IGPOTY is delighted to partner with National Trust (NT) Stourhead, in Wiltshire, to run a Special Award competition and subsequently host an IGPOTY exhibition (in 2025) – for very first time!

This is the opportunity to be part of an exciting international photography exhibition, as it tours to Stourhead; a selection of the higher-placed awarded images from this Special Award will feature in the exhibition.

Only photographs captured on the Estate are eligible.

This being an IGPOTY competition, all entries should include green elements of the Estate featuring nature/gardens/plants/wildlife.

Stourhead, a 2650 acre home to the Hoare family since 1724, has a fascinating history. Lying in secluded privacy of its own valley, it is lauded as one of the finest landscape gardens in the world.

What really sets Stourhead apart from similar country estates is this purposefully designed living work of art. In the 18th century, Henry Hoare II 'the Magnificent' took inspiration from the classical paintings of Italy to create a stunning scene of water, classical temples, enchanting grottos and rare, exotic trees. He moulded Paradise valley into the central great lake and created a circular journey of discovery around it with temples, follies and bridges that framed distant vistas, enticing the visitor over, but once reached, views from the opposite shore of the lake beckon.

Indeed a spectacular living work of art.

Prizes

1st Place Prizes:

• IGPOTY award certificate

• 1st Place awarded photo exhibited at NT Stourhead at the IGPOTY exhibition (in 2025)

• Private tour of the House and Garden with Head Gardener, Tim Parker, including two very special moments of (a) access on to the House roof to capture the splendour of the whole estate from this unique vantage point and (b) viewing the garden from the water, as you will have the gift of rowing 'Dick & Kitty' (our classical wooden row boat) on the lake.

2nd Place Prizes:

• IGPOTY award certificate

• 2nd Place awarded photo exhibited at NT Stourhead at the IGPOTY exhibition (in 2025)

• 2x Complimentary tickets for the Winter light trail (at NT Stourhead Estate).

3rd Place Prizes:

• IGPOTY award certificate

• 3rd Place awarded photo exhibited at NT Stourhead at the IGPOTY exhibition (in 2025)

• 2x Complimentary tickets for the Winter light trail (NT Stourhead Estate).

General rules:

• You may not submit watermarked images with your name or website visible on the photo. Please do not frame your images with borders.
• Entrants may submit a maximum of 4 images per single entry token and a maximum of 6 images per portfolio entry token.
• For free-to-enter competitions you should enter 1 image per token given, up to a maximum of 8 images (8 tokens).
• Entrants' images must be .jpg or .jpeg format and of high enough quality.
• We recommend all images are output to 1920px on their longest side at 72 ppi (ideally with an sRGB colour profile). Any larger than this and you are supplying images bigger than they will be seen or used by IGPOTY judges; your files will take longer to upload and/or download to judges and viewers’ screens.
• The absolute maximum for each image must not be more than 7MB in file size and no more than 3000px on their longest side.
• All entrants must be able to supply a high-res image (300 ppi) suitable for printing/exhibiting should the image be shortlisted. You may be asked for this when the time comes.

N.B.

• High-res source file/s need to be at least 3780 pixels (longest side) @ 300 ppi, ideally larger (and ideally with an Adobe RGB (1998) colour profile).

Full competition rules:

Please see the IGPOTY competition rules, which always prevail:
https://igpoty.com/igpoty-rules/

Category rules:

Special Award competition rules:

Only images captured on the National Trust (NT) Stourhead estate are valid. Entries cannot win the overall IGPOTY prize.

Images captured during any year at NT Stourhead are valid for entry, however the minimum IGPOTY entry/size requirements above must still be adhered to.

The competition is free-to-enter. Adults only (18+) may enter. Online entries only via this website. National Trust employees are excluded from entry; volunteers are permitted to enter. Each entrant may upload a maximum of 8 images. For any prizes awarded by NT Stourhead, the winner/s must be available to attend NT Stourhead premises and will be required to opt-in to be contacted by the National Trust in order to facilitate this (and any launch events run by the National Trust). No alternative prizes will be given. Standard IGPOTY rules apply. Closing time for entries on the deadline date is midday (noon) GMT.

Entry fees/terms/booking and any current rules may apply to gain admittance to NT Stourhead.

Online submissions, please use the large, red-outlined 'ENTER NOW' button on this page.

For help please visit our Frequently-Asked-Questions page.