A photo competition for youngsters was today launched by the National Museum of Bermuda and the family of a late television mogul.

The Dr Reg Grundy Annual Youth Photography Competition is open to young people aged between 7 and 18 and this year comes with a twist.

Lisa Howie, the NMB’s director of learning and engagement said: “While this is primarily a photography competition, we have included a second component this year – a 50 word or less artist statement that asks students to reflect on how 2020 has changed their point of view.

“We have created resource documents for students on photography skills and how to write an artist statement, both of which can be found at the NMB website.”

The awards were set up in the name of Mr Grundy, an Australian who was a Bermuda resident and a major figure in international television production and distribution.

But Mr Grundy’s other passion was wildlife photography and he spent hours tracking longtails from land and from his boat to capture images of them in their natural habitat.

He also travelled the world with wife Joy Chambers, an author, in pursuit of wildlife images.

Ms Grundy said the competition “brings to life one of my husband Reg’s dreams”.

She added: “He had envisioned this for years and now at last it is real.

“Reg was happiest out on a boat in Castle Harbour, camera in hand, looking skywards to capture the endless orbits of his favourite bird, the longtail.

“Yet he did not photograph the longtail exclusively – he made photographs of everything which interested him.”

Ms Grundy added: “Reg believed, as I do, that a photographic competition for schoolchildren would encourage them to observe and investigate the wonder and beauty of Bermuda, help them learn patience and enable them to appreciate our island home and the people around us.”

The competition has three age groups – 7-10, 11-14 and 15-18.

There are also three Bermuda-based categories – community, homes or ecosystem, but only one photograph per theme will be accepted.

Prizes include Iron Kids accounts at Clarien Bank, gift certificates from Phoenix and the “best in show” will win a Nikon DSLR camera, with two lenses and a bag.

The school with the most entries will get a $1,500 gift certificate for office supplies store AF Smith.

The winning entries will be exhibited in Commissioner’s House at the Dockyard museum and published in its MARITimes magazine.

The deadlines for the competition are November 2 for the 7-10 category, November 3 for pupils aged 11-14 and November 4 for the 15-18 category.

The NMB said this week’s half-term break was an ideal time to take and submit photos.

Images should be shot on a smart phone or digital camera with a minimum file size of 1MB and a maximum size of 50MB in jpeg format with a resolution of at least 300 dpi.

All submissions should be submitted “straight out of the camera” with no enhancements from editing software or digital means.

For more information and to submit entries, www.nmb.bm/RG-photo-competition.