Nature never looks quite the same twice. A landscape can appear completely different from one visit to the next as the colours, light, movement, and countless subtle details change over time. Lake Kerkini, located in northern Greece, is one such place. Depending on the season, migratory birds arrive and depart, wildlife appears and disappears within the landscape, and shifting light transforms the lake into a different scene each day.

For anyone with a camera in hand, each of these moments can become a story in itself, one that often requires no words to be understood. This is precisely the power of photography that the Kerkini Wetlands Photo Award 2026 seeks to celebrate. The new international competition is dedicated to Lake Kerkini, its wetland ecosystem, wildlife, biodiversity, and the relationship between people and nature.

The inaugural edition has been open for submissions since 20 September 2026 and welcomes photographers from Greece and around the world. The concept is simple: to collect diverse perspectives on a place with countless stories to tell, from birds soaring above the water and animals hidden within the wetlands to the landscape itself and the people whose lives are closely connected to the lake.

Lake Kerkini and Kerkini National Park are considered one of Europe's most important wetland habitats, known for their rich biodiversity and the coexistence of nature and human activity. Birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and insects all find refuge here, while the lake, reedbeds, shorelines, and surrounding countryside create a landscape in constant transformation.

Perhaps that is what makes Kerkini so fascinating: there is no single image of it. There is the Kerkini of the morning light, the Kerkini of mist-covered winter mornings, the Kerkini of spring migrations, of birds crossing the water, of wildlife moving silently through the reeds, and of local communities whose daily lives are intertwined with the wetland. Together, these perspectives can form a valuable photographic record of a place worth exploring and protecting.

Four Ways to Capture Kerkini

The competition includes four themed categories, allowing photographers to choose the perspective that best reflects their vision.

Birds of Kerkini

This category focuses on the lake's remarkable birdlife and the species that have made the wetland a renowned destination for birdwatchers, nature lovers, and wildlife photographers.

Wildlife of the Wetland

Dedicated to the wetland's wider fauna, this category welcomes images of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and other species that form part of Kerkini's ecosystem.

Wetland Landscape

This category turns the lens toward the lake itself, highlighting water, light, atmosphere, and the ever-changing landscape throughout the day and across the seasons.

Human & Wetland

Kerkini is not only about wildlife and scenery. It is also about the people who live and work in the area. This category explores the connection between local communities and the natural environment, featuring everything from everyday life and local culture to traditional activities and conservation efforts.

Kerkini Through Many Different Lenses

From its very first edition, the competition has adopted an international outlook, welcoming entries from photographers worldwide and featuring an international judging panel. Both amateur and professional photographers may participate, with each entrant allowed to submit up to 10 photographs across one or more categories. All images must be taken within the Lake Kerkini area and its surrounding wetland ecosystem in northern Greece.

Beyond celebrating artistic achievement, the competition also aims to promote awareness of biodiversity and highlight the importance of wetlands. A powerful photograph can encourage viewers to look more closely at a landscape, notice an animal they might otherwise overlook, and better understand why a place deserves protection. For this reason, the organisers view photography as much more than a tool for capturing beautiful images. Their goal is to create, year after year, a living photographic archive of Kerkini: a collection documenting the area's biodiversity, landscapes, people, and stories.

Submissions for the 2026 Open Call are accepted from 20 September to 20 November 2026, through the competition's official platform.

Awards and Prizes

The inaugural competition offers a total prize fund of €3,000.

• Photo of the Year: €1,000
• Winner of each of the four thematic categories: €400
• Young Photographer of the Year Award (ages 18-25): €400

In addition to cash prizes, selected photographers may participate in exhibitions, receive official certificates, showcase their work in an online gallery, and benefit from international exposure through the competition's communication channels. Special awards and honorary mentions will also be presented. Entries will be evaluated by an international jury with expertise in nature photography, environmental conservation, visual storytelling, and photographic curation. Judging criteria include artistic quality, originality, technical excellence, storytelling strength, and emotional impact, always in accordance with ethical wildlife photography practices.

More Than a Competition

The Kerkini Wetlands Photo Award aims to bring together an international community of photographers. Each year, around World Wetlands Day on 2 February, the programme culminates with the announcement of the winners, an awards ceremony, an exhibition, and the international presentation of the winning photographs.

The competition is organised by AGKISTRO ACTION, a social cooperative enterprise based in northern Greece, working in the fields of sustainable tourism, nature conservation, cultural heritage, and local development.

After all, a photograph can be much more than a beautiful image; it can inspire us to look more carefully at a place, understand it more deeply, and ultimately care more about what is needed to keep it alive.

Kerkini Wetlands Photo Award 2026
Photography, Biodiversity & Conservation