Photo competition

The annual FMC Photo Competition celebrates Aotearoa’s stunning outdoors and gives our members the chance to share their most amazing shots. Every photo entered also supports FMC’s vital advocacy work by providing us with photos of the wild places we all love and want to protect.

Winners of 2024

Below the Bushline With no Human Element

 Lake Diana
Glen Howie, Wakatipu Tramping Club

Above the Bushline With no Human Element

Hooker River Sunset
Ken Wright, Individual Supporter

Above the Bushline with Human Element and Overall Winner

Taranaki Maunga
Thomas Hadley, NZAC Wellington Section

Below the Bushline with Human Element

Margaret Burn Canyon, first descent
Leo Tregret, NZ Canyoning Association

Historic

Brian Brake shooting Snows of Aorangi 1953
Photo: JD Knowles

Alan Knowles, Tararua Tramping Club

Native Flora and Fauna

Kōtuku/white egret Ardea alba, Freshwater Basin, Milford Sound
Stephen Martin, Fiordland Tramping and Outdoor Recreation Club

Long Exposure

Aurora trails
Alistair Watkins, Individual Supporter

Prizes and sponsors

Big thanks to our 2025 competition sponsors.

Our photo competition wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. They’ve provided an incredible prize pool — worth over $6,000 — to celebrate your photography and inspire your entries! Please support our sponsors — without them, this competition wouldn’t be possible!

Thanks to Bivouac Outdoor, our main sponsor for 2025. They have confirmed a magnificent list of prizes, altogether worth $1,920:

Our other sponsors and the prizes they have kindly provided are:

Excio: One year membership to Excio Community valued at $120 for each winner and one year digital subscription to Excio Captivating Photography Journal valued at $100

How does it work?

Each FMC member club and individual member can enter their best photos. 

Clubs are encouraged to run their own internal photo competitions and submitrd the top two images per category to  the FMC annual competition. Individual members who don’t belong to a member club can also enter — for judging purposes, these entries are grouped together as one ‘club’.

There are seven categories you can enter:

  1. Above Bushline with human element
  2. Above Bushline without human element
  3. Below Bushline with human element
  4. Below Bushline without human element
  5. Historic
  6. Native Flora, Fauna & Fungi
  7. Long Exposure

Since 2019, we’ve also introduced an annual theme. This special category encourages photography that highlights the places and values under immediate threat — the landscapes, ecosystems, and campaigns that FMC and our partners are working hard to protect.

All entries are judged by a panel of award-winning photographers, and the winning images are published in the November issue of Backcountry magazine.

How to enter?

It’s easy to submit your photos

Closing dates:

  • Individual members: entries close 1 September 2025
  • Clubs: entries close 15 September 2025

Please use a cloud service to send us your photos. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or email providers (such as Google Photos) can shrink your files without you realising.

  1. Definition of a “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”.

  1. Entries for the contemporary categories must be taken after 1 September 2023 and photos can only be entered once. Any photos taken prior to this date will automatically be entered into the historic category.
  2. 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.

  1. 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). 

The trial is intended to encourage more entries, by separating such highly technical photos into their own category. We hope to get more participation from entrants who are not put off by the thought of having to compete with such highly technical photos. 

  1. Definition of “Wild card”

Wild card photos were introduced in 2023 and only apply to club entries (excluding judges entries).  The theme for these additional photos is ‘wild’.  This allows clubs to enter an extra two photos, from any category, allowing for photos that came ‘second equal’ or unplaced photos that are particularly meritorious to be entered.  All other rules still apply.

  1. All photos must be taken within New Zealand, which is defined as within our Exclusive Economic Zone. This includes the following islands;   North, South, Stewart, Chatham, Kermadec, Sub-Antarctic.
  2. Rules on post processing:
  •             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.
  1. Only one entry per club is normally allowed, containing a maximum of two photos per category. The club entry must be authorised by a club committee member or delegate.
  2. FMC acknowledges the work of volunteer judges. These volunteers are unable to enter their images in the club competition they are judging. Therefore, each club may submit a second entry, comprised of photos taken by the judges of club competitions. The club’s second entry for the club judges may contain a maximum of two photos per category, with no additional wildcard entries. These photos will be considered alongside all other club entries. The club judges entry must also be authorised by a club committee member or delegate. Please use the ‘club’ entry form.
  3. The judges reserve the right to amend the category of a photo which in their opinion, is entered in the incorrect category.  FMC will not accept any entries which contradict FMC values, policies or any relevant laws. Where any entry is controversial, FMC may request that the photographer demonstrate how they adhered to any relevant rules. The photo competition organisers decision on accepting such an entry will be final.
  4. Prizes will be assigned at the sole discretion of the competition organisers at FMC. Winners will be put in touch with sponsors to arrange delivery within New Zealand, of any prize.   The prize is not transferable, negotiable, non-refundable or redeemable for cash.

FAQs

You can enter up to two photos per category. Your photos will be judged alongside other individual member entries, and the winners go through to the overall competition.

Individual members are those who join FMC directly (Youth Leader, Adult, Family, Youth, or Overseas supporters) and have paid the individual member fee.

Not quite. Individual Supporters are only those who join FMC directly and pay the individual supporter fee. This doesn’t include people whose FMC membership comes through their club.

But don’t worry — you’ve still got options:

  • Run a club competition: Why not give it a go? It’s a fun, social event that most clubs really enjoy. We’ve even put together a handy guide on how to run a photo competition over on our Wilderlife blog.
  • One club entry: If no one’s keen to organise a competition, FMC will still accept one entry from your club. In this case, it’s up to you to make sure other members also get a chance to put photos forward, and the entry form will still need to be signed off by your club committee.

We really appreciate the mahi of volunteer judges! Since judges can’t enter their own club’s competition, FMC has made a special rule to make sure you don’t miss out. Clubs are allowed to submit a second entry made up of photos from their judges. (See Rule 9 for the details.)

This is a service such as Google Drive, MicroSoft OneDrive, WeTransfer, Dropbox etc.  You can have a look at this video which explains how to use Google Drive.

Of course! We’re happy to help. Just make sure you get in touch at least a week before entries close so we’ve got time to sort things out together. Email us at photocomp@fmc.org.nz