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The 2024 National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest opens for submissions on April 15, marking its third year in partnership with the Wistron Foundation. Covering subjects from local culture to ecology, the contest promotes environmental conservation through photography. This year's focus remains on 'Taiwan,' with six categories: 'People,' 'Places,' 'Nature,' 'Ecological Environment,' 'Night Sky,' and 'Youth'—the latter for young photographers. Featuring six key highlights, the competition invites citizen photographers to capture stories of ecological sustainability, expanding the impact of photography.
Highlight 1: The Return of the 'Bird Photography' Category—Participants Are Invited to Sign Ethical Photography Guidelines
This year, the National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest has reinstated the 'Bird Photography' category, requiring participants to adhere to ethical photography guidelines. The value of nature photography lies in raising awareness and protecting wildlife. In 2023, unethical practices such as baiting birds, using caged setups, and exploiting protected species were exposed in the media. These actions violated the spirit of the National Geographic photo contest, leading to the suspension of the bird photography category in last year’s competition. After consulting experts and referencing guidelines, including those from the National Audubon Society, National Geographic established ten principles for ethical bird photography. With the category reopened this year, renowned bird photographer Tim Laman will serve as a judge to ensure the integrity of the review process.
Highlight 2: Debuting the 'Night Sky' Category—Showcasing the Diverse Beauty of the Stars
With advancements in technology, anyone with a camera that supports manual exposure and some knowledge of the night sky can easily enjoy stargazing and photographing stars, moon phases, and night scenes year-round. To celebrate the diverse beauty of the night sky, a new 'Night Sky' category has been introduced this year. Astronomy enthusiasts and night sky photographers are invited to participate, share their work, and exchange ideas. We are honored to have a distinguished panel of judges for this category, including Dr. Wei-Hao Wang from Academia Sinica’s Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, internationally renowned night sky photographer Babak Tafreshi, and Vincent Cheng (Fudo Myo-o).
Highlight 3: Renowned International Photographer Tim Laman to Join Photo Contest Events in Taiwan
We are honored to have esteemed photographer Tim Laman serve as a judge and awards presenter, as well as to deliver a special lecture in Taiwan for the first time. A master of wildlife photography, filmmaker, and field biologist, Tim Laman uses his camera to tell the stories of rare and endangered species. He has received numerous accolades, including the 2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, First Place in the World Press Photo Nature Story category, and Outstanding Nature Photographer of the Year from the North American Nature Photography Association. He is also a member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP).
Highlight 4: Hosting the 'Nature Photography & Environmental Storytelling' Workshop to Uncover Captivating Ecological Stories
This year, the inaugural 'Nature Photography & Environmental Storytelling' workshop will be led by two-time Golden Tripod Award winner and National Geographic contributing photographer Chen Yuwen. This intensive training aims to nurture a new generation of National Geographic photographers. The workshop combines photography techniques with storytelling concepts, enabling participants to create an image story through a series of documentary photographs that showcase the beauty of the ecological environment or address thought-provoking issues, thereby raising public awareness of ecological conservation. The workshop will invite past finalists from the National Geographic photo contest over the last two years to participate in an open selection process, recruiting students for four two-day intensive training sessions. This initiative seeks to inspire more ecology-loving photographers to convey captivating ecological stories through their work.
Highlight 5: Bird, Night Sky, and Cetacean Photographers Share Their Experiences in Terrestrial, Marine, and Aerial Photography
We will host three major 'Photography Forum' lectures to promote photography concepts and techniques, with a focus on environmental sustainability, local issues, and global perspectives. The first two forums, centered on ecological awareness, will feature Taiwan's first underwater Cetacea photographer, Ray Chin, and the president of the Taipei Amateur Astronomers Association, Chih-An Liu. These forums will take place on May 18 (Saturday) and May 26 (Sunday) at Socrates Hall in the GIS NTU Convention Center. The third forum, on August 24 (Saturday), will feature international bird photography expert Tim Laman, who will attend the awards ceremony and deliver a keynote lecture titled "The Bird Planet: A Journey of Photography."'
Highlight 6: Documentary Filmmaker Passes on Experience by Leading the 'Ecological Environment Reporting Mission'
Environmental documentary filmmaker Ke Chin-Yuan has been invited to mentor the 2024 champion of the 'Ecological Environment' category in the 'Ecological Environment Reporting Mission.' He will share his expertise in ecological photography and pass on his commitment to conservation to the younger generation. In 2022 and 2023, the champions of the National Geographic Photo Contest’s 'Ecological Environment' category were personally guided by Director Ke while photographing the Important Wetland Shuanglianpi and Guandu Nature Park, successfully completing their reporting missions. This year, Ke will once again lead the champion to a new conservation habitat, imparting his insights and fostering environmental stewardship in the next generation.
Caption: This year's competition features the 'Photography Forums,' the 'Nature Photography & Environmental Storytelling Workshop,' and the 'Ecological Environment Reporting Mission,' encouraging everyone to focus on Taiwan's ecological sustainability issues. (From left to right: 2023 Youth Category third place winner Chen Guan-Ting, Cetacean photographer Ray Chin, president of the Taipei Amateur Astronomers Association Chih-An Liu, environmental documentary filmmaker Ke Chin-Yuan, Wistron Foundation CEO Joyce Chou, National Geographic magazine and Boulder Media CEO Lee Yungshih, National Geographic contributing photographer Chen Yuwen, 2023 People Category second place winner Chang Chien Yusung, and Nature Category champion Lin Chienhong.)
Hoping to Rally Everyone’s Attention to the Ecological Environment Through Storytelling with Images
Lee Yungshih, editor-in-chief of National Geographic magazine, stated: "It has been over ten years since Boulder Media resumed publishing the Traditional Chinese version of National Geographic. We are now in an era of significant change, and we will continue the important mission that National Geographic has upheld for 136 years: reflecting on the relationship between humanity and the environment. At the same time, we will advance with the vision of 'Move On.' The National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest has now entered its eighth year, and in 2024, we are expanding submissions to include 'Marine, Terrestrial, and Aerial' photography. We hope to preserve images that resonate and provide solace for Taiwan."
Now in its eighth year, the National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest has encouraged participants to document the ecological environment since the introduction of the 'Ecological Environment' category in 2022. The competition invites outstanding photographers and enthusiasts worldwide to share their work, using images to convey powerful ecological stories and inspire environmental awareness. So far, the contest has received over 35,932 high-quality entries, marking a 34.68% increase in 2023 compared to 2022. In 2024, submissions are expected to exceed 6,000.
The contest is divided by age, with participants over 18 in the adult group and those under 18 in the youth group. The adult group features four categories: 'People,' 'Places,' 'Nature,' and 'Night Sky,' while the youth group has no designated subject. The 'Ecological Environment' category is open to all ages and requires 5 to 10 thematically cohesive photos that present different perspectives of a single story. 'Narrative quality' will be a key evaluation criterion, making this an exciting opportunity for photography enthusiasts.
2024 National Geographic Taiwan Photo Contest Submission Information
Submission Period: April 15 (Monday) - June 15 (Saturday)
Photography Competition Registration
National Geographic Magazine Facebook Page
National Geographic Magazine Official Website
* For event details, please visit the 'National Geographic Magazine Events' page.