Subject Definitions
 
PHOTO JOURNALISM: 
(PJ), is about capturing story telling images as they happen.
A PJ image should have informative content, tell a story and have emotional impact, such as seen in news media and periodicals. This may include documentary, contemporary life, illustrative and spot news and human interest. It does not necessarily require a person in the photograph.
In the interests of credibility, contrived situations or photographic manipulations which misrepresent the truth of the situation are not acceptable.
An image should be able to stand alone and tell its story but, if carefully chosen, a title can often add to its impact.
 
LANDSCAPE: 
A landscape is a photograph of a section or portion of scenery as seen from a single viewpoint, where The Land is dominant. Scenery is the subject of a landscape image. ‘The Land’ includes lakes, waterways, trees etc. An image with a dominance of sky or cloud is acceptable provided the image also contains significant features of a natural landscape. Evidence of people, animals, buildings and structures should be avoided or minimal in the composition if used to provide scale and perspective.
NOTE: ‘Urban landscapes’ are generally not included in the Landscape competition unless specifically stated in the programme.
 
SEASCAPE:
A seascape is a photograph of natural coastal scenery in which the sea or seashore is the dominant feature. People, boats and man-made structures may be present but not dominant in the photograph. Coastal saltwater inlets are eligible but inland freshwater environments are excluded.
 
NATURE:
Nature depicts living, untamed animals and uncultivated plants in a natural habitat; geology and a wide diversity of natural phenomena. Photographs of animals that are domesticated, caged or under any form of restraint, as well as photographs of garden plants are ineligible.
Minimal evidence of human activity is acceptable for Nature subjects: e.g. banding on penguins, seals, introduced birds; wild briar, lupins etc; or natural forces reclaiming modified environment.
Any manipulation or modification to the original image is limited to basic adjustments and must NOT alter the content of the original scene.
An entry may be up to four photographs in a series (on one mount) showing the development, or behaviour of a subject. This entry will count as one picture and be judged as a set.
Correct identification of the subject is strongly recommended. The use of scientific, common, native or Maori names should be used wherever possible. Cute, humorous or other such titles are not appropriate for Nature competitions.
 
OPEN: 
There is NO restriction to choice of subject or treatment. The emphasis is on interest, visual impact, composition, and technical excellence. Images are not confined to any particular subject, type, or style of photography. These may include scenery, close-ups, buildings, animals, portraits, abstract, creative, and still-life. Special techniques are also allowed and include unlimited digital and darkroom manipulation. Images generated by purely electronic means (i.e. Fractals) will not be accepted. 
 
PORTRAIT:
A photograph of a person or people, animals. Should be character studies, not actions shots, and may range from a head study to full body length; formal or candid. May also be environmental portraiture where inclusion of the surroundings may tell more about the subject. ​

WILDLIFE: 
Images entered in Wildlife section meeting the Nature Photography Definition above are further defined as one or more extant zoological or botanical organism free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat. Landscapes, geologic formations, photographs of zoo or game farm animals or of any extant zoological or botanical species taken under controlled conditions are not eligible in Wildlife sections. Wildlife is not limited to animals, birds and insects. Marine subjects and botanical subjects (including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable wildlife subjects, as are carcasses of extant species. No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted. Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the nature story or the pictorial content, or without altering the content of the original scene, are permitted including HDR, focus stacking and dodging/burning. Techniques that remove elements added by the camera, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. Stitched images are not permitted. All allowed adjustments must appear natural. Colour images can be converted to grey-scale monochrome. Infrared images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed.