Spot News – SPNW
Coverage of events for which no advance planning was possible. Examples include, but are not limited to, accidents, fires, natural disasters, weather and spot police action. Multi-photo entries are allowed in this category, from 3-15 images plus a mandatory title slide.
General News – GENW
Coverage of events where advanced planning was possible. Examples include, but are not limited to, courtroom events, funerals, news conferences, mock exercises, campaigns, parades, festivals, and other community events. Spot news that develops during the course of planned events (such as violence that breaks-out at a protest) should be entered in Spot News. (The protest was something you could plan for, the riot was not). Found moments within a planned news event may be entered in Feature/Single (FTSG) at the discretion of the entrant. Multi-photo entries are allowed in this category, from 3-15 images plus a mandatory title slide.
Sports Action – SPAC
Action and reaction photos from within the competitive field of play at a formal sporting event. Action photos not part of an organized sporting event should be entered in the Feature/Single (FTSG) category. Multi-photo entries are allowed in this category, from 3-15 images plus a mandatory title slide. Long form photo stories focused on sports should be entered in the Photo Story/Essay category, or in Sports Feature depending on the depth and narrative arc of the collection.
Sports Feature – SPFT
Photos from outside the field of play of a specific competition, or involving activities related to athletes or teams outside of a competitive sporting event. Images showing the thrill of victory or agony of defeat or moments from within the bounds of a sporting event outside the field of play. Multi-photo entries, such as short form photo stories focused on sports, are allowed in this category, from 3-15 images plus a mandatory title slide. Longer form photo stories focused on sports should be entered in the Photo Story/Essay category.
Feature/Single Picture – FTSG
A single photograph that captures the human-interest of daily life or a fresh view of an everyday scene in a found situation. Pictorial images – images that show graphic and aesthetic qualities of a subject with strong emphasis on composition – may also be entered here.
Photo Story/Essay – PSES
Entries in this category must include multiple images. The category is intended for more in-depth work including photo essays, picture stories, investigative/documentary work, sequences, or series. Images from planned events or sporting events may be entered in this category but ONLY if they possess a narrative arc through the entry. The number of images per entry must be at least five and no more that 20, plus the mandatory title slide (which does not count against the total number of entries).
[Updated for 2024] Portrait – PORT
Either a controlled/posed portrait of a subject, or an uncontrolled/candid image, that reveals the essence of a subject’s character or story. Multi-photo entries are allowed in this category, from 3-15 images plus a mandatory title slide. Digitally manipulated or staged or constructed photographic illustrations may NO LONGER be entered here!