The judges are looking for the ability to capture the design and functionality of built structures. Subject matter can be wide-ranging, from building exteriors and interiors to urban and rural landscapes shaped by architecture. Key to the project are elements such as light, scale, angles, lines and design features.

Judges are looking to reward originality, experimentation and imagination. This category actively encourages the creative use of the medium of photography in all its forms, from photograms to cutting-edge photographic techniques. Subject matter can be varied and may include abstract and conceptual ideas, but a creative concept and thematic link between the images is key.

The judges are looking for bodies of work that offer deeper insight and exploration into a chosen subject. Projects should weave a visual narrative that is informative and original, and reflects the realities of the topic.

Judges are seeking bodies of work that tell the stories of our planet, and the people, animals and plants that inhabit it. Projects in this category should address the challenges facing our planet today, as well as the efforts taken to protect and conserve it.

This category invites photographers to explore how histories - personal, cultural, and collective - shape our world today, from traditions and everyday rituals to the events and forces that have left their mark on nations and peoples. This category is for projects that engage, explore, or re-examine the past, as well as work that looks at the contemporary through a historical lens. We welcome archival and found image interventions that revisit, re-contextualise, or breathe new life into the past.

This category welcomes series that showcase spaces and terrains across the world in all their variety, from large-scale aerials to intimate views. Judges will focus on the project’s ability to tell a timely and compelling story through this classic genre. Creative approaches to landscape photography are welcome in this category.

This category encourages series that tell a story through a variety of formats and genres - from using a documentary or creative approach to mixing portraiture, landscapes and still life - brought together in an intentional manner and in a cohesive edit with a clear sense of narrative. The judges are looking for bodies of work ranging from well-known stories or everyday moments captured in new angles, to depicting lesser-known subcultures or reimagining local tales, the series should demonstrate a distinct voice and a fascination with the subject.

Judges are looking for interesting, original, strong and evocative photographs, and the category should be interpreted in its widest sense. The resulting images should demonstrate a likeness to the subject and may convey expression, emotion and / or personality.

Judges are looking for images that capture the intensity, emotions and action of the chosen sport subject. It could be professional or amateur, the focus could be on the sportsperson, the sport environment, the effort expended, the struggle or conflict or the rewards, but a strong narrative must be present.

Judges are looking for artistic images of the natural world. The category should be understood in its widest sense, celebrating the diversity of life on our planet, from plants and animals, to the fungi and microorganisms that live in our ecosystems.

This category celebrates the beauty, personality, and spirit of animals through portraiture. Judges are looking for images that capture the subject’s expression and character, from beloved pets to majestic wildlife and marine life, to reptiles and insects. Show us portraits that honour and showcase the remarkable diversity of the animal kingdom.

The photographing of buildings or structures, this can be real or an interpretation of a building but the work must have an intended aesthetic.

This category is for images which use the medium of photography creatively. Alternative and experimental processes - such as abstract, panoramic, stitched and composite, amongst others - are welcomed, as well as fresh perspectives on traditional photographic genres from portraiture, to landscape, and still life.

Your view of the physical world. Open wide to interpretation, this category covers landscapes, mountains, glaciers, plants and more.

Photographs of people in situations or events. The image should tell the story of the person while documenting the scene in an artistic manner. Images are meant to appear natural but can be directed or shot candidly. Editorial, fashion, family and event photography can all overlap with lifestyle.

Capturing movement within a single, still image.

From fleeting encounters to intimate glimpses of daily life, this category invites photographers to document the natural environment and the plants, animals and marine life that inhabit it. We're looking for images that go beyond the portrait to capture behaviour, movement, and interaction, revealing the extraordinary moments that unfold when nature is left to its own devices.

The photographer should clearly show the expression and emotion of the person / group of people being photographed. Normally the subject is aware that the photograph is being taken and there is a relationship between the sitter and the portrait.

An image that records everyday life in a public space.

Inspiring images from your travels; the journeys may be close to home or further afield.

Journeys are a universal theme across cultures and languages, and can take many shapes. They have been explored in countless works of art, fiction and non-fiction, and in photography. For this year’s brief, we invite students to explore the theme of Journeys from their own perspective. Considering the idea of Journeys in its broadest sense, we encourage you to interpret this theme in a way that feels meaningful to you. From the rites of passage that shape a child’s coming of age, to the transformations that shape our cities, to the small, day-to-day changes within a particular community, to migrations of animals across continents, life across the globe is marked by movement and change. We invite you to depict a journey of your choice, through a photographic series of five to 10 images. Your images can be taken on any device, shot in any style, and approached from any angle you feel is best. While creative responses are encouraged, photographers must stick to the brief.

Enter your favourite photographs taken in 2026. Submit up to three of your striking single images from the past year and share them with the judges. All photographic styles, genres and approaches are welcome – enter your top standout images you think will catch the judge’s eye and imagination.