The NPOTY contest features 12 categories for individual images (adults), one category for young photographers, and the Fred Hazelhoff Award for a portfolio.
Here are the available categories:

Adult Categories

• C1 Birds

• C2 Mammals

• C3 Other Animals

• C4 Plants and Fungi

• C5 Landscapes

• C6 Underwater

• C7 Natural Art

• C8 Humans and Nature

• C9 Black & White

• C10 Animal Portraits

• C11 Nature of “De Lage Landen”

Young Photographers

• C12 Youth (10-17 years)

Portfolio

• C13 Fred Hazelhoff Award (Portfolio)

You can choose one or more categories for your entries, but each photo can only be submitted to one category. The Fred Hazelhoff Award allows photos to be submitted to additional categories as well.

The finalists will be revealed during the festive Award Ceremony at the Nature Talks Photo Festival on Saturday, November 14.

Simply follow the steps on our homepage: register an account, select your entry type, pay the fee, and upload your photos.

All updates will be posted on your personal dashboard, so be sure to check it regularly.

For the initial upload, your photos must be exactly 1920 pixels on the longest side. If you progress further in the competition, we will request both the edited and original raw files. The edited file must be at least 3000 pixels on the longest side, as it may be used for exhibition purposes.

For your first upload, make sure your photos are exactly 1920 pixels on the longest side. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on resizing your photos, visit our blog here. 

Yes, noise reduction is allowed — as long as it’s applied in moderation and the original character of the image is preserved.
You may use tools like Lightroom Classic Denoise, Topaz DeNoise AI, or similar software, but the result should remain natural. Overly smooth or artificial-looking images, or those that lose important detail, may be disqualified.

Please note: the jury has the final say in whether a photo meets our editing guidelines. We encourage subtle processing that supports the integrity of the photograph, rather than altering its essence.

No, multiple accounts are not allowed.

Yes, you can enter the contest with mobile or smartphone photos, as long as you have a high-resolution image with at least 3000 pixels on the longest side. The image must be suitable for large-format printing (e.g. 80 x 120 cm) and must have Adobe RGB or sRGB color profiles.

The Youth contest is free to enter, while the adult competition requires an entry fee, which depends on the entry type you select.

The Fred Hazelhoff Award is for photographers who submit a cohesive portfolio consisting of at least 6 and no more than 10 images, which can be connected through subject matter or the photographer’s style.

Yes, you can submit multiple photos in one category if you wish. There is no requirement to select the same category for all your photos, or to submit one photo to each category. Also, black & white images are allowed in all categories.

No, each photo can only be submitted to one category, except for The Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award. However, photos entered in the Fred Hazelhoff Portfolio Award can also be submitted to other categories.

You have two options:

1. Register with a different email address
   Sign up again for the portfolio category using a different email address. Once you’ve done this, email us and we will send you a payment link for the price difference. After payment is completed, we will activate your account.

2. Delete your existing account and register again
   We can delete your “standard” account, and you can then register again for both the standard and portfolio categories. You won’t need to pay for the accounts again. After you’ve registered, email us, and we will send you a payment link for the price difference. Once payment is received, we will activate your account.

Yes, you can enter the same images into other contests at the same time, as long as they have not yet won a prize in a prestigious international competition or been repeatedly published in leading nature or wildlife magazines. The jury will make the final decision on eligibility.

If your photo makes it through the first selection round, we will request the RAW file. 

No, we do not issue invoices. We recommend taking a screenshot of your payment for your records. For accounting purposes, you can also keep a copy of your credit card statement or PayPal transaction details.