Now in its fourth year, the Competition celebrates the beauty and importance of Australia’s insect pollinators, including more than 2,000 native bee species, honey bees, flies, butterflies, moths, wasps and beetles.

First place wins $1500, with $750 for second, $500 for third and $750 for people’s choice, and every winner also receives a 12-month subscription to Wild Magazine.

The School Competition awards a primary and secondary school winner with individual prizes for the students and a $500 class prize each.

Run by the Wheen Bee Foundation, the Competition has attracted more than 1,200 entries since its launch in 2022.

Last year’s winner, Paul Harrop, took the top spot for the second year in a row and said his photo came down to being in the right place at the right time.

Mr Harrop, a retired primary school teacher and volunteer guide at Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha, was practising his macro photography skills with his photography club at Roma Street Parklands in Brisbane when he noticed a native bee seemingly posing inside a Tibouchina flower.

“The sunlight was catching the bee’s large pollen sacks, and the bee was perfectly framed by the flower’s stamens,” Mr Harrop said, capturing the shot with his Olympus OM-1 Mark 1 and OM System 90mm macro lens.

“I love macro photography because it gives us a rare glimpse into the tiny wonders of pollination.

“I’m curious to see if I can hold my winning streak this year, but either way the competition is a perfect excuse to spend more time admiring these incredible little creatures,” Mr Harrop said.

The 2025 judging panel includes evolutionary biologist and professional photographer Dr James Dorey and junior judge Sophie Anderson, winner of the 2024 primary school competition.

The Pollinator Photography Competition takes place in the lead-up to Australian Pollinator Week, a nine-day festival from 8-16 November, dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of pollinators and supporting their needs.

The 2025 Pollinator Photography Competition is sponsored by Flow, Hornsby Beekeeping, House of Honey, Wild Magazine, the Centre for Bee Education and Bee School by Beechworth Honey.

To complement the Photography Competition, the Wheen Bee Foundation has launched the Schools Pollinator Art Competition, inviting primary and secondary students to explore the importance of pollination through art. Learn more about the competition here.

Winners of the Pollinator Photography Competition will be announced via a webinar on Thursday, 13 November at 7.30pm AEDT.

The Competition closes Sunday, 26 October at 5pm AEDT. Submit your entry here.

Read the full T&Cs here.