After tallying the voting results, the Board has selected the following themes for our quarterly and annual contests in 2026. I have tried to come up with a definition for each theme, but these definitions may change before a contest begins. You will always find the latest definitions in the newsletter.
First Quarter: Cityscapes/Architecture
Cityscape photography captures urban environments, focusing on skylines, architecture, and street life, utilizing unique light (like blue hour), vantage points, and composition (leading lines, framing) to create compelling images. Key aspects involve planning for sunrise/sunset/blue hour, using foreground elements for depth, and balancing city lights with ambient sky for dimension.
Architecture photography, on the other hand, captures single or small groups of buildings and structures, both inside and out, focusing on design, form, and how light interacts with them. Key aspects involve perspective (avoiding distortion), composition (showing scale), and capturing the interplay of light and shadow to reveal texture and mood.
For more information see
https://jamesmaherphotography.com/cityscape-photography/
https://photographylife.com/how-to-photograph-cityscapes
https://www.theschoolofphotography.com/tutorials/architectural-photography
Second Quarter: Farms/Gardens
Farm photography (or agricultural photography) captures the essence of rural life, focusing on people, animals, landscapes, and the processes of growing food and raising livestock, telling stories about food origins, hard work, and nature's cycles using techniques like leading lines and golden hour light to create art, marketing, or documentary images. It's a versatile genre used for everything from family portraits on farms to commercial work for food brands and equipment companies.
Garden photography is the art of capturing the beauty, mood, and details of cultivated green spaces, focusing on plants, textures, light, and the overall design. It can range from wide landscape views showing the garden's feel to intimate close-ups of dew drops or flower patterns. It is on a much smaller scale than farm photography. It's a way to document growth, showcase design, and appreciate nature's artistry in backyard or public spaces.
For more information see
https://www.lancasterfarming.com/country-life/family/how-to-use-photography-to-tell-your-farms-story/article_0ee652fa-690d-5739-bb41-74b3741757a7.html
https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/how-to-be-an-agricultural-photographer
Third Quarter: Reflections
Reflection photography is a genre that uses reflective surfaces—like water, mirrors, glass, or even shiny metal—to duplicate, distort, or frame subjects, adding depth, symmetry, and surreal, artistic elements to photos, turning everyday scenes into unique visuals. It's about seeing the world differently by capturing the image within another image, whether it's a cityscape in a puddle or a portrait in a window.
For more information see
https://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/photography/type/reflection-photography.html
https://fstoppers.com/education/use-reflections-your-photography-569506
Annual: Wildlife
Wildlife photography is a genre focused on capturing animals (mammals, birds, insects, reptiles) and other organisms in their natural habitats, documenting their behaviors, characteristics, and interactions. It goes beyond just "cute" photos to tell stories about nature, conservation, and the environment, requiring patience, observation, and knowledge of animal behavior.
For this contest, photographs of domestic animals (cats, dogs, home aquariums, etc.) are NOT permitted. However, photos taken at zoos or wild animal parks are acceptable.
For more information see
https://www.kevinpepperphotography.com/blog/beginners-guide-to-wildlife-photography
https://zenfolio.com/wildlife-photography/guide/
https://aaftonline.com/blog/what-is-wildlife-photography/