures MUST be bright, dynamic and interesting – and fill the space. Look at some past covers of Science+Nature for inspiration. 
2. What will make someone think “WOW – that looks amazing!” when they see the cover? We are keen to see unusual and eye-catching subjects – a close-up of a brightly coloured bug, for example. Keep it colourful, with bold contrasts, interesting natural patterns, shapes and textures.
3. Think about composition – how the subject is placed in the frame. Try to avoid too much clutter in the background. 
4. A brilliant cover image can be ruined by being poor quality. Take pictures in the highest quality setting for your phone or camera. Make sure you send us a high-resolution image.

We have also provided a free downloadable guide to help you take amazing nature photographs. Download the guide HERE.

2023 winning photos

Take a look at last year’s winner’s gallery here.

Partners

We are proud to partner Canon UK, The Wildlife Trusts and The Photography & Video Show for the 2024 Scavenger Hunt Photo contest.

Competition rules and eligibility and judging criteria

• The Scavenger Hunt Photo Contest 2024 is open to UK residents who are 16 years old and under.
• Entries are only to be submitted via this web form. No entries will be accepted by email or post . 
• The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on 26 August, 2024. Entries submitted after the deadline will not be accepted. 
• Any images uploaded must not have been token by another photographer, include any elements that were taken by someone else, or be an image you hove found on the internet, or that was included as part of a software package.
• Submitted entries must not deceive the viewer or attempt to disguise or misrepresent the reality of a scene. Photos must not combine multiple different elements into one frame.
• Entries that use fundamentally different subjects or backgrounds brought together into one image are not allowed, even if you have shot all the components yourself.
• Photographs that have been submitted into other competitions will be accepted but photographs that have won a national or international competition (winner, runner-up, shortlisted or commended), or are entered into a national or international competition where the results are pending, are not eligible for entry, and by entering a photograph you warrant that it has not previously been awarded, and will not soon be awarded, in a national or international competition in this capacity.
• All shortlisted and winning images will be researched before the winners are announced. The Week Junior Science+Nature reserves the right to eliminate entries where it is suspected that the rules have been infringed. 

By taking part in any competition, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions, the competition rules at sciencenature.theweekjunior.co.uk/terms and collection of personal data in accordance with Future's privacy policy at futureplc.com/privacy-policy. Any personal details collected will only be used to send the prize and not for any marketing purposes unless you have opted in to receive them.

The Scavenger Hunt Photo Contest is supported by some incredible organisations. Have a read below to find out a bit more about the brilliant work they do.