Alfred Vowles Photographic Competition

We are looking for stunning photographs that capture the essence of Exmoor throughout the year in an original way. 

This year’s competition has four categories:
– Farming

– Wildlife

– Landscape

– Life on Exmoor

There will be one overall winner who will receive £250, as well as winners and runners up within each category.

Entries from under-18s are warmly encouraged and will be judged separately.

To enter, simply complete the form at the bottom of this page. Submissions of unpublished photographs from previous years are welcome, provided they were taken within Exmoor National Park—please include details of when and where the images were captured.

The deadline for submissions is midnight on 30th September 2026.

All images must be submitted as JPEG files between 1-5 MB in size. Don’t forget to review the terms and conditions before applying!

Meet the Judge! 

We are delighted to announce that this year’s competition will be judged by professional photographer Rupert Smith:

“I am a wildlife cameraman, photographer and film-maker based on Exmoor in the UK. I have credits for over 50 TV programs on BBC2, BBC4, ITV, C4 and others. For the last 10 years, I have also been running wildlife photography days/workshops on Exmoor to teach, inspire and help more people learn about not only wildlife and photography, but also how we can all be respectful of the world we live in at the same time.

Furthermore, I have been fortunate enough to be able to travel to many other countries regularly to learn about and photograph other species not found in the UK. Specialising in tracking, observing and photographing the big cats of India, Africa and Asia.

However, having spent most of my life growing up in the wilds of Devon and Somerset,  Exmoor is a place I love and still call home and was proud to be the cameraman for many years for Johnny Kingdom’s TV programs, another person who was as passionate about Exmoor as I am today.

My wildlife photography is all of wild animals and birds, and for me, tracking the wildlife, learning about it and respecting it is just as important as “getting the shot”. I quite often take no photographs when others would disturb an animal just to get their shot.

Through this approach, all my images from Exmoor and beyond are unique, and I have gained a great understanding of wildlife behaviour and appreciate the animals, birds and reptiles that all have to share their natural space with us.  I hope that by visiting my website and speaking with me at exhibitions and events, more people can be inspired to look after what we have and maybe create something new for our wildlife to thrive in.”