The RHS supports great garden photography. Whether you’re a budding photographer, garden enthusiast or just someone who likes taking snap shots of the outdoors, there is a category and prize waiting for you. From a close-up detail of a leaf to a sweeping panoramic garden view, from people working in their gardens to the wildlife living in them, the RHS wants to celebrate the diversity of gardens through photography.

Open to amateur & professional photographers
The competition is open to amateur and professional photographers alike with six distinct categories for adults and two for children and young people. The top adult prize is £1,000 and has the coveted title of RHS Photographer of the Year, while younger photographers can battle it out for a digital camera and the chance to be named RHS Young Photographer of the Year.

Closing date for entries is 31 August 2010.

Competition categories
The RHS would welcome a range of photography that reflects all aspects of gardens. It is from the below six categories that the RHS Photographer of the Year will be chosen:

Garden Plants Study
Photos that show the plant, tree or shrub as a whole or near whole entity; for example a shot that includes the petals, stem and leaves of a flower giving a sense of the plant and its immediate environment.

Abstract
This is open to interpretation; it could be a close-up of a plant, a detail of a tree or a shadow on a lawn.

The Seasonal Garden
Photos of gardens showing their seasonality. This could be golden leaves in autumn, a hot summer’s day, the first signs of spring or a frosty morning in winter.

Garden Wildlife
Photos of insects, birds and creatures found wild in the garden (N.B. this does not include domestic pets).

Gardening and Gardeners
Photos of gardeners or of people gardening; this could be in a shed, a greenhouse, on an allotment or out in a garden.

Fruit and Veg
This category covers garden edibles which have been grown in a garden, allotment or even a pot on a windowsill.

The below categories are especially for children and young people aged under 18. It is from these categories that the RHS Young Photographer of the Year will be chosen

Young Photographer (under 18)
Up to five photos can be entered on anything from the above subjects.

Children’s Photograph (under 11)
Up to five photos can be entered on anything that interests you in your garden from a frog in a pond to super tall sunflowers.

The Medici Cards Award will be decided from all the images entered into the competition and presented to the photographer Medici Cards feels has a good eye for commercial photography.

Prizes
RHS Photographer of the Year: £1,000
RHS Young Photographer of the Year: Digital camera

Adult
First prize £350
Second prize £200
Third prize £100

Children and Young Photographers (under 18)
First: Digital camera
Second: Photographic vouchers
Third: Photographic vouchers

The Medici Cards Award
Image made into a greeting card and the winner will receive 200 copies of their card to keep.

For further details, visit: RHS Photographic Competition 2010.

Editor, Third Age.