Close Up 

Judge - Gary Tarbert 

 An image taken close-up of a subject consisting mainly of water, another liquid or a mixture.

Nature

Judge - Nick Melidonis

Images can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on humans. 

The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality. Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible. 

Please check 'subject definitions' for the full definition.

 Peter Olsen Trophy awarded to best subject image

Black and White - Abstract

Judge - Richard Goodwin

An abstract image derived from an industrial/architectural/machine source.

Most commonly, abstraction takes place when the photographer focuses in on a fragment of a natural scene, isolating it from its context. By zeroing in on the colour, texture, line, shape, geometry, symmetry, or reflection of a scene, the photographer warps our perception of the real world and familiar objects.

Subject categories: taken within the last 24 months,

 Open categories: no date limit