Entry info
About Photographer of the Year
Now in its seventh year, Photographer of the Year is the largest competition for amateur photographers in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2019, entrants will compete for a prize pool valued at more than $25,000.
Hosted by Australian Photography and presented by Panasonic Australia, winners and runners up are published each year in the special February edition of Australian Photography magazine.
Who can enter?
Photographer of the Year is open to Australian and New Zealand amateur photographers. Check the terms and conditions for more information.
The categories
Photographer of the Year has seven portfolio categories and one single-image category. The portfolio categories – Landscape, Wildlife and Animal, People and Portrait, Travel, Black and White, Junior and Action – require you to submit a series of four images. Photo of the Year is an open, single-image category.
Portfolio entries
For the portfolio categories, the judges are looking for four images that work together cohesively as a series. You can read more about what makes for a successful portfolio here.
Helen Whittle's winning portfolio in Photographer of the Year 2016 comprised four black and white images of her daughter Minnie. The series won the Overall and Portrait categories.
Pricing and deadlines
Photographer of the Year is open until 7 November 2019. Entry prices are in australian dollars.
All categories except Junior
Pre-early bird: $20 (5 June to 21 June 2019)
Early bird: $25 (22 June to 18 August 2019)
Standard: $30 (19 August to 21 October 2019)
Late: $39 (22 October to 7 November 2019)
Price is per portfolio (except in the Photo of the Year category where price is per image).
Junior Category (under 18 only)
Pre-early bird: $10 (5 June to 21 June 2019)
Early bird: $12 (22 June to 18 August 2019)
Standard: $15 (19 August to 21 October 2019)
Late: $20 (22 October to 7 November 2019)
Image preparation
• Images must have been captured after 1 June 2018.
• Images should be in JPEG format and be at least 2500 pixels on the longest edge.
• Individual images must be no larger than 5MB.
• Please do not include watermarks or other branding on your images.
• Image file names should not include unusual characters, eg ©, @, #, $, &, *, etc. These characters have caused problems with images uploading to the website in the past. If you find that one or more of youre images has not uploaded correctly, please email us at contact@australianphotography.com.
Image manipulation
Images may be processed in post-production to adjust photographic variables such as cropping, noise, sharpness, colour, tone and contrast, including dodging and burning and black-and-white conversions. Stitched panoramas, focus stacks and HDR images, where two or more exposures are captured at the same location and merged to form a single image, are also allowed. With the exception of HDR images, panoramas, and focus stacked images, new elements may not be added to an image in post production.
Judging
Photographer of the Year will be judged by a panel of some of Australia's best photographers. You can meet the first of our judging panel here.
Recognition
Winners, runners-up, and top-ranked (Top 10, Top 15 or Top 20) portfolios will be recognised in the February 2020 issue of Australian Photography magazine. A parallel announcement will be made at www.australianphotography.com at the end of January 2020.
By 20 February 2020 (or earlier), winners, runners-up, Top 10, Top 20, Highly Commended, and Commended photographers will receive a pdf award (right) via e-mail confirming their placing in the competition.
Contact us
Email us at contact@australianphotography.com