This dawn shot of biologist Audun Rikardsen following trawlers in a Norwegian fjord was last year’s overall winner.Credit: Emma Vogel
Entries are now open for Nature’s 2026 #ScientistAtWork photo competition. Capture a moment in your working day on camera for the chance to win a £500 cash prize (or local-currency equivalent) and the opportunity to see your winning image appear in print and online as part of the magazine’s Careers section.
To enter, simply take a photo that conveys the essence of your research and submit it to [email protected]. Previous winning images include those taken in the field, in laboratory workspaces and during science-communication outreach work. The competition opens today (27 April) and closes for entries on 8 May. If you have any questions, e-mail [email protected].
Mayfly invasion, ripples in the sky and a jumping squid: Nature’s photo competition
Winners are decided by a group of Nature media editors. Entries will be judged on their photographic merit and creative interpretation of a #ScientistAtWork. Full terms and conditions can be found on the competition home page, along with help and advice on how to frame and take a great image. You can also find inspiring images from previous winners there.
All aboard
Last year’s winning shots depicted scientists tailing fishing vessels in the fjords of northern Norway; hunting for frogs in a Californian national park; and drilling ice cores in the polar night of Svalbard. Other years have seen winners capture snaps of researchers at work in their labs and scientific centres.
Entrants are not in competition with professional photographers: this is an amateurs-only contest (we define a professional photographer as anyone who makes more than 25% of their annual income from photography work).
So, reach for a good camera phone, or borrow a camera. It’s time to get snapping.
In short:
• Nature’s Careers section photo competition has opened and will close on 8 May.
