The inaugural Derbyshire Life Photography Competition has launched. If you have a passion for taking pictures of Derbyshire and the Peak District, this is definitely one for you
Since launching the Picture Perfect feature in our magazine, where we invited readers to send in their pictures for possible inclusion, we have received over 1,000 stunning images from readers showcasing Derbyshire and the Peak District.
It’s clear that this county is full of passionate photographers, eager to capture the heart and soul of Derbyshire through a lens.
Whether an opportunistic shot on a mobile phone or a more planned shoot with a traditional camera, people across Derbyshire and the Peak District are taking advantage of the stunning canvas this region offers.
For some it’s a hobby, whereas others may have dreams of becoming a professional or semi-professional photographer.
Whatever your reasons for capturing the essence of Derbyshire, Derbyshire Life continues to provide a platform for readers to showcase their creative talents and we know from feedback that many readers greatly enjoy seeing their images in front of them in print.
And so, in this February edition, we launch our inaugural Derbyshire Life Photography Competition – adding even more gravitas to the images you submit. Could you be our first winner?
How to enter
To submit an image for consideration, simply attach the image into an email and send to nathan.fearn@newsquest.co.uk and title the email ‘PHOTO COMPETITION’.
The email must include the location of the image and be at least 1MB in size in order for it to be print quality. As long as the image is 1MB+, it does not matter what device it is taken on – in fact, recent data from marketsplash.com suggests that the average user has around 2,100 photos on their smartphone alone, with smartphones accounting for a whopping 92.5% of all images captured.
Your image can be of anywhere in Derbyshire and/or the Peak District and the only stipulation is that you are not a professional photographer.
You are able to send more than one image for consideration but we are limiting it to three images per person.
The photo doesn’t have to be current. If you took an image you are particularly proud of in 2021, for example, you are still welcome to submit it.
Happy snapping!
The judging process
Photographs are clearly subjective. As a result, we are pleased to have on board three experienced and respected locally based photographers to form the judging panel.
Once the deadline has passed, these three judges will agree on a ‘top ten’. It will be these ten images that will be profiled in a bumper feature in April’s edition.
If your image(s) don’t make the top ten, there’s still a good chance they’ll be showcased at some point in our monthly Picture Perfect feature.
A word from our judges
I have had the honour of judging numerous public photo competitions in my 20 years as a professional photographer and been an accredited judge on the East Midlands camera club circuit for over ten years.
Consequently, I’ve become very acquainted with photos of Derbyshire, so critiquing readers’ images is Picture Perfect for me!
- Ashley Franklin
As a photographer who loves Derbyshire and the Peak District I'm really excited to have been asked to be one of judges in the magazine's first ever photography competition.
I've been a regular contributor to Derbyshire Life for over 30 years and it was this magazine that really inspired my photography career by publishing my images many years ago. I'm therefore really looking forward to seeing what established or budding photographic talent we have in the area.
Derbyshire and the Peak District is a fantastically rich source of picturesque locations that provide great photographic opportunities for those with the ‘right eye’.
- Gary Wallis
I have been a regular contributor to Derbyshire Life magazine for almost 20 years and it is a pleasure to be asked to be one of the judges for the magazine's inaugural photography competition.
As a freelance rural photographer I am fortunate to spend much of my time in the beautiful countryside of Derbyshire and the peak District and it never disappoints with its seasonal changes and stunning scenery.
- Ruth Downing
The winners
The photographers who have their images featured in April’s edition will each receive a Derbyshire Life Photography Competition certificate in recognition of making the top ten as well as the distinction of having their photos showcased in the feature for thousands if people to enjoy.
From these ten images, three will be selected as the winner, the runner-up, and third place.
These three will all receive a free 12-month subscription to Derbyshire Life, whilst second place will also receive a signed copy of Ashley Franklin and Ian Daisley’s the Derwent Valley Mills: World Heritage Site photography book.
The overall winner will receive two passes for this year’s Buxton International Festival.
Our thanks to Ashley, Ian and our friends at Buxton International Festival (buxtonfestival.co.uk) for providing the prizes.
Submission deadlines
The competition is open from Friday January 19 (the date of February’s edition being published).
Readers have until 5pm on Thursday February 29 to get their entries in. The winners will be announced in April’s magazine, which is due to be published on Friday March 22.
Should you have any queries relating to the competition, feel free to email Nathan at nathan.fearn@newsquest.co.uk.
Will you be crowned our very first Derbyshire Life Photography Competition winner?
