SET SUBJECTS 2024
• Image submission day is always the Monday before the 3rd Wednesday of the month in question. i.e. the Monday before Judging night.
• Image dimensions are 1920 x 1080 pixels (the width must be either 1920 pixels or the height must be 1080 pixels or both), sRGB colour-space and less than 2mb in file size.
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JANUARY 2025 – NURSERY RHYME COMPOSITE
Nursery rhymes are short rhyming songs or poems that conveys a lesson or tells an amusing story that’s aimed at children. Although these rhymes can have different styles, tones, subjects and themes, there are consistent features such as imagery, that can be found in most nursery rhymes. It is this imagery that you need to interpret using models, lighting, props and/or composites if necessary. The rhyme name should be in the image title, although the image should not be cryptic, but rather clear which rhyme is being referenced.
RULES: Colour only. All elements of composite to be authors own.
Submission Deadline: 17 January 2025
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FEBRUARY 2025 – ARCHITECTURE, CHURCHES OR TEMPLES
Shoot in a variety of weather conditions and times of day. Prioritize good lighting. Look for a unique angle and don’t be afraid to include people (architecture doesn’t exist without them). Explore details as much as the whole and try not to objectify the building, (objectifying a building to the point where one only visualizes it from one point of view), it is one of the greatest disservices of architectural photography. Please feel free to use post-processing tools. Lastly, reading up on the history and context of an architectural site before visiting is an indispensable resource that will, without a doubt, help you to focus your photography on a relevant story or idea that captures the essence of the building.
RULES: Colour or Monochrome. Digital Manipulations is allowed
Submission Deadline: 17 February 2025
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MARCH 2025 – SHAPES & TEXTURES (MARVILLE Challenge)
Find shapes and textures in manmade objects or in nature. Look for intricate or intimate macro subjects or go the opposite way and look for bigger objects or landscapes that suit the subject. Images can feature either shapes or textures or a combination of the two. Try and tell a little story with your subject, but it is not essential in the image. Use light and shadows to accentuate and define the textures and shapes of your subject.
RULES: Images can be in colour or monochrome but must be captured in camera and not created in Photoshop. Standard (LIMITED) editing is allowed, but no manipulation or composites. AI images are also not allowed.
Images must be taken between 01 November 2024 and 30 September 2025.
Submission Deadline: 17 March 2025
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APRIL 2025 – SOMETHING OLD
There is something fascinating to us about how things age, how they gradually absorb the bumps and knocks of daily use, becoming ultimately transformed into our most cherished possessions.
Capture the essence of the passage of time by photographing an object that reflects age, history, or nostalgia. Seek subjects that carry emotional weight, such as a worn family heirloom, an old item of clothing or a well-loved childhood toy. Use lighting, angles, and composition to highlight the texture, wear, and unique details that tell the story of time gone by. Think about how your photo can transport viewers to a different era, stirring feelings of longing, warmth, or curiosity about the lives and moments tied to the subject.
RULES: Colour or Monochrome. Manipulation is NOT allowed.
Submission Deadline: 14 April 2025
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MAY 2025 – OUR OCEAN
Be it a landscape of crashing waves on a beach littered with surfers, a blurry shoreline that captures the motion of an incoming tide, or a glimpse of corals and fish below the waterline, if it involves the sea, then it counts as ocean photography. You may prefer to show the impact humans and industry have on our ocean, or how we rely so much on it for our own survival. Capture and interpret as you wish, but the overriding story must be our ocean.
RULES: Colour or Monochrome. Manipulation allowed.
Submission Deadline: 19 May 2025
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JUNE 2025 – SMOKE & MIRRORS
Explore the art of illusion by capturing images that play with perception and reality. Use a combination of reflective surfaces, shadows, smoke and creative compositions to craft scenes that intrigue, mislead, or challenge the viewer’s understanding.
Focus on the literal and symbolic interplay of smoke and mirrors to create a captivating visual narrative. Use smoke to add drama, movement, or mystery, letting its wisps soften edges or obscure details. Pair this with mirrors to reflect, distort, or fragment the scene, creating layers of intrigue and illusion. The combination should evoke a sense of magic, deception, or hidden truths, challenging the viewer to discern what is real and what is an artful trick of light and reflection.
RULES: Colour only. Manipulation is allowed including composites.
Submission Deadline: 16 June 2025
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JULY 2025 – LIGHT PAINTING
Light painting photography is a technique that uses a moving light source to create dynamic images by capturing light with a long exposure time. The photographer acts as an artist, painting with light to create an image rather than just capturing what’s already there. By using torches you can create a sense of movement in still photos and add depth and focus the viewer’s eye. Moving light sources can create unique patterns, textures, and more that showcase your artistic vision. Use coloured gels for vibrant effects or natural elements like fire for organic results. You are not bound to one form of photography here, you can go abstract, create dynamic portraits or landscapes, or have fun with still lifes. Let your creativity shine as you paint with light!
RULES: Colour only. Digital Manipulation is allowed including composites.
Submission Deadline: 14 July 2025
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AUGUST 2025 – SUNRISE & SUNSET
By observing the world at sunrise or sunset, you will often be rewarded with a dynamic display of spectacular colours, painting the skies and land in various hues. The moment just before the sun rises or sets, when the sky is at its best, is very fleeting, therefore, it is important that you have your gear ready, and your camera settings correct. Think about where you would like the viewers’ eyes to be drawn to, for example, items of interest in the foreground, leading lines, etc. Try to visualize the final result that you would like to achieve. Experiment and move around, if necessary, for a variety of shots.
RULES: Colour only. Basic editing allowed, NO Manipulation.
Submission Deadline: 18 August 2025
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SEPTEMBER 2025 – WINGS
Wings represent the marvel of flight, whether in nature, or man-made creations. They are
symbols of freedom, grace, and innovation. Think of the shimmering wings of the dragonfly, the colourful, feathered wings of the bird, or the sleek steel wings of an aircraft; all empowering their owners with the wonderful power of flight. Your image should embody some of the beauty, efficiency, the curves, and textures of wings.
RULES: Colour or Monochrome. Manipulation allowed.
Submission Deadline: 15 September 2025
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OCTOBER 2025 – THE COLOUR ORANGE
Explore and document the colour orange creatively, highlighting its significance in composition, storytelling, and mood. The colour orange has symbolism in many areas and cultures, showing energy, warmth, caution, joy and even transformation. It evokes feeling and affects one’s mood. You will find orange in nature, bathing a landscape in autumn hues, or a burst of spring marigolds, or a fiery sunrise/sunset. But again, orange can be found on the streets, in objects where you could create an orange themed table top scene, or highlight a product whose main colour is orange. Remember, Orange needs to stand out, or be the overriding story you portray
RULES: Colour only. Manipulation NOT allowed.
Submission Deadline: 13 October 2025
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NOVEMBER 2025 – TABLE TOP
Tabletop photography is a type of still life photography that involves placing objects on a table and capturing them from different angles. It is great for product photography, as well as creating dioramas, or even when you are stuck indoors on a rainy day! Common subjects for tabletop photography include jewellery, decor, clothes, food and more.
Lighting can be on your patio, by a window, flashes or desk lamps. YOU control the lighting. You are only limited by your imagination and the size of your table!
RULES: Colour or Monochrome. Manipulation allowed, but no composites.
Submission Deadline: 17 November 2025
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JANUARY 2026 – TELL A STORY IN A SINGLE PHOTOGRAPH
The adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” is undeniable. Photography and imagery can bring stories to life and build powerful connections, convey emotion, mood, and messages—even evoke understanding that words cannot. This can be done with a still life arrangement of objects, or just a single object placed strategically to tell a story. Out on the streets, everyone has a story, but the skill comes in capturing that story in one, single image. It could be an expression on a child’s face, or the tear of an old man standing in a cemetery. There are stories to be told everywhere!
RULES: Colour or Mono. Manipulation is allowed, but all elements to be authors own. Composites allowed.
Submission Deadline: 19 January 2026
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February 2026 – CHOCOLATE
This subject is captivating, full-colour photographs showcasing chocolate in all its delicious forms. Your image should highlight the rich, glossy textures of melted chocolate cascading over desserts or the intricate details of artisan chocolate bars with swirls of marble or delicate embellishments, and close-ups of truffles dusted with cocoa powder. Manipulation, such as dramatic contrasts or colour enhancement will accentuate the chocolate’s allure, making it appear even more decadent and irresistible. The composition could include chocolate dripping from spoons, broken pieces revealing their glossy interiors, or creative pairings with fruits, nuts, or coffee. Have fun!
RULES: Colour only. Digital Manipulations is allowed
Submission Deadline: 16 February 2026
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