PHOTOGRAPHY

Your digital photograph should:

• Convey a message, narrative, emotion, or connection.

• Have good composition.

• Demonstrate awareness of angles and reasons for this.

• Be a large size (e.g. at least 1 MB), as images will be viewed on a screen for judging.

• Be saved in .jpg or .png file format.

• Photos should have been taken in 2026.

• No writing to feature on the photograph (if a photo has writing, it should be entered in the ‘Graphic Design’ category).

• Image Editing: Images may only be cropped, converted to black and white, adjusted by lightening and darkening the tones and/or the colour saturation. No other image editing is permitted.

• Be named using the title of the photo, eg: Shining Stars. Please do not include the name of the child or school (this information will go on your school collation sheet).

• If a photo is taken outside of school, parents must sign a letter to approve the photo was the student’s own work. 

Please note: Up to ten quality entries for each year group level will be accepted from each school. Please only submit work that is of high quality; ten entries are a guideline, not a target.

Considerations (encompassing elements for any award-winning image)

1. Creativity/Innovation/Originality

• Is the image unique? Has this been seen before?

• Does it offer a new perspective or idea?

• Does it break away from common trends?

2. Story Telling/Narrative/Emotion/Connection

• Does the image tell a story or evoke emotions?

• Can people connect in some way with the subject or message you’re trying to portray?

• Does it make people feel something?

3. Craft - composition, use of colour palette, technical camera skills, and care.

• Is the composition well-balanced and deliberate?

• Are colours used effectively to enhance the mood or feeling?

• Is the technical execution of the image strong? (in focus, good exposure, etc)