8 Competition Categories

NOTE: All photos must be taken on or after April 1, 2023.

NEW FOR THIS YEAR: Submit up to 2 photos per category.

It should be obvious by looking at the photo what category it is in.

1. Abstract Expressionism

Abstract expressionism is a style of photography that does not merely capture a scene but rather utilizes techniques often seen in paintings, such as composition, emotions, subtraction, balance, subtlety, zoom, blur, texture, and of course, lighting to create a non-representational photographic image expressing ideas and emotions. Typically, these images may be created with in-camera techniques (such as Intentional Camera Movement [ICM] and multiple exposures), as well as using post-processing techniques.

2. Complementary Colors

Colors are important in photography. They evoke and convey the feelings of both the artist and the observers. Pure complementary colors are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. They add depth to a scene because the warm color appears to come forward while the cooler color appears to recede. Any color with two adjacent colors on each side of its complement (referred to as being "split complementary") can have the same effect (for example, green with red-orange and red-violet). We’re not picky as long as the color combinations add “pop!"

3. Curves

Curves are all around us. Nature dislikes straight lines but contours, arcs, loops, circles, curlicues, whorls, turns, swirls, and twists can be found everywhere. Your image can be of anything — an animal, building, flower, landscape, person, road, or a river, for example. It doesn’t matter whether it’s natural or man-made; if a curve or curves is a critical element, then it’s fair game!

4. High Key/Low Key

A high key image is one that is almost entirely bright with little or no dark shadows present. The tonal values are mainly in the brightest part of the tonal range (i.e., the right side of the histogram). This usually results from a creative decision made by the photographer to instill a certain mood, often evoking something airy, light and pleasant.

In contrast, low key imagery is typically dark and moody. It is usually underlit and has a strong contrast between the generally dark color of the scene and the few areas of the subject that are lit. It is dramatic and striking. Low key images have tonal values that are mainly dark (on the left side of the histogram).

These images can be in monochrome, black & white, or color.

5. Music

Photography of music can include musical instruments, musical performances, a vocalist at a music venue or concert, music score sheets, a musician with his/her instrument or a composite of several elements that evoke music.

6. Seasons

Photography of seasons is not just about scenic vistas, weather, or nature in general. It can be about interpreting the nuances of the season, and there can be many. Just take the time to look for them. Think about colors, activities, celebrations and events, or even a special day or month during this time of year. What you see and capture through the lens may not be the norm or obvious. It can be your subtle depiction and artistic appreciation that defines this category while not digressing from the subject matter.

7. Street Photography

Street photography is a reflection of everyday life – real, unaltered impressions of public places, places that everybody visits every day, the street where you live, the parking lot of your favorite grocery store, the subway.It’s the hunt for what Henri Cartier-Bresson dubbed“the decisive moment”— a split-second event when, amid the motion and chaos of everyday life, the photographer seizes upon his or her composition. It centers around spontaneous, chance occurrences in public spaces. It’s the documentation of ordinary people and the stories we tell.Street photographers document the truth and capture scenes that others may not notice in their daily grind.

Although street photography has evolved throughout the decades, the basic tenets remain the same.These moments are usually candid, though they don’t necessarily have to be, as the genre continues to expand. While people are a regular fixture in street photography, there’s no rule that says you must have a human presence in every shot. Photographers such as William Eggleston often produce street photography where there are no people in the frame, though their presence is suggested by the subject matter.Images can also focus on traces left by humanity that say something about life.

Motion blur is acceptable but composites are not.

8. Tender Moment(s)

A tender moment can be anything—a touch, a glance, a look, etc.—between people, animals, people and animals, plants, flowers. Basically, anything living can experience a tender moment. It can be staged or happenstance. Interpretation is up to you.