MONOCHROMATIC (November 2026)

Monochrome is defined as the use of a single color in different shades, tints, and tones of that color. As such, a monochromatic themed competition requires all images to be composed of shades, tones, and tints of a single color (or hue).  Key considerations when creating a monochromatic image include:  

• Single Hue Only: The entire photograph must be based on one base color. No other colors can be present in the image.
• Tones and Shades: You utilize the full range of the single color, varying from the brightest highlights to the darkest shadows.
• No Splashes of Color: True monochromatic themes usually penalize or disqualify images containing isolated colors (i.e., a selective color effect where a single red rose is kept in an otherwise B&W photo).
• Focus on Contrast: Without color to separate subjects, you must rely heavily on tonal contrast (the difference between light and dark).
• Emphasize Texture & Form: The lack of color naturally forces the viewer's eye to focus on the lines, patterns, and physical textures within the frame.
• Pay Attention to Lighting: Dramatic lighting (such as side-lighting or silhouettes) is highly effective in monochromatic themes because it dictates the depth and mood of the image.

Additional resources on monochromatic photography can be found through the following links:

https://thephotoargus.com/what-is-monochrome-photography/

WILDLIFE (January 2027)

This theme is restricted to living and untamed wildlife mammals, reptiles, insects, birds and marine subjects. Wildlife subjects for this theme must be living free and cannot be living in traditional zoos, open-range zoos, game farms or other areas where they are under the care of man, restrained and/or confined. For this theme, nature parks are considered natural environments because the animals are not in “controlled conditions.”

Images cannot include people or the “hand-of-man.” Domestic or feral animals and domestic/pet birds are not permitted in this theme. Domestic and feral animals include, but are not limited to, camels, cats, chickens, dogs, donkeys, goats, horses, rabbits, pigs, rock doves, sheep, starlings, and cows.

Specific examples: (1) a hummingbird on a flower is acceptable, while a hummingbird at a feeder is not. (2) a cardinal or blue jay or other wild bird at a feeder in the backyard or Beaver Lake Nature Center is not acceptable, but that same bird in a tree or the woods or elsewhere away from any “hand-of-man” is acceptable.

Additional resources on wildlife photography can be found through the following links:

Click here for examples of Wildlife Photography

https://zenfolio.com/wildlife-photography/guide/

TREES (March 2027)

Images can include solitary trees, specific tree parts, seasonal changes, or local biodiversity to convey the beauty, character, or ecological importance of trees or a larger environmental or artistic story. Consider the following:

• Tree Study: Focuses on one or two trees, or an isolated part of a tree, with an uncluttered or minimal background.
• Trees and Biodiversity: Highlights the ecosystem of a tree, capturing insects, fungi, birds, or other wildlife living in or around the bark and branches.
• Trees and the Environment: Captures the benefits trees provide, such as climate resilience, carbon storage, seasonal shifts, or shelter.
• Trees in a Landscape: Broad-scale landscape shots showing trees interacting with weather, skies, or water (e.g., reflections).
• Urban/Abstract Trees: Focuses on the presence of trees in man-made environments or creative, graphic shots of texture, light, and shadows.

When composing your images consider textures, unique perspectives, and lighting:

Macro and Texture

• Bark and Skin: Extreme close-ups highlighting the rough, colorful, or peeling patterns of tree bark.
• Roots and Foundation: Ground-level shots showing how roots grip rocks, earth, or concrete.
• Leaf Veins and Micro-Details: Abstract macro compositions of a single leaf or bud.

Perspective and Composition

• The Lonely Survivor: A single tree standing isolated in a field, desert, or urban landscape.
• Looking Up (Canopy Crown): Wide-angle shots pointing straight up through interlocking branches toward the sky.
• Mirror Reflections: Trees perfectly mirrored in calm lakes, ponds, or puddles.

Light and Mood

• Light and Shadow: High-contrast play of golden hour or dappled sunlight dancing through leaves.
• Silhouettes: Dark tree shapes dramatic against bright sunrises, sunsets, or foggy backgrounds.
• Black and White Drama: Monochromatic images focusing strictly on form, line, and texture without color.

Additional resources on tree photography can be found through the following links: 

https://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/photocontest/tags/tree/

https://www.treesforachange.com/blogs/news/a-celebration-of-trees-2025-arbor-day-tree-photo-contest?srsltid=AfmBOorYMRNcOZLrAVzhiNycnk6hqIGzxySCGcpvaBcQXHeNdaxS74il

https://www.drlphotography.co.uk/articles-homepage/photography-challenge-trees

https://visualwilderness.com/composition-creativity/5-highly-effective-ideas-for-photographing-trees

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY (May 2027

Street photography captures candid, un-posed moments and scenes found in public places such as streets, parks, markets, transit areas, festivals, and urban environments. The goal is to document the raw, genuine moments of everyday life, human nature, culture, or the atmosphere of a place in an authentic and spontaneous way. People are commonly an important element in street photography; however, photographs of urban scenes, objects, signs, architecture, or environments without people are acceptable if they strongly convey the character, mood, story, or human presence of the street environment.

Street Photography Tips:

• Being Candid: Never focus on posed shots. Look for those natural moments in public spaces where all sorts of human interaction and city's randomness are played out.
• Look for the Story: Every street scene signals a story. Whether it is a child at play, a person deep in thought, or an unusual encounter, these moments that speak to larger meanings.

Click here for examples of Street Photography.  Additional resources on street photography can be found through the following links:

https://photographylife.com/what-is-street-photography

https://zenfolio.com/street-photography/ideas/

https://digital-photography-school.com/street-photography-ideas/