Updated 08 September 2022.
A downloadable version of this page can be found here.
This page is a work in progress. The competition dates are the skeleton of the syllabus , on which the body will hang... The dates are shown below. The categories are explained below the table. For more detail on competition rules, categories, etc, go here.
| Competition | Deadline | Competition Date | Categories |
| Season starter | 4th October | 18th October | Group 2, 3, 5, 6 |
| Theme | 1st November | 15th November | "Story Telling" |
| Audiovisual | 22nd November | 6th December | |
| Jubilee | 29th November | 13th December | Old age, 70, celebrations |
| Nature | 4th January | 18th January | |
| Match an Image (N.Berwick) | 17th January | 2nd February | |
| Monochrome | 24th January | 7th February | Group 3, 4, 6, 7 |
| Annual | 26th February | 14th March | Group 1, 3, 5, 6 |
The category groups are , briefly, as follows.
- Composite / conceptual / abstract /artistic / texture / still life.
- Close up / macro.
- Seascape / landscape.
- Human portrait / animal portrait / people.
- Events / Sports / Street / Wildlife Behaviour.
- Flora and fauna. (Includes fungi, bacteria, archaea, viruses, slime moulds and cats if you really must).
- Architecture / Industrial / Structure.
The detailed version of the definitions of every category is :-
Category Groupings & Definitions:
Group 1: Composite/Conceptual/Abstract/Artistic/Texture/Still Life.
Composite: The use or combination of two or more different images to create a new one.
Conceptual: Aims to express ideas and concepts through photography.
Artistic/Abstract: Any artistic or abstract genre, including surrealism, photo-collage etc. The image can be achieved by digital manipulation.
Textures: An image in which the primary interest is on the texture(s) of an object, structure, person, animal, flora or landscape.
Still Life: This is a genre of photography used for the depiction of inanimate subject matter, typically a small group of objects. Similar to still life painting, it is the application of photography to the still life artistic style.
Group 2: Close Up/Macro.
Usually referred to as macro photography, but in this case not necessarily using a macro lens or 1:1 image size. Typically includes close up detail of the whole, or part of an object or creature or fills the frame with a small object or creature.
Group 3: Seascape/Landscape.
Land, sea or sky which can be comprehended in a single view. A pictorial representation of the actual scene. It includes seascapes.
Group 4: Portrait/People/Animal Portrait.
Portraiture : An image of a person, or part of a person or an animal, especially the face. A portrait normally attempts to show something of the character and/or mood of the subject.
People: An image which depicts a person or people interacting with their environment.
Group 5: Events/Sports/Street/Wildlife Behaviour.
Events: This would include people at an event ie weddings, gala, street party and can be either indoors or out but not a staged photograph.
Sports: People or animals participating in a sport.
Street Scene: A candid image providing an explanation of something happening or people engaged in an activity in an urban area.
Wildlife Behaviour: Animals interacting with their natural environment. This does not include pets, domestic livestock or animals in captivity.
Group 6: Flora & Fauna.
Birds, animals, fish, insects, plants, fungi, flowers as the primary focus of the image; man made objects should not normally be present
Group 7: Architecture/Industrial/Structure.
Architecture: An image which primarily consists of a building(s) or part thereof.
Structure: An image which primarily consists of a building, structure, or object
Industrial: Showing equipment, products, machinery, processes and can include people and buildings.
There should be plenty of room in these category groups for anyone to find a good fit . The definitions are deliberately loose. Some judges will be stricter than others about whether an image fits the category, so try to avoid forcing images to fit.