Capture your Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty through the camera lens!

21st May 2025

Amateur Photography Competition Open!

The management teams of the three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), Strangford and Lecale, the Ring of Gullion and the Mournes, are inviting you to enter their annual AONB Photography Competition.

The title for this year’s competition is “Magnificent Mourne Gullion Strangford! Our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty through the seasons”.

Whether you are in the Ring of Gullion, the Mournes or Strangford and Lecale the judges are looking for images which showcase the natural beauty of these areas.

Mayor of Ards and North Down Borough Council, Councillor Alistair Cathcart said, “Our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are iconic landscapes, treasured for their exceptional beauty, and importance to our built, natural and cultural heritage. This competition offers the opportunity for the amateur photographers amongst us to share their special place, as seen through their camera lens. I very much look forward to seeing the calendar which will be produced from the entries to this competition, showcasing our amazing landscapes.”

The competition theme is open to individual interpretation. You might choose to photograph wildlife (which includes animals and plants in a natural setting) or the breathtaking, varied landscapes of these AONBs.

Amateur photographers of all ages are encouraged to submit their digital photographs to the competition which will close on the 15th August 2025.

This is a fantastic opportunity for amateur photographers to showcase their photography skills, while helping to promote the outstanding aesthetic qualities of the three AONBs. A 1st prize of £100 for entrants over 18 years of age, and £25 for those under 18 years old, is up for grabs. The top 16 images will feature in the 2026 AONB Calendar.

To find inspiration why not visit the AONB website for Strangford and Lecale www.strangfordlough.org; or visit your local woodland, beach or park on your daily walk and see what inspires you there!

To enter, visit www.strangfordlough.org, then click on competitions at the top of the page. Full terms and conditions for the competition can be found there.

Competition page 

Strangford and Lecale AONB, is managed through a partnership between Ards and North Down Borough Council and Newry Mourne and Down District Council. The Strangford Lough and Lecale Partnership stakeholder group comprises representatives working to conserve and protect our natural, cultural and built heritage in the Strangford and Lecale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Photo captions:

Main image - Ballydorn Lightship by Ryan Browne

First image in article - The Northern Lights Over Nendrum by John Clarke

Second image in article -  Strangford Kingfisher by Jonathan Hanna