Competition Summary 2025

Wellington Photographic Society Competitions summary

Set out below is a summary of the annual competitions run by the Photographic Society of New Zealand (PSNZ) or its affiliated clubs that members of WPS can enter, either as part of a club entry into an inter-club competition or as individuals.

Competitions – Inter-Club

PSNZ Inter-Club competitions

Held in conjunction with the PSNZ National Exhibition and with the entries displayed at the annual PSNZ National Convention, there are four inter-club competitions open to PSNZ-affiliated clubs.

• Bledisloe Cup (prints) – For a set of four open prints, which must have been exposed in New Zealand.
• Wiltshire Digital Image Cup – For a set of four open digital images.
• George Chance Landscape Print Cup – For a set of four landscape prints.
• Bowron Digital Landscape Trophy – For a set of four landscape digital images.

For 2025, entries open on 20 January and close at 5:00pm on 22 February 2025.

Trenna Packer Salver Nature Photographic Competition

This competition is for sets of six nature digital images, and is run by the Nature Photography Society of New Zealand. The definition of a nature image is as per the PSNZ Rules for Nature. The subject matter is restricted to New Zealand and its offshore islands.

In 2024, entries opened on 1 May and closed on 15 June 2024.

Wellington Inter-Club Print Battle

An annual competition between the photographic clubs in the greater Wellington area that are affiliated to the Photographic Society of New Zealand, usually held towards the end of the year and hosted on rotation by one of the participating clubs.

The competition has ten rounds, each with a different topic. The participating clubs are asked to select one image for each topic from the work of their members to be their entry for that round.

Ahead of the competition, WPS invites members to submit images to be considered for selection for each category.

The date for the 2025 competition is the 11/12^th of October.

PSNZ North Island Regional Interclub Competition for Digitally Projected Images

This competition is held in conjunction with the North Island Regional Convention. It is open to PSNZ-affiliated clubs in the North Island. The competition is for a selection of six digital images. There are no requirements for a set and each image will be classified as open.

The date for the next North Island convention has not yet been announced.

Competitions – Individual

Wellington Photographic Society competitions

WPS runs two annual competitions as well as inviting submissions for selection for our annual exhibition. These are open to members of WPS.

• WPS Projected Image Competition – For open digital images, this competition is typically held in the first half of the year.
• WPS Print Competition – For open prints and, usually, a second section for a set subject, this competition is typically held in the second half of the year.
• WPS Exhibition – Not strictly speaking a competition. Members are invited to submit prints for selection for our exhibition. Timing and submission rules vary from year to year.

Photographic Society of New Zealand salons and competitions

PSNZ runs a number of competitions and salons for its members or for members of affiliated clubs.

• PSNZ Canon Online – This is a digital competition held over six rounds across a calendar year. Points are awarded in each round and, at the end of the year, the photographer who has received the most points over the year wins the overall award. The competition is open to PSNZ members only.
• PSNZ National Exhibition – Held in conjunction with the PSNZ National Convention, this exhibition has four sections: open print, open digital, nature print, nature digital. It is primarily an exhibition and not a competition but there are a number of trophies awarded. The exhibition is open to any person residing in New Zealand and to members of PSNZ residing overseas. For 2025, entries open on 20 January and close at 5:00pm on 22 February 2025.
• PSNZ regional salons – Regional salons are held in conjunction with the regional conventions. There are four sections: open print, open digital, nature print, nature digital. A number of trophies are awarded. The salons are open to PSNZ members residing in the island where the convention is being held, members of PSNZ-affiliated clubs in that island, PSNZ members (or members of PSNZ-affiliated clubs) from other regions who are attending the convention. Date for future regional salons have not yet been announced.
• PSNZ entry for Four Nations International Salon – This is a competition between the four national photographic societies of Australia, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. Each society selects 80 images to represent them. There are four sections: open colour, open monochrome, nature and the topic of “Our country”. PSNZ members are invited to submit images for selection. The dates for the 2025 submissions have yet to be announced.
• PSNZ Honours – PSNZ operates a system for awarding honours distinctions. There are three levels: Licentiate, Associate and Fellow. Extensive guidelines on what is required at each level and how to submit are available on the PSNZ website. Submissions open on 16 January of each year and close at 5:00pm on 28 February.
• Jack Sprosen Memorial Trophy for Audio-Visuals – A competition for digital audio visuals. The competition is open to members of PSNZ or of affiliated clubs. The 2025-2026 competition will be held in mid October or November 2025

PSNZ-affiliated national salons and competitions

There are a number of salons and competitions run by clubs affiliated to PSNZ.

• Whanganui Biennial Salon – A biennial digital salon run by the Whanganui Camera Club. In 2025, there will be three categories: humanity and the natural world, living in a changing world, made in New Zealand. The salon is open to all New Zealand based photographers. For 2025, entries open on 1 April and close on 26 April 2025.
• Dunedin Festival of Photography – A salon hosted by the Dunedin Photographic Society, with print and digital image sections, with entries open during April.
• North Shore Salon – A salon for digital images run by the North Shore Photographic Society with several entry categories. It is open to any photographer nationally or internationally. Entries for 2025’s salon will open on 18 April and close on 15 May 2025.
• Māwhera National Salon of Photography – Hosted by the Greymouth Photography Club. The sections are: open colour, open monochrome, nature, creative, portraits. Photojournalism. Entry is only open to residents of New Zealand and members of PSNZ residing overseas. Entries open on 1 May and close on 31 May 2025.
• Tauranga Audio-Visual Salon – Hosted by the Tauranga Photographic Society, this is a salon for digital audio visuals. It is open to members of the PSNZ, affiliated clubs and members of other photographic organisations around the world. Entries are open during May.
• New Zealand Landscape Salon (formerly the Laurie Thomas Landscape Salon) – A salon for digital images of New Zealand landscapes run by the Christchurch Photographic Society. It is open to all members of the public. In 2024, entries were open during May. Dates for 2025 have not yet been announced.
• National Photojournalism Competition – A competition for digital images hosted by the New Brighton Photographic Club. There are two categories: sport and/or action, and street photography and/or social commentary. It is open to all New Zealand residents, members of PSNZ worldwide, overseas members of PSNZ-affiliated clubs. Entries for 2025 should be open at the end of May.
• National Portrait Salon – Hosted by the Tauranga Photographic Society, it is open to members of PSNZ and affiliated clubs. Entries for 2025’s salon will open on 1 June.
• Creative Focus – A competition for digital images run by the Pukekohe/Franklin Camera Club. There are four subjects: Creative Focus (an open subject) plus three other subjects that are different each year. It is open to any photographer nationally or internationally. Entries are open during mid-year.
• Nelson National Triptych Salon – As the name suggests, a competition for digital triptychs run by the Nelson Camera Club. There is only one entry subject category: Open. The salon is open to all New Zealand photographers. Entries are open during July.