Submissions for the Rewilding Europe Award in this year’s European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition are eligible until March 1. As the deadline approaches, we talk to celebrated photographer and rewilding thought leader Peter Cairns, who will act as one of this year’s judges.
As part of the annual European Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, which was launched in 2001 by the German Society for Nature Photography, the Rewilding Europe Award celebrates some of the best rewilding-related imagery from across Europe. The deadline for submissions this year is March 1.
In 2025, the Rewilding Europe Award will be judged by Jen Guyton and Peter Cairns, the founder and Head of Rewilding at Scottish Rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture. Well-known in rewilding circles, Peter is a Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers, multi-award-winning photographer, author of several books, and co-founder of several conservation communications initiatives. We caught up with him to find out a little more about his background -and what he looks for in a great rewilding image.
How have your images changed over your 30-year photographic career?
I’m not sure my images have changed that much, but my mindset certainly has. I call the early part of my career the “calendar cover” years – it was all about pretty pictures of pretty animals, which had a chance of finding their way on to a calendar cover. There comes a point when you realise that these images don’t really “say” that much – they don’t communicate anything.
My mantra today is “story” – does this image tell a story, either on its own, or as part of a wider collection? Visual media holds so much potential for changing the way people perceive the landscapes around them, and the species that share their space, it doesn’t make sense to waste that opportunity. So, “pretty” is still nice, but “story” is an absolute must.
You’ve travelled across Europe with your camera – what’s your most memorable encounter?
Every encounter has an impact – whether that’s with a landscape, a wild animal, or even with a human being. I guess time spent with brown bears in Finland, polar bears in Svalbard, musk oxen in Norway – these memories all burn bright.
But to be honest, I still remember the first time I photographed a red squirrel in my local forest and even today, I get a thrill when I see one running through my garden. Nature photographers are often drawn to the rare and exotic, but we shouldn’t look past what’s local to us – some of the most striking images I’ve seen have been taken in the middle of large cities.
What makes a prize-winning shot?
Impact. Competition judges are often sifting through thousands of images so there must be an immediate connection, or impact. So, what does impact look like? I’m not sure I can define it, but as a photographer, you should be able to instinctively recognise it when you see it.
All of that said, images are subjective – what one person likes, others won’t. But usually, it’s the image with the most impact that rises to the top.
What will you be looking for in this year’s Rewilding Europe Award submissions?
I guess the question I’ll ask myself is: does this image make me feel differently about climate, pollution, or species extinction? It’s not so much about a specific theme, but whether an image teaches me anything. Does it make me want to act?
How can photography advance rewilding?
There’s no doubt in my mind that the creative use of visual imagery has helped capture the public’s imagination around rewilding. You only have to look at the growth in Rewilding Europe over the last decade – photography and visual storytelling has certainly underpinned that growth.
People are often nervous about rewilding because they don’t understand what it looks like. I often use imagery from northern Europe or North America to paint a picture of what might be possible here in Scotland.
How would you say rewilding is progressing in Scotland and Europe?
Pretty well, I’d say! Significant obstacles remain, but when I look back over the last 20 years or so, there has been huge change and the wind is definitely behind us.
Interestingly, the obstacles are no longer ecological. We know how to restore forests and wetlands, and reintroduce species. The battleground, if there is one, is for people’s hearts and minds. At SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, we often say that rewilding is 20% ecology and 80% psychology.
What has been the biggest step forward for rewilding in Scotland?
We hosted a conference in 2019 with the sole intention of mainstreaming rewilding. Back then, it was a concept very much on the fringes of the conversation around land use change. Fast forward five years and “rewilding” is widely used in the media. There are multiple groups in Scotland – NGOs, landowning organisations, farmer clusters and even public agencies – that are practicing rewilding principles, even if they don’t use the word itself.
It’s back to the hearts and minds battle. We’ve changed the conversation, but we need to keep our foot on the gas when it comes to mainstreaming rewilding and transforming people’s relationship with wild nature.
Can you tell us about one photo you’d love to shoot close to home in the future?
My photography days have dwindled significantly since rewilding began consuming my every waking hour! Assuming I can still operate a camera, I’d love to be able to capture the release of lynx into the wilds of Scotland. We’re working on it!