WTMC Photo competition 2025 | WTMC Club night

The 2025 WTMC photo competition is live! It’s time to dig out your tramping snaps – or better yet, take a camera (or even your phone) on your next club trip. We have over $600 worth of prizes to give away thanks to Bivouac, Coffee Outdoors and the Wilderness Magazine.

This year, the categories are as follows:

1. Above the Bushline with no Human Element [ABN]
2. Above the Bushline with a Human Element [ABW]
3. Below the Bushline with no Human Element [BBN]
4. Below the Bushline with a Human Element [BBW]
5. Native Flora & Fauna [NFF]
6. Long Exposure [LE]
7. Historic [HIS]
8. Quintessential WTMC [WTMC] – photos and up to 16sec videos accepted!

Each club member may enter up to two photos (or videos for ‘Quintessential WTMC’)  in each category. 

• Make sure to name each photo with the category abbreviation, photographer name, and photo title (e.g. ABN_John_Doe_Aoraki.jpg). 
• Ensure photos are between 1Mb and 5Mb (for category 1-7).
• Create a new folder on your cloud storage service, upload all the photos , generate a sharing link for that folder and email your submissions to photos@wtmc.org.nz.

Entries close at 11pm on Monday 18 August 2025.

Winners will be announced at the club night on Wednesday 27 August 2025.

As WTMC is affiliated to the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand (FMC), the top two photos in each category (except ‘Quintessential WTMC’) will be put forward by the club to compete in the nationwide FMC competition.

Rules

1. Entry is open to anyone who is a member of the WTMC as of 18 August 2025.
2. The photographer must be the sole author and owner of the photo(s) they submit.
3. Each club member may enter up to a maximum of two  photos per category. The organisers and judge(s) reserve the right to amend the category of a photo which in their opinion, is entered in the incorrect category.
4. All photos must be taken within New Zealand, which is defined as our Exclusive Economic Zone. This includes the following islands: North, South, Stewart, Chatham, Kermadec, Sub-Antarctic
5. Entries in categories other than Historic must be taken after 1 September 2023. Any photos taken prior to this date will automatically be entered into the historic category.
6. Entries must not have been entered into a WTMC or FMC photo competition before. Photos that have been previously professionally published (in magazines/commercial websites/books etc) are not eligible for entry.
7. Entries are permitted to have minor corrections, but no major editing is allowed. Discretion is expected, and the following rules are provided as an indication: 
   • Adjustments for exposure, white balance, contrast & levels are allowed.
   • Cropping is allowed.
   • Stitching for panoramic shots is allowed.
   • Removal or insertion of features not in the original image is not allowed.
   • Use of AI is not permitted.
8. Definition of Human Element: The definition of a “human element” is flexible but the general intention is: Where the photo contains as anything other than as a very minor feature: people, a hut, a track sign/marker, bridge, ice axe and anything else that has been introduced by humans into the environment then we would define that as having “a Human element”. But if a photo has what could be called a Human Element but that element is very small, inconsequential and not a feature in the photo then you could count it as “No Human Element”.
9. Definition of Historic: The intention for the historic category is for entrants to go back through club and individual archives to select “old photos” rather than “photos of old things”.  As an example, a recent photo of a hut built in the 1950’s is not a ‘historic’ photo. However, a photo of the same hut taken in the 1960’s certainly is a ‘historic’ photo.  Photos for the historic category must be taken before 1 Jan 2023.  Judges tend to favor images which capture the essence of era’s past, rather than images which qualify by date but illustrate a contemporary age.  The prize for any winning photo from a club archive by a deceased member will go to the club. The prize for any winning photo from an individual archive by a deceased person will go to the person who entered the photo, whether through a club or as an individual supporter.
10. Definition of Long Exposure: The intention of the long exposure category is for photography of scenes that the naked eye cannot normally comprehend. These shots would require a very long exposure and the use of a tripod. The category is intended for highly technical images of shots taken at night, (including star trails), or in extremely low light situations such as caves or canyons. The category is not intended for normal dusk/dawn photography, or images where a long exposure is used to ‘blur’ the image (such as flowing water, or movement  of the subject). 
11. The organisers and judge(s) reserve the right to disqualify any entries which contradict WTMC or FMC values, policies, or any relevant laws. Where any entry is controversial, WTMC may request that the photographer demonstrate how they adhered to any relevant rules. Any decision the organisers make is final.
12. Prizes will be assigned at the sole discretion of the WTMC committee. Prizes are not transferable for cash. Judging will take place anonymously. Anyone involved in judging is ineligible to participate in the competition.
13. By entering the competition, you are agreeing that your photo may be used by WTMC for promotional purposes. This includes sharing photos on social media such as Facebook and Instagram.
14. By entering the competition you agree that we may announce you as a winner in club communications, including emails, social media, etc.
15. By entering the competition, you agree that if your photo wins, it will go forward to the FMC competition and that you agree that the photo can be used by FMC for promotional purposes. For more details about the FMC comp and the rules/prizes, visit http://www.fmc.org.nz/photo-competition.
16. The judge’s decision is final.