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. Each entry may consist of multiple images.
General News – GENW
Coverage planned events where advanced planning was possible. Examples include, but are not limited to, courtroom events, funerals, news conferences, mock exercises, and campaigns. Spot news that develops during the course of planned events (such as riots at a protest) should be entered in Spot News. The protest was something you could plan for, the riot was not. Each entry may consist of multiple images.
Sports Action – SPAC
Action photos from a sporting event. Each entry may consist of multiple images, though photo stories focused on sports should be entered in the Photo Story/Essay category, or in Sports Feature depending on the depth and narrative arch of the collection.
Sports Feature – SPFT
Feature photos from a sporting event outside the action of play. Images showing the thrill of victory or agony of defeat or moments from within the bounds of a sporting event otherwise missed outside the action. Also acceptable are short form photo stories focused on sports. Longer form photo stories focused on sports should be entered in the Photo Story/Essay category. As such, each entry may consist of multiple images.
Feature/Single Picture – FTSG
Images and subjects that don’t fit in Spot News, General News, Sports or Illustration. Typically found moments or slices of life. Pictorial images – images that show graphic and aesthetic qualities of a subject with strong emphasis on composition – may also be entered here. Single images only.
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 three and no more that 15.
Portrait/Illustration – POIL
Controlled/posed portrait of a subject. Uncontrolled entries may also inlcude photos that reveal the essence of a subject’s character. Digitally manipulated or staged or constructed photographic illustrations may also be entered here, with proper note on the type of manipulation or set up in the image’s caption.