Architecture & Structure – Tuesday 11 February
Entry Deadline – Sunday 2 February
Judge – Jill Cliffe APSNZ – in person
https://www.facebook.com/blendedfocus/
https://www.instagram.com/jillcliffephotography/
Capture a building, structure or part of a structure that is “man made”. Traditionally, the aim of architectural photography is to accurately represent and communicate the architect’s vision by conveying the design and layout of the building or structure. People may be in the image, but should not be a main focus; it is the building or structure, or part of the building or structure, which is to be the subject. Some photographers choose to compose images in a more abstract manner, conveying the sculptural elements of a building or structure. Find a building or structure (e.g. bridge) that you like and explore it from all angles. Think about time of day, light and shade, lens choice and vantage points.
Book Cover – Tuesday 11 March
Entry Deadline – Sunday 2 March
Judge – Karen Lawton – accredited PSNZ judge – online
https://www.lensculture.com/karen-lawton
Because it is an image for the cover of a book it should be in portrait orientation. It is not necessary to include the wording for the title and author.
For the purposes of this image choose from one of the options listed below. Your goal is to provide an image which illustrates the title book. The image does not need to reflect the contents of the book. In effect the book title will be the image title.
Title/Author options:
Never Go Back by Lee Child
The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene
Roots by Alex Haley
Glass – Tuesday 8 April
Entry Deadline – Sunday 30 March
Judge – Geoff Beals APSNZ – accredited PSNZ judge – in person
https://geoffbealsphotography.zenfolio.com/
The primary subject is to be made of glass. Photographing glass can be challenging due to glare from unwanted or uncontrolled highlights. Techniques like dark field lighting and light field lighting can give definition to the rims/edges of glass. Another interesting property of glass is refraction of light viewed through glass. Many commercial photographs are of glass like wine, beer, or perfume bottles. You can even try photographs of shattering or broken glass, but be careful.
The following website may be helpful:
https://ksccc.ca/2018/06/01/photographing-glass/
High Key or Low Key – Tuesday 13 May
Entry Deadline – Sunday 20 April
Judge – Dr Alison Viskovic FPSNZ– accredited PSNZ judge – online
High-key photography is the opposite of low-key photography.
A high-key image is very light and bright and has little contrast. There are few to no dark colours. A smooth, clouded sky is a good weather condition for high-key images. With this type of photography, you’ll barely see shadows.
A low-key image is very dark and has a lot of contrast. There are many dark colours and a lot of shadows. This can create a mysterious effect. You can use one light source to highlight your subject and keep the rest dark, for example.
A note on the Histogram: For a high-key photo, the histogram will be on the right side. This means that the photo contains a lot of light tones. With a low-key photo, the histogram will be on the left side with many black tones.
Check out this website:
https://www.iphotography.com/blog/high-and-low-key-photography/
New Zealand Natural History – Tuesday 27 May
Entry Deadline – Sunday 18 May
Judge – Mike Boyd-Clark APSNZ – in person
https://www.facebook.com/mike.boydclark
New Zealand Natural History – MPS Definition
Triptych – Tuesday 10 June
Entry Deadline – Sunday 1 June
Judge – Cushla Moorhead – accredited PSNZ judge – online
https://www.cushlamoorhead.kiwi.nz/
https://www.facebook.com/cushla.moorhead/
A triptych is made up of a series of three images. The three individual triptych images must be interrelated and can explore a particular subject, a specific style, a theme, or even one image that is “split” to create three separate images. In addition, a triptych can show a sequential progression, often suggesting a narrative with a beginning, middle, and end. Ultimately, an effective triptych emphasizes the Gestalt concept of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts.
Unlike the “Set of Four”, a triptych combines the three separate images on one canvas. Check out these websites for examples and inspiration:
https://ayearwithmycamera.com/blog/how-to-shoot-a-photography-triptych
https://brentmailphotography.com/composition/creating-triptychs-with-your-photographs.html
https://expertphotography.com/triptych-photography
Humour/Whimsical – Tuesday 8 July
Entry Deadline – Sunday 29 June
Judge – Dave Simpson APSNZ LRPS – accredited PSNZ judge – in person
https://www.facebook.com/davesimpsonphotography/
https://www.instagram.com/dave_simpson_photography/
According to the dictionary “humour” is something which tends to elicit laughter or produce amusement. “Whimsical” is something unusual in a playful or amusing way; not serious. The challenge then is to represent this with an image. Ideally the image will make the viewer smile, laugh or shake their head in bewilderment.
Leading Lines – Tuesday 12 August
Entry Deadline – Sunday 3 August
Judge – Lee Riley
https://www.flashphotos.co.nz/
https://www.facebook.com/lee.riley.58/
https://www.instagram.com/flashphotosnz/
Leading lines are a compositional technique where human-made or natural lines lead the viewer’s eyes through an image to the subject or the heart of the image. They can be very noticeable, or they can be quite subtle, and they help direct the focus, create balance, and tell a story with the image. Leading lines can be anything. They can be a road or a line of trees leading you somewhere. They can be people and repetitive objects, like railroad tracks. And while many photos may unintentionally contain lines that highlight a specific point of interest, intentional lines and compositions make for the strongest images.
For example: https://www.adorama.com/alc/leading-lines-photography/
Set of Four: Odd, Weird or Strange – 26 August
Entry Deadline – Sunday 17 August
Judge – Jane Thorne – artist – has judged for Manukau and Waiuku clubs – online
https://www.facebook.com/jane.thorne.artist/
https://www.instagram.com/littleblackbugs/
The subject or subjects of the set are to be something unusual, out of the ordinary and perhaps even bizarre. There is a wide scope here, but the real challenge is to come up with images that are well out of the normal and expected. It could be an unusual object, people acting in a strange way, or a really abstract treatment. Anything goes, as long as it makes the viewer think something along the lines of “What the heck is that?” or “what is going on there?”
Multiple Exposure – Tuesday 9 September
Entry Deadline – Sunday 31 August
Judge – Mike Boyd-Clark APSNZ – in person
https://www.facebook.com/mike.boydclark
Multiple exposure photography is a technique that layers two or more different exposures on a single image, combining the individual images into one single image. Multiple exposure creates a surreal feeling and the images can work together to convey deep meaning or symbolism. Some digital cameras have a multiple image function, so that such images can be created “in camera”. Otherwise a multiple exposure image can be created with an editing programme such as Adobe Photoshop.
The following websites give some helpful guidelines and inspiration:
https://www.adobe.com/nz/creativecloud/photography/discover/double-exposure-photography.html
https://www.adorama.com/alc/episode/music-and-sports-photographer-david-bergman-adoramatv/
Music, Music, Music – Tuesday 7 October
Entry Deadline – Sunday 28 September
Judge – Robin Short APSNZ – in person
https://robinshortphotography.queensberryworkspace.com/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Robin-Short-Photography-100052786102320/
The subject of the image has to be something to do with music. So it could be a musical instrument, an orchestra, band or musician; it could be actual sheet music or notes. It could be people dancing or singing, perhaps even speakers or amplifiers, but it should be obvious that music is the focus. The challenge is to do something really creative and unexpected to showcase “music”.
Pairs – Tuesday 11 November
Entry Deadline – Sunday 2 November
Judge – Janet Munnings LPSNZ LRPS – accredited PSNZ judge – online
https://www.facebook.com/janet.munnings/
The dictionary definition is: “a set of two things used together or regarded as a unit, e.g. a pair of gloves or shoes; an article consisting of two joined or corresponding parts not used separately as in a pair of jeans or a pair of scissors; two people related in some way or considered together; two playing cards of the same denomination.” The subject of the image is to be a pair, or set of pairs, along the lines of the definition.
Salon – Tuesday 9 December
Entry Deadline – Sunday 16 November
Judge – David Smith FPSNZ – accredited PSNZ judge – in person
https://davidsmithnz.smugmug.com/
Landscape
Photographs which capture a sense of “space” and “place” tell a story of the scene before the camera. While a prominent feature of the image should be a landform, it can include where the land meets the sea, river or lake showing some representation of both land and water. It does not include cityscapes. The image may include human elements for scale and context but not to the extent that they become the prominent element. Creative enhancement of the image is acceptable provided that the resulting image still reflects the essential story of what is seen in that landscape.
Portrait
Photographs of single human subjects or groups e.g. babies, children, parents, grand- parents, families. Animals; wild, zoo, farm and domestic animals are also included.
Portrait photography is about capturing the essence, personality, character of your subject.
Manukau Photographic Society 