The search is on to find the best outdoor photographers in the country. Perhaps you have already taken a winning image? If not, fear not, because you have until March 4, 2024 to take it.

Competition tips

Follow these tips to give yourself the best shot at winning.

› Multiple images may be submitted, but you should only include one image per email entry.

› Don’t send dozens of variations of the same shot – choose your favourite.

› The best photos tell a story. Human or animal elements can bring scale, personality, colour and excitement to an image.

› Dare to be different. Every year we get dozens of images of kea, the Kepler Track, Mueller Hut and Aoraki Mt Cook. Find unique places and subjects, or frame classic vistas in new ways.

› We use (and pay for) dozens of entries to illustrate stories and covers in future issues of the magazine. This means the best photos reflect the content of the magazine and should be taken in the great outdoors – not your garden. (House cats and lupins are out; huts, trampers, rock wrens and mountains are in.)

The prizes

Overall winner: The person crowned the Wilderness Outdoor Photographer of the Year receives a 20MP Lumix DC-G90M worth $1799 (featured image). This camera is the perfect companion to every outdoor adventure. It has water and dust resistance, high image quality, advanced video features and a supreme sensor to allow it to capture every adventure in stunning detail. 

Runner-up: The runner-up will receive a Lumix DC-G100K camera valued at $1399. This compact package has it all. Superb-quality 4K/30p and FHD/60p video. Easy smartphone connection. Creative functions. It’s ready to take and use everywhere.

Third prize: The third place-getter will receive a Lumix DMC-G7W camera worth $1199. Offering true recording versatility, the G7 is a true hybrid mirrorless camera that blends 4K UHD video with advanced still capture and burst shooting capabilities.

The three categories

Huts and camping
Celebrate the uniqueness of New Zealand hut life and locations, or share the perfect camping scene. As with the Out There category, people will make the image complete.

Out there
For the wilderness photos that make you go ‘wow’. Whether taken from a mountaintop or deep in the bush, it should be a view to savour, a dramatic scene. The best photos will feature people in the landscape: trampers, climbers, kayakers, bikers – anyone enjoying New Zealand’s wilderness.

Wildlife
Whether it’s birds, insects, plants, trees or a lone deer or chamois captured in the mountains, send us your best shots of Aotearoa’s flora and fauna.

How to enter

Email hi-resolution entries to photocomp@lifestylepublishing.co.nz. Include the category you’re entering in the subject line. 

In the body of the email, include the category, your name, address and, crucially, a caption that describes the photo (what are we looking at)  and includes the location. Find full entry details, including image and caption requirements and competition terms and conditions, at wildernessstg.mystagingwebsite.com – keyword search ‘2024 Wilderness Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition’.