YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER COMPETITION
For ages 19 and under
Are you 19 or under and interested in photography? We would love to see your work.
As part of photoILKLEY 2026, we are inviting children and young people to enter our Young Photographer Competition. This is a chance to share your own way of seeing the world and to be part of a grassroots photography festival that celebrates creativity, curiosity, and visual storytelling.
THEME
HUMAN:NATURE
The theme is open to many different interpretations. Your photograph could be about people, about nature, or about the relationship between the two. It can also be read as human nature, opening up ideas around emotion, behaviour, instinct, connection, and everyday life.
You might choose to photograph a person, a landscape, an animal, a garden, a street scene, or a small everyday moment. For example, your image could show:
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people in nature
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nature in the city
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plants, wildlife, or outdoor spaces
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the ways people shape, protect, or affect the natural world
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family, friendship, community, solitude, or emotion
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traces people leave behind in the environment
We want to see how you respond to the theme, what catches your eye, and what your photograph reveals about the world around us and the nature within us.
Who can enter?
The competition is open to everyone aged 19 and under.
Deadline
The deadline for entries is 3 June 2026.
How to enter
To enter, all you need to do is:
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Fill in the entry form which you can find here
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Send the completed form to contact@photoilkley.com
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Selected photographs
Selected photographs will be featured as part of photoILKLEY 2026, giving young photographers the chance to have their work seen as part of the festival.
We cannot wait to see your images.
For Rules and Regulations please click here
