The RHS Photographic Competition inspires young and old alike to get outdoors and record how enriching and inspiring gardens and plants can be

CATEGORIES FOR 2019

There are nine different categories in the competition, designed to have a broad appeal to aspiring entrants and cover different gardening-related topics.

Celebrating gardens: whether in your own private space or a spectacular RHS garden, a tiny city patch to a formal domestic outside haven – get out and about photographing the very best of any style of garden. Consider elevated overviews from an upstairs window or simply images that capture the enjoyment people get from being in an outside space. Let your photographic imagination flourish and celebrate the essence – and beauty – of a garden. 

Welcoming garden wildlife: beautiful photographs of insects, birds and creatures found wild in your garden or garden surroundings. Images can be close up details or wider views of wildlife enjoying the outside environment. 

  All about plants: if you love capturing plants, showing them happily growing in their location, then this is the category for you. Submissions should show a plant, tree or shrub as a whole entity – macro photography or tiny details aren’t right for this category. Instead, photographs could include the flower, stem and leaves of one single plant, or a clump of plants in their natural environment. Show us the beauty of plants and how they grow outside – make us think about why we should all consider growing more plants. 

  Abstract: let your imagination, originality and creativity go wild – submissions can be a close-up of a plant or an abstract view of plants or gardens. Image manipulation and graphic approaches are also welcomed. We want to be wowed by amazing images that challenge and make us think. 

Urban gardening: whether you live in a flat, shared space or have a small outside terrace, all types of gardening can be undertaken in a city or town. Supporting the RHS Greening Grey Britain campaign, photographs could be a view of a windowsill in an urban flat or a small planted area in the suburbs. Photographs may include people as much as plants, as we want to celebrate the importance of an outside space in urban areas. 

Social media: any image can be entered into this category that is related to anything horticultural, gardening or wildlife. Images should be submitted via RHS Twitter, Instagram or Facebook accounts using the hashtag #RHSphotocomp. The monthly shortlist will be selected by the RHS social media team and an RHS judge, and the winner will be voted for by our social media followers. Each monthly winner will then be fed into the competition judging for overall category winner. 

Under 18s (age 11-17): any photographs depicting something plant, garden or wildlife related that interests you.

Under 11s: any photographs depicting something plant, garden or wildlife related that interests you. 

Portfolio: this unique category is judged for RHS medals and entrants must supply six images in a series, or based on a common theme or style. Shortlisted portfolios will be hung and displayed at an RHS Show in 2019, and will be judged as a display at the show. This category is open to both amateur and professional photographers.  

NB: Submissions to the Social Media category must be via either Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, and not via the RHS website. Images submitted in the Portfolio and Social Media categories do not preclude being entered into the other seven competition categories.

PRIZES

Winner of the RHS Photographic Competition 2019

£5,000

Young Winner of the RHS Photographic Competition 2019

£750 Wex Photographic vouchers  

Adult categories

First Place     £500 + RHS Gift membership
Second Place     £250
Third Place     £150

Portfolio category

Best in Show     £500 + RHS Gift membership
RHS Medals are awarded

Under 18s

First place     £150 Wex Photographic vouchers
Second place     £75 Wex Photographic vouchers
Third place     £50 Wex Photographic vouchers

Under 11s

First place     £150 Wex Photographic vouchers
Second place     £75 Wex Photographic vouchers
Third place     £50 Wex Photographic vouchers

The Royal Horticultural Society
Telephone 020 3176 5800
webmaster@rhs.org.uk