Illustrative entries are unique visual stories that capture narratives, evoke specific feelings, or add layers of meaning within an image. Photographs can be simple or complicated, and may leave room for ambiguity, inviting viewers to explore their own interpretation of the image.
The full range of post-production and digital manipulation techniques, including composites, are permitted. All elements of an entry must be 100% photographic in origin.
Artist Statement Up to 50 words (Optional)
Portraits that celebrate the human experience. From personal projects to travel adventures and highly creative portraits, this category is for photographs of people that tell a story, deeply resonate, and capture the essence of individuals.
The full range of post-production and digital manipulation techniques, including composites, are permitted. All elements of an entry must be 100% photographic in origin.
Photography of diverse locations with a genuine sense of place that can include both natural landscapes and manmade elements. Places that leave a lasting impression, and invite introspection for viewers with the beauty and significance of the environment captured. Aerial images are permitted.
Composite images are allowed as long as digital post-production serves to enhance rather than fundamentally alter the visual message.
The Visionary category is a homage to creativity unbound. Unleash your most imaginative and unconventional works. Draw inspiration from your own subconscious, surrealism, expressionism, and creative outlets to challenge conventional imagery. This is the category to push boundaries, experiment fearlessly, and redefine visual storytelling.
Unique to the Visionary category you can enter flat images up to A1 in size or 3D photographic or sculpture-based images up to 40cm in height, width and depth. (Return postage above $35 charged at cost.)
The full range of post-production and digital manipulation techniques, including composites, are permitted. All elements of an entry must be 100% photographic in origin.
Artist Statement 25 - 50 words (Required)
Entries must reflect the appearance, essence or personality of the pet or animal depicted in the image; partial capture of form or shape, rather than a whole animal, may be better off in creative categories. Humans may be seen; however, they should not be the main element of the image.
The full range of post-production and digital manipulation techniques, including composites, are permitted. All elements of an entry must be 100% photographic in origin.
Let your imagination go wild through the unusual combination of subjects, textures, colours, or viewpoints. Use in-camera or post-production techniques for novel or creative effects. The base image and all additional elements used must be photographic in origin and captured by the entrant, with no text graphics allowed. The competition allows composite, non-composite, and highly manipulated images, but the photographer must have created all components.
The full range of post-production and digital manipulation techniques, including composites, are permitted. All elements of an entry must be 100% photographic in origin.
The purpose of a portrait photograph is to capture the subject’s essence and convey their personality, character, and story. Entries must include at least one person and may range from candid photographs to formal portraits of families, groups, and individuals. The full range of post-production and digital manipulation techniques, including composites, are permitted.
The full range of post-production and digital manipulation techniques, including composites, are permitted. All elements of an entry must be 100% photographic in origin.
The premise of this award is to honour the unique creativity and skill of the photographic composite artist. While photography is a large part of a photographic artist’s image production, there is often an equal weighting on the post-production skill required to bring a composite together.
As a unique feature of this category, captures used within a composite may be from any date. However, the artwork creation date must be on or after 3rd June 2019.
Show us your ultimate creativity across any chosen genre or theme. The full range of post-production and digital manipulation techniques is permitted. Entries are submitted as digital entries.
Aerial landscape photography captures the beauty of the earth's contours, colours, and textures from a unique vantage point. Images taken from helicopters, planes, drones, or from a high vertical perspective are accepted. Drone photography must comply with regulations relevant to capture geographics.
Composite images, such as stitched panoramas, are permitted, provided that the primary emphasis remains on the natural scenery.
NOTE: Open to Student, Amateur and Professional Photographers
Commercial entries are images created for commercial clients to promote a product or company, including advertising, fashion, still life, food, architecture, and corporate photography. Text graphics are not allowed, but a 25-word description of the commercial use of the image is allowed.
Composite images are allowed as long as the digital post-production is not a significant part of conveying the visual message. However, all components must have been created by the photographer.
NOTE: Open to Student, Amateur and Professional Photographers
Commercial Use Description Up to 25 words (Optional)
Description of the commercial use of the image
This category accepts both family photographs and individual maternity or newborn photographs.
Family Photographs: Must include two or more people sharing a close emotional bond. These images should capture moments of connection, love, and intimacy between family members, which can include parents, children, grandparents, or even friends.
Maternity Photographs: Can feature a single person and focus on the mother’s emotions or bond with her unborn child.
Newborn Photographs: Can also feature a single person. These images can be posed, lifestyle, creative, or documentary in style.
Original concepts and unique styles are encouraged. However, purchased digital backgrounds are not allowed.
Composite images are permitted, provided that digital post-production enhances rather than fundamentally alters the visual message.
NOTE: This category is open to student, amateur, and professional photographers.
For this competition, a landscape is a photograph of natural scenery but may include people, or manmade elements, provided none of these additional elements dominates the photograph.
Composite images, including stitched panoramas, are allowed as long as digital post-production is not a significant part of conveying the visual message.
NOTE: Open to Student, Amateur and Professional Photographers
Weddings, parties, births, funerals, significant life events, as well as sport, daily life, a newsworthy incident. (NOTE: Also including street photography). Photographs should have an impact or provoke a lasting emotional response. Staged, contrived, or manipulated situations that alter the truth are unacceptable. Basic post-production techniques, such as colour and brightness adjustments, cropping, dodging and burning, are allowed.
Only single-capture images (including images captured using HDR, focus stacking, long exposures and stitched images) are permitted. Post-production techniques may only be used to enhance an image without altering the authenticity of the scene or subject matter of the original capture. Techniques that remove in-camera elements, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. Except for cropping, the addition, removal, relocation, or replacement of pictorial elements is prohibited, except for safety restraint devices such as dog leads. Composite images are not permitted.
Context Statement Up to 25 words (Optional)
Statement to provide context, who, what, when, etc.
Images should show the beauty of nature. Images must not contain human or manmade elements. Basic post-production techniques, such as colour and brightness adjustments, cropping, dodging and burning are allowed, however, colour images must appear natural.
Only single-capture images (including images captured using HDR, focus stacking, long exposures and stitched images) are permitted. Post-production techniques may only be used to enhance an image without altering the authenticity of the scene or subject matter of the original capture. Techniques that remove in-camera elements, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. Except for cropping, the addition, removal, relocation, or replacement of pictorial elements is prohibited, except for safety restraint devices such as dog leads. Composite images are not permitted.
Context Statement Up to 25 words (Optional)
Statement to provide context, who, what, when, etc.
Images should show the beauty of wildlife captured in their natural habitat. Images must not contain human or manmade elements. Entries must not portray any form of organised or intentional cruelty.
Only single-capture images (including images captured using HDR, focus stacking, long exposures and stitched images) are permitted.
Basic post-production techniques, such as colour and brightness adjustments, cropping, dodging and burning are allowed, however, colour images must appear natural.
Post-production techniques may only be used to enhance an image without altering the authenticity of the scene or subject matter of the original capture. Techniques that remove in-camera elements, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. Except for cropping, the addition, removal, relocation, or replacement of pictorial elements is prohibited, except for safety restraint devices such as dog leads. Composite images are not permitted.
Context Statement Up to 25 words (Optional)
Statement to provide context, who, what, when, etc.
The Steve Scalone Urban Architecture Award celebrates the legacy of Steve Scalone, a beloved figure in the photography community.
Steve’s work exemplified a minimalist and geometrically smart approach to urban landscapes with a focus on clean lines, striking geometric shapes, and a minimalist aesthetic.
This award seeks to honour Steve's memory by showcasing architectural images that reflect his style.
Steve was a proud Ilford Ambassador, and as such, Ilford is proud to sponsor his category prize. Entry profits for this category will be donated to the Cancer Council.