Evoking Emotion

Build images around mood, feeling, story, gesture, light, and expressive composition.

• 5 Tips to Take Photos That Evoke EmotionA practical, idea-friendly piece emphasizing photographing what you feel.
• Unifying a Photo’s EmotionsUseful for understanding how lighting, subject, composition, and processing support a single mood.
• Mastering Storytelling: Capture Emotion in Your PhotosFocuses on light and composition to create warmth, drama, and intentional mood.
• How to Capture Emotion in Your PhotosEncourages empathy with the subject and experimentation with gesture, lighting, and perspective.
• Ten Tips To Help Wildlife Photographers Create Emotions in Their PhotographsWildlife-focused, but useful for perspective, action, color, contrast, and environment.
• How to Improve Your Photography Composition: A GuidePractical composition ideas like negative space, leading lines, and visual structure.

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Motion

Explore freezing action, intentional blur, panning, long exposure, or camera movement.

• How to Photograph a Moving SubjectA practical guide to freezing motion, blur, and panning.
• 3 Techniques for Capturing Motion in PhotographyExplains panning, long exposure blur, and movement-based effects.
• A Beginner’s Guide to Capturing Motion in Your PhotographyApproachable examples showing how shutter speed changes movement.
• Guide to Motion Blur and Panning in PhotographyA deeper look at panning and readable subjects against streaked backgrounds.
• Motion photography: how to capture movement in your imagesConcise Canon guide with practical shutter-speed advice.
• The secrets to capturing motion in your photographyHelpful ideas for burst shooting, panning, and creative camera movement.

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Street Photography

Look for candid moments, gesture, light, urban structure, reflections, and human presence.

• Beginners Guide To Street PhotographyTips on blending in, natural light, black-and-white, reflections, patterns, and moments.
• Tips for Great Street PhotographyCovers dramatic light, shadows, observation, and anticipating candid moments.
• 20 Tips for Starting Out in Street PhotographyPractical advice on light, patience, working scenes, separation, and isolation.
• 70 Street Photography Tips For BeginnersA large idea list covering gesture, framing, hands, body language, and point of view.
• The Best Street Photography Ideas for Your Next PhotoshootCreative ideas including motion blur, reflections, street art, lights, and architecture.
• 6 Street Photography Tips for BeginnersUpdated tips on patience, light, portraits, locals, quirky moments, and camera settings.

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Micro / Up Close

Show fine detail, texture, tiny subjects, shallow depth of field, or close-range abstraction.

• Take a Closer Look with Macro Photography Tips for BeginnersCovers macro lenses, focus stacking, apertures, tripods, and ring flash lighting.
• Close-up Photography Tips & AdvicePractical advice on depth of field, manual focus, light, and shutter speeds.
• How to Create Breathtaking Macro PhotosSelective focus, focus stacking, shallow depth of field, and diffraction issues.
• Close-Up Photography: A Guide to Stunning Detailed ShotsManual focus, aperture control, tripods, and subjects like textures or insects.
• Micro Photography: What To Know & How To Nail ItManual focus reliability, stabilization, and precise lighting for tiny subjects.
• Getting Started Guide to Close-up PhotographyBeginner-friendly steps using tripods, manual focus, and everyday subjects.

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Food Photography Print Format

Use light, composition, styling, color, texture, and viewpoint to make food visually appealing.

• 7 Food Photography Tips for BeginnersNatural light, angles, rule of thirds, color wheels, and props.
• How to Choose Food Photography LightsLighting color, diffusers, reflectors, and avoiding harsh shadows.
• Food Photography Composition TechniquesRule of thirds, golden ratio, dynamic symmetry, golden triangle, and spiral.
• Three Composition Elements For Better Food PhotographyViewpoints, framing, layers, and negative space.
• The Basic Light Setup For Food PhotographyWindow lighting with diffusers and reflectors for soft, even illumination.
• 10 Essential Techniques for Composition in Food PhotographyHero subjects, complementary colors, repetition, and tight crops.

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Special Contests

April special contests are outside the annual competition standings. See the section below for details.