Manx National Heritage has launched a new photographic competition celebrating the island’s nature.

The competition, titled ‘Wild Mann’ was inspired by the ‘Wildlife Photographer of the Year’, a world-renowned nature competition that is currently being exhibitted on tour at the House of Mannannan.

Professional and non-professional photographers, of all ages, from all over the world, are invited to join the contest by entering their best nature photographs of the Isle of Man.

Participants have until midnight on March 4, 2024 to submit their entries for consideration by a panel of expert judges including photographers and conservation advocates. The results will be revealed at an awards ceremony and exhibition opening in time for Manx Wildlife Week 2023 at the Manx Museum in Douglas.

This will be one of an array of wildlife themed events that take part in Manx Wildlife Week which has been running for six years, and aims to celebrate the Isle of Man’s unique natural environment.

Laura McCoy, Curator for Natural History at Manx National Heritage said: ‘The public reaction to Wildlife Photographer of the Year at the House of Manannan has been outstanding.’

She added: ‘We are keen to build on this success through inviting entrants to “Wild Mann”, our very own Nature Photographic Competition and we are looking forward to seeing the winning entrants exhibited at the Manx Museum.’

There are seven categories in the adult competition, which are: Plants and Fungi, Mammals, Birds, Invertebrates, Land and Sea, Underwater and lastly Macro.

The junior competition consists of the three categories which are: 10 years and under; 11 to 14 years, and 15 to 17 years.

The overall winner will receive a grand prize of £250 in vouchers.

Judges will consider technical merit, content and composition, imagination and style.

Organisers say that as the aim of the competition is to celebrate the natural world, they are not accepting images featuring farm animals, family pets, and cultivated plants.

They add that no wildlife must be harmed in the taking of a photo.

Entries must be submitted in digital format as JPEGs, saved at a high-quality setting of at least 3000 pixels along the longest dimension or 180 pixels per inch (ppi).

The organisers added that no borders, watermarks or signatures should be included in the images.

Entry forms and details on how to enter are available on www.manxnationalheritage.im/whats-on. Completed entry forms and entries should be submitted via https://wetransfer.com/ to [email protected].

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition will be on display at the House of Mannannan until October 8.

The exhibition provides a global platform that showcases some of the best photography talent from around the world. Having been launched in 1965, today the competition receives entries from more than 90 countries.

Tickets are still on sale, costing from £3 to £5 at manxnationalheritage.im, with concessions available, including for members of the Friends of Manx National Heritage.