Major new invertebrates photography awards launched, with £23,000 prize fund

Tuesday 30th June 2020

A major new photo awards have just launched – the Luminar Bug Photography Awards 2020, in association with Buglife.

These annual photo awards are a celebration of the amazing world of invertebrates at a time when they are increasingly threatened. The awards will raise vital funds for their conservation, whilst honouring the skill and dedication of those that photograph them.

There’s an amazing £23,000 of prizes up for grabs, and the Grand Prize winner will take home £2,500 cash and the awesome title ‘Bug Photographer of the Year 2020’.

​Main site: https://www.photocrowd.com/bugawards
Instagram: @bugawards
Facebook: @bugawards

Young snappers aged between 13 and 17 can also compete for the title of ‘Young Bug Photographer of the Year 2020’, and the good news for them is that this category is completely free to enter!

The winners will be chosen by a prestigious panel of judges that includes some well-known names including Buglife President Germaine Greer; TV presenter and naturalist Nick Baker; ground-breaking invertebrates photographer Levon Biss, and a variety of other renowned professional photographers and ecologists.

All entries must be submitted before 7th September 2020. There are 11 categories to enter covering all invertebrate species, as well as ‘Bug Homes’, ‘Extreme Close-ups’, and a category exclusively for images shot using your mobile phone.

The awards will raise valuable funds for Buglife, Europe’s leading invertebrate conservation organisation.

The awards are sponsored by Luminar, the award-winning photo-editing software produced by Skylum.

Mike Betts, CEO of Photocrowd, said “The Luminar Bug Photography Awards 2020 will showcase the incredible variety and complexity of the world of invertebrates, and give those who photograph them an opportunity to have their talent recognised. Our planet is facing an array of environmental and ecological challenges, and few more pressing than the huge recent declines in many invertebrate populations. We’re proud to be able to support Buglife’s crucial conservation efforts, and to use these Awards as a means to carry their message about the plight of invertebrates, and the critical role that they play in this world. We’re also deeply grateful to our title sponsor Luminar/Skylum for their support, and for being a company that cares.”

Matt Shardlow, Buglife CEO, added. “It is often said we only save the things we know and love. Sadly this seldom applies to the bugs without whom life as we know it would come to an end. These awards will hopefully bring people closer to the beauty and value of our multi-legged friends. A big thank you to Luminar and Photocrowd for making this happen.”

Alex Tsepko, Skylum CEO: “We’re pleased to be the title sponsor for the first-ever Bug Photography Awards, alongside the renowned conservationists at Buglife,” said Alex Tsepko, CEO of Skylum. “By showcasing both the beauty and plight of invertebrates through the magic of photography, we want to call attention and help raise funds for this important effort.”

Skylum is also providing an exclusive 60-day free trial of their award-winning Luminar 4 photo-editing software to anyone interested in creating amazing insect photos for the Bug Photography Awards.