Revealed: The best pics of nature – snapped by British and Irish photographers
The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) has announced the winners of its annual wildlife photography awards, with all fourteen winning and runner-up images taken by British and Irish photographers. The competition, which attracted more than 800 entries, judges submissions on content, composition and image quality, aiming to celebrate wildlife and the conservation work carried out by zoos and aquariums across the regions. The winning shots will feature in BIAZA's 2027 calendar.
Entries were judged across seven categories: Mammals, Birds, Fish, Reptiles and Amphibians, Native Species, Invertebrates and a new Humans category celebrating those working in animal conservation. Winners included Thomas Harris's elephant portrait "Still I Rise" from Colchester Zoo, Gareth Clifford's vulturine bird shot from Norfolk Wildlife Reserve, and Ellie Richard's speckled crab image from Bournemouth's Oceanarium. BIAZA chief executive Dr Jo Judge said the photography showcased both the wonder of wildlife and the conservation efforts of member zoos and aquariums.
- BIAZA reveals 2026 wildlife photography award winners from UK and Ireland
- Over 800 entries judged across seven categories including a new Humans category
- Winning images will appear in BIAZA's 2027 calendar
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The photograph does not need any real content behind it — it's about a compilation feature rather than a single news event, so no gap to fill there. Let me write the primer.
Wildlife and nature photography competitions and showcases have become a regular fixture on British and Irish media, with newspapers and magazines periodically running galleries that pull together striking images taken by amateur and professional photographers. These features typically draw on photo agencies, readers' submissions or photography contests, and cover subjects ranging from garden birds to big cats in captivity, often shot at zoos, safari parks, aquariums and nature reserves across the UK and Ireland.
Such galleries are a long-standing form of "soft news" content, valued for their visual appeal rather than for reporting a specific event. They usually have no central storyline or key players in the traditional sense, instead crediting individual photographers for standout shots, and they matter mainly as entertainment and as a showcase of photographic skill and British and Irish wildlife.