Staged photographs and the CJS Photography Competition

Following the furore around the winning image in the BBC Countryfile calendar photography competition (here on The Times if you've not seen it already) the CJS Team has discussed the implications for our competition and as a result we have updated the rules with regard to staged images. Read the updated rules here.

Many images would be impossible without staging, from Simon King many years ago explaining his dormouse against the moon image was taken in a studio to the behind the scenes on many of the BBC Natural History programmes and now the Countryfile mouse and apple photo it has become a more widely acknowledged practice.  We have discussed at length the ability to determine which (if any) images are staged and feel that whilst for some images it will be apparent (such as the mouse) there may some where it will not be so obvious.  With that in mind we have agreed that staged, and camera trap, images will be permitted with the proviso that this is specified at time of entry.  We would also remind photographers that the welfare of wildlife should be uppermost in their minds at all times and must come before any desire to capture the photograph.

In May 2019, the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) launched a new social media crime prevention campaign titled Undisturbed calling on all UK wildlife photographers and drone operators to ensure the welfare of wild animals while photographing or filming them. At the time NWCU wrote about the initiative for CJS, we would encourage all photographers to read this article.