Scavenger Hunt 2026 Judges

JSN Scavenger Hunt

(Image credit: Future)

Meet the judges

This year, the Science+Nature team is being joined by professional wildlife photographer Ellie Rothnie and wildlife activist and TV star Aneeshwar Kunchala.

What are the judges looking for?

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

Keep in mind that the winning photo will go on the front cover. Your pictures MUST be bright, dynamic and interesting – and be in focus. Think about how your subject will fill the space on the front cover. Look at some past covers of Science+Nature for inspiration.

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.

Think about composition – how the subject is placed in the frame. Try to avoid too much clutter in the background.

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.


Click here to navigate back to the Scavenger Hunt main page.

JSN Scavenger Hunt

(Image credit: Future)

(Image credit: Future)