Set Subjects - 2021

Please ensure that you carefully read and understand the definitions. They are the criteria that the judges will use to score your images in the Set Subject competitions.

• February – Abstract: An abstract image is an attempt to express an emotion, sensation or impression and does not attempt an accurate depiction of visual reality.  It may involve the use of colour, light, shadow, texture or shape to achieve this.  An abstract image may isolate a fragment of a natural scene in order to remove its inherent context from the viewer.  It may be purposely staged to create a seemingly unreal appearance from real objects.

• March – Still Life: Still life photography 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. These can also include flowers and food.  Important Please Note Additional Resources for March 'Still life' competition available here:

• April – Black and White: A monochrome grey scale image.  It must not be colour toned.

• May – MACRO: - An image which displays detail not usually observable by the human eye.
  Typical subjects may include small living creatures eg insects, or still life such as fruit or flowers. Other inclusions may be small household objects such as jewellery or close up details of rocks, metals etc.
  Microscopic photography, where subjects cannot be seen with the naked eye, is not permitted. 

• June – Urban Street at Night: A photograph taken out of doors at night featuring one or more  elements of buildings, urban/city environment or people. Photo must be taken with existing illumination, no flash at all permitted.

• July – Leading Lines: Leading lines are lines that appear in a photograph that have been framed and positioned by the photographer to draw the viewer’s eye towards a specific point of interest.
  They may be actual lines leading the viewer’s eye to a specific point or they may be implied in a scene such as fence lines, laneways, roadways, train lines which lead the eye into the photo.

• August – Solitude: Solitude is a state of seclusion or isolation ie lack of contact with people. It can be a scene on its own depicting the feeling of isolation or it may include a person desiring to be on his/her own to think or rest without being disturbed. The image must present an emotional feeling of Solitude.  It must not be confused with Loneliness. Solitude refers to the joy of being alone, Loneliness refers to the pain of being alone.

• September – Abuse of Our Environment: A picture showing abuse by destruction, pollution or improper use of our surroundings.

• October – Long Exposure: Long exposure techniques must be used to capture your image.  For the purposes of this competition, the exposure must be of 10 seconds or longer.