Traditionally open only to Otago residents, the competition has built a strong reputation over the past 26 years as one of the country’s leading amateur photography competitions, inspiring generations of Otago-ites to capture the beauty of the natural world around them.
Core categories have included wildlife, botanical and landscape, alongside popular pop-up themes over the years, such as night sky, climate impacts, natural abstract and macro.
Following increasing inquiries from outside the Otago region, museum marketing manager Charlie Buchan said the competition would take a major step forward next year and open a new pop-up category — Wild Aotearoa — to amateur photographers from across New Zealand.
‘‘For a long time, we’ve had hundreds of emails, messages and calls from people around the country asking how they can enter.
‘‘The competition has grown its own brand and reputation, and it’s fantastic to see that level of national engagement.’’
Eventually, the entire competition may be opened up to photographers from around the country, he said.
To support the new category, Tūhura Otago Museum would collaborate with Dunedin’s Royal Albatross Colony, Otago Peninsula Eco Restoration Alliance and the Department of Conservation.
Doc coastal Otago operations manager Gabe Davies said the competition was a great way to encourage young people to get outdoors, explore and experience New Zealand’s wildlife first-hand.
‘‘It aligns strongly with Doc’s ‘Always Be Naturing’ campaign, which encourages tamariki and communities to connect with nature through talking, walking, playing, and learning.
‘‘By engaging with nature creatively, people build a stronger connection to it, and that’s essential if we want to protect our biodiversity for future generations.’’
Mr Buchan said the new national category would not disadvantage Otago photographers.
They were welcome to enter the Wild Aotearoa category as well.
Last year’s competition was the largest yet and the museum team expected even greater participation in the years ahead.
The finalists’ works are showcased annually in a major three-month exhibition at Tūhura Otago Museum, which typically attracts more than 30,000 visitors.
Mr Buchan said submissions for next year’s categories had opened early, and would close on February 1, 2026.
