ANIMAL Portraits of domesticated animals, as well as domesticated livestock showing personality or connection in a posed or environmental setting. Animal is for images of pets and domesticated animals in either studio or natural environments. Painted, composite, and illustrated images are allowed. Wildlife or zoo animals are not included in this category.
ARTIST Images that rely heavily on creative editing, digital painting, or restoration to transform the original capture. This category is judged on the artistry of the editing. Artist images may involve extensive editing, digital painting, restoration work and composites. This category is for transformed or reimagined images where the editing process is essential to the final result. Hand-rendered elements, painted textures, and/or restorations belong here. Guide images are required for all elements used in the image to showcase technique and/or transformation. The use of stock images and AI elements are allowed.
COMMERCIAL Images created for commercial, promotional, or editorial use showcasing products, people, or spaces. This category includes photography created for use in marketing, advertising, product promotion, or editorial publication from hired or personal assignments. The focus is often on clarity, visual impact, and storytelling related to the brand or product. All styles and editing levels are accepted, including composite and digitally enhanced imagery.
CREATIVE Conceptual or imaginative works that use stylization, image manipulation, and compositing to create a visual narrative. Creative images often include compositions, retouching, conceptual portraits, and digital paintings. Storytelling and visual design are key. This category allows for full artistic freedom but all elements must be created by the maker.
EVENT/WEDDING Images that capture meaningful moments from the ‘day of’ weddings or events, whether posed or candid. Event/Wedding includes both posed and candid images that document key moments from weddings or social events. This can include portraits of couples, group photos, ceremony details, or emotionally charged candids. The emphasis is on capturing the story and relationships from the day of the event.
FINE ART/STILL LIFE Carefully composed and styled imagery that emphasizes design, symbolism, or fine art expression. Fine Art/Still Life includes intentionally arranged scenes, items and objects. Emphasis is on lighting, form, and symbolism. Common subjects include food, florals, and objects arranged to convey mood, theme, or design. It may include people, composites and highly manipulated images. This does not include products photographed for commercial purposes.
LANDSCAPE Images that capture the beauty and mood of natural or urban environments. Landscape includes images that highlight the natural world or urban scenes. Subjects may include mountains, cityscapes, beaches, gardens, or natural textures. Post-processing is allowed as long as the final image remains a true representation of the actual scene captured.
PHOTOJOURNALISM Candid images documenting real people, places, or moments, without posing or digital manipulation. This category is dedicated to documentary-style images that capture real-life moments with emotional or social relevance. Street photography, candid portraits, sports, and environmental scenes are common. Images must be unposed, single-capture, and without manipulation beyond basic exposure, color corrections and dust removal.
PORTRAIT (Natural) Images where the primary subject is a person or people. They should highlight the natural personality of the subject with minimal stylization. This category features portraits of people that showcase their natural appearance, personality, and emotion. Lighting, posing, and setting should enhance the human subject without dramatic styling, costumes, or compositing. Retouching is allowed to maintain a natural look.
PORTRAIT (Illustrative) Stylized portraits where the primary subject is a person or people. The image uses creative lighting, posing, props, or post-processing to tell a visual story. This category is for portraits that use creative direction, props, styling, or post-processing to enhance mood, tell a story, or transform the subject. Heavy editing, surreal concepts, or highly manipulated portraiture belong here. Composites are welcome as long as you’ve photographed all the elements. These are images that push the boundaries of traditional portraiture.
WILDLIFE Images where the primary subject is an undomesticated animal, including zoo animals. Wildlife and zoo animals photographed in their habitats. Usually photographed without controlled lighting. Zoo animals qualify for this category. May include painting, compositing, and creative retouching as long as the maker photographed all elements of the image.
WILDCARD - YELLOW A special yearly theme for the 2026 competition. The color yellow must be a primary design element in the image. This category is open to unique interpretations. Entries should clearly represent or interpret the theme through use of subject matter, composition, color, or storytelling. All photographic styles and editing techniques are welcome, as long as the theme yellow is prominently featured in the final image. All elements must be photographed by the maker.
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The Professional Photographers of Washington 27088 Ohio Ave NE (360) 818-4348 |
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