Competitions

Many of our members take an active part in image competitions. Each member in good standing may submit images to any of our regular Guild, CAPA (Canadian Association for Photographic Art) or PSA (Photographic Society of America) competitions. Information on specific competition dates is listed on the Schedule page.

To submit images for the current competition go to the Competition Upload Page.

COMPETITION UPLOAD DEADLINES
Upload forms are active two weeks before the deadline

CAPA Fall Round: Sunday, September 20, 2026
Competition 1: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Silent Essay Competition: Sunday, November15, 2026
Competition 2: Sunday, January 3, 2027
CAPA Spring Round: Sunday, January 7, 2027
Guild Creative: Sunday, February 14, 2027
Competition 3: Sunday, February 28, 2027
Trophy Competition Night: Monday, March 29, 2027
Sight and Sound Essay: Sunday, April 4, 2027
End of Year (EoY): Wednesday, April 14, 2027

2026-2027 Themes and Assignments

Guild Assignment 1: Flowers (photographed after May 1, 2026)
Guild Assignment 2: Small in the Frame (photographed after September 1, 2026)
CAPA Theme: TBA

RE-ENTRY OF IMAGES:
An image can be re-entered maximum 3 times a year.
A maximum of 3 images can be entered to each of the Annual Trophy Competition categories.

COMPETITION NIGHTS:
There are 3 competitions (combined Guild/PSA) from which the top scoring images will be sent to PSA Interclub competitions.
During the PSA selection, we will choose one image per maker to be sent away in all PSA categories.
The Portrait and Humour categories will be separate Trophy Competitions on the Named Competition Night for the Best Humour and Best Portrait image selection.

The 2026 / 2027 Competitions

CAPA Fall Round – 1 image per category for a total of 4 images
1) Nature (TBA)
2) Nature Botany
3) Black&White (TBA)
4) Fine Art (TBA)

CAPA Spring Round – 1 image per category for a total of 4 images
1) Open Colour (TBA)
2) Theme: TBA
3) Atlantic Zone
4) CANADA: My Country

New CAPA Competition Rules for 2026-2027

Guild/PSA 1 – enter max 7 images in 5 digital categories, max 2 per category.
Open Colour, Nature, Photo Travel, Photojournalism, Open Monochrome

Guild/PSA 2 – New Digital Images Only. Enter max 7 images in 5 digital categories, max 2 per category.
Open Colour, Nature, Photo Travel, Photojournalism, Open Monochrome

Guild/PSA 3 – New Digital Images Only. Enter max 7 images in 5 digital categories, max 2 per category.
Open Colour, Nature, Photo Travel, Photojournalism, Open Monochrome

Guild Creative – New Digital Images Only. Enter max 7 images in 3 digital categories.
Enter 3 images in Guild Creative 
Enter 2 images in Guild Assignment #1 (photographed after May 1, 2026)
 Enter 2 images in Guild Assignment #2 (photographed after Sept 1, 2026).

Named Trophy Competition Night 2027 – max 2 images per maker in each category
NS Bird Society Trophy
Atlantic Geoscience Society Trophy
NS Nature Trust Trophy – Native Plants, Wildflowers, Fungi, Lichens and all Mosses
RK Mann Trophy – “In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.” – Aaron Rose
Mayor of Halifax Trophy – Bridges in HRM
Guild Humour Trophy – new images only
Guild Portrait Trophy – new images only

End of Year (EoY) Trophy 2027 – max 3 images per maker in each category
Only those images which competed in Guild, CAPA or PSA competitions during the Guild 2025/2026 year and which received twenty or more points are eligible for this competition.

Reid Sweet (Pictorial)
Camera shop (Nature)
Atlantic Photo (Photojournalism)
Michael Walsh (Photo Travel)
Abbots (Creative)

SILENT ESSAY:
Up to 12 images in competition format. Upload the images from the competition upload webpage.
DO NOT PRODUCE THE ESSAY FILE YOURSELF!
The first image title MUST be the essay title.
Your images will be converted into a silent essay for you, mp4 format, according to the silent essay rules (6 seconds on, 1 second dissolve).

SIGHT & SOUND ESSAY:
The maximum length of the sight & sound essay is 5 minutes. Images in the sight and sound essay can be any competition size up to full HD (1920X1080). The Sight & Sound Essays may include a maximum of 20% video clips. As the maximum duration of the essay is 5 minutes, this means that the maker can incorporate a total of one minute of video in the essay. Including video clips is not required. The video format MUST be mp4 and the music selected should be royalty free. The essay file name must be the title of your essay.

Competition Rules

Here is an outline of how we organize our competitions since many new members often find the rules confusing. The Blue Book has full details about competing including how to prepare images for competition.

General Competition Rules

Scoring

Entries are usually judged by a panel of three judges, using a scoring system where each judge awards a score of 4 to 10 with half points. The total score is recorded against each entry. A record of photographer’s individual scores is kept, and the member with highest number of points at year end in named Guild Photographer of the Year. In addition, during the first two years of membership in the Guild, the photographer is eligible to win the Novice of the Year Award (presented to the new member with the highest number of accumulated points).

Number Of Entries

In case of Guild competitions, member may enter a maximum of two images in any one category (Pictorial, Nature, Photojournalism, Photo-Travel, Contemporary, Portrait, and Humour) up to a maximum of seven images in any one competition. Under our present rules, all entries in Guild competitions (please note only Guild competitions), must not be entered in any of previous Guild, PSA or CAPA competitions. In the case of PSA or CAPA competitions, member may submit two images in each category (Pictorial, Nature, Photojournalism, Contemporary or Theme). Please note that no individual image, or closely similar image, can be used for competition on more than three occasions in one season, regardless of category.

Please note: No image that has been sent away to an external competition, i.e. CAPA Pictorial, can be re-entered in that category. However, the same image can be entered in PSA pictorial or even CAPA Nature, if appropriate. Also, images for the Guild Theme competitions must be taken within the time limit (after September 1st of the current Guild year).

Awards

The Guild recognizes member’s success in a number of ways. The maker of any image given a score of 26 to 27.5 points is awarded a Honourable Mention certificate. 28 or 28.5 points is awarded a Merit certificate. An Honour certificate is awarded for a score of 29 to 30 points. Special awards are also presented annually to members gaining the highest cumulative points in each category. In the spring of each year, the Guild holds the Annual Trophy Competition. Entries here are restricted to images which obtained 20 or more points in one of the season’s competitions. Special trophies are awarded in each category.

Nova Scotia Bird Society Competition Rules

This is an annual competition open only to members of the Photographic Guild of Nova Scotia.

1. 1. Up to two digital images may be submitted by each photographer.
  2. The image of a wild bird must be have been photographed in Nova Scotia. The bird must not have been caged or otherwise restrained when photographed.
  3. The image must not be one of a nest, nest site, young birds at a nest, or adult birds tending a nest.
  4. Images must not have been submitted in any other Nova Scotia Bird Society Competition.
  5. Images will be judged on technical excellence, but also on originality, scientific interest, aesthetic appeal and artistic composition. “The art of enhancement” is allowed. At least one of the judges will be a member of the Nova Scotia Bird Society. There will be one winner declared with no runners-up.
  6. The Nova Scotia Bird Society may copy all of the entries and use them for educational purposes, publish them in its newsletter, and display them at meetings of the Society, with credit being given to the photographer. Copyright remains with the photographer.
  7. A brief account should be enclosed with each entry, giving the circumstances in which each photograph was obtained, technical details (focal length, exposure, make of camera and film), locality, and date. The photographer’s name and address should be included in the FileInfo for each digital image.
  8. Entrants must make available a high resolution file of their image(s) upon request for one year after the competition.
    - The high resolution file should be at the maximum resolution supported by your digital camera or scanner. ie a 6MP camera will be approximately 3000×2000 pixels. The dpi setting does not matter as this will be determined when the image is used for printing. Colour space should be sRGB or AdobeRGB 98 and the ICC profile embedded when the file is saved. (The maximum resolution should not exceed 4096 x 2730 (11MP) pixels as this is the maximum resolution used by a film recorder.)
    - A low resolution version of the file should be uploaded for use with a digital projector. The image should be a maximum of 1400 x1050 pixels (Width x Height). The dpi setting does not matter when an image is projected. Colour space should be converted to sRGB and the ICC profile embedded when the file is saved.
  9. Entries are submitted at the photographer’s risk.
  10. Entry of an image in this competition indicates agreement by the maker to abide by these rules.

Atlantic Geoscience Society Competition

This is an annual competition open only to members of the Photographic Guild of Nova Scotia.

Geological subjects can include rocks, sediments, geological processes (rivers, glaciers, landslides, etc.), minerals and fossils, as well as landscapes. Clouds and other meteorological phenomena are not considered geological. Appropriate human interest in the image is encouraged (e.g. people as scales, quarrying activity, building stones).
Up to two images may be submitted by each photographer.
Images must not have been submitted in any previous AGS competition. From time to time, well-worn subjects may be made ineligible to encourage diversity of subject matter. Past subjects that have been photographed amply in the past, and thus that are deemed ineligible at the present time, include: — Racetrack rocks from Death Valley and Bryce Canyon.
As a minimum, each entry should have a title, a specific location, and photographer’s name and address. The date (month-year) of the image would also be useful. This information must be included in the File Info for each digital image. The title of each image should reflect the geological feature that the photographer has in mind.
Entrants must make available a high resolution file of their image(s) upon request for one year after the competition.
The high resolution file should be at the maximum resolution supported by your digital camera or scanner. ie a 6MP camera will be approximately 3000×2000 pixels. The dpi setting does not matter as this will be determined when the image is used for printing. Colour space should be sRGB or AdobeRGB 98 and the ICC profile embedded when the file is saved. (The maximum resolution should not exceed 4096 x 2730 (11MP) pixels as this is the maximum resolution used by a film recorder.)
A low resolution version of the file should be uploaded for use with a digital projector. The image should be a maximum of 1400 x1050 pixels (Width x Height). The dpi setting does not matter when an image is projected. Colour space should be converted to sRGB and the ICC profile embedded when the file is saved.
Images will be judged primarily on scientific interest and technical excellence, but originality, aesthetic appeal and artistic composition will also be important considerations. At least one of the judges will be a member of the AGS. The top scoring geological image will receive the Atlantic Geoscience Trophy. The best image from the Atlantic Provinces will be awarded the “Last Billion Years Award”. (If the best overall image is from the Atlantic Provinces, it will be the winner of both awards.)
The AGS may use all entries for educational purposes, publish them in its newsletter, place them on one of its educational websites and display them at meetings of the Society, with credit given to the photographer. Copyright remains with the photographer.
Entry of an image in this competition indicates agreement by the maker to abide by these rules

Nova Scotia Nature Trust Competition

This is an annual competition open only to members of the Photographic Guild of Nova Scotia.

The NSNT theme for 2026-2027 is “Native Plants, Wildflowers, Fungi, Lichens and all Mosses”

Up to two images may be submitted by each photographer.
Images entered should meet the annual theme chosen by the NSNT. Images must have been taken in Nova Scotia and are not restricted to NSNT land.
Must be native Nova Scotian species. Plants or flowers must be wild, i.e. not cultivated. Man made objects can not be in the image. Macro shots are welcome.
Images must not have been submitted in any previous NSNT competition.
As a minimum, each entry should have a title, a specific location, and photographer’s name and address. The date (month-year) of the image would also be useful. This information must be included in the File Info for each digital image.
Entrants must make available a high resolution file of their image(s) upon request for one year after the competition
The high resolution file should be at the maximum resolution supported by your digital camera or scanner. ie a 6MP camera will be approximately 3000×2000 pixels. The dpi setting does not matter as this will be determined when the image is used for printing. Colour space should be sRGB or AdobeRGB 98 and the ICC profile embedded when the file is saved. (The maximum resolution should not exceed 4096 x 2730 (11MP) pixels as this is the maximum resolution used by a film recorder.)
A low resolution version of the file should be uploaded for use with a digital projector. The image should be a maximum of 1400 x1050 pixels (Width x Height). The dpi setting does not matter when an image is projected. Colour space should be converted to sRGB and the ICC profile embedded when the file is saved.
Images will be judged primarily on NSNT wishlist criteria and technical excellence, but originality, aesthetic appeal and artistic composition will also be important considerations. One of the judges may be a member of the NSNT. There will be one winner declared with no 2nd place and the top scoring image will receive the Reta Cook Trophy.
The NSNT may use all entries for educational purposes, publish them in its newsletter, place them on one of its educational websites and display them at meetings of the Society, with credit given to the photographer and PGNS. Copyright remains with the photographer. Any commercial use (i.e. promotional items being sold) of an image would be by agreement between the NSNT and the contributing photographer.
Entries are submitted at the photographer’s risk. The NSNT will take all reasonable care of the images while in its possession.
Entry of an image in this competition indicates agreement by the maker to abide by these rules.

PoY POINT CALCULATION:
The PoY cumulative score will be the total scores of the 35 top scoring digital images, Sight & Sound Essay and Silent Essay scores.

TROPHIES:
Schooner Cove Trophy – Total scores of Competition 2 & 3 digital images, Guild Assignments, Guild Portrait and Guild Humour images,

Best of Humour and Best of Portrait trophies will be selected in new Humour and Portrait competitions on the named trophy competition night in March. We will apply the CAPA portrait category description for the new Portrait competition – only human portraits will be accepted.

CAPA Competition Rules 2026-2027

Protecting Your Photos for CAPA Competitions

What Is Provenance?
Provenance is the traceable record of an image’s origin, creation, and file history used to help confirm that the submission is genuine.

Why Does This Matter?
All potential winning images in our competitions will be subjected to our authentication process to ensure the editing criteria have been complied with. Only images which pass this authentication process will be declared a winner in our competitions.
As part of this authentication process, the Director of Competitions or delegate MAY contact the potential winners to provide specific image files and a brief description of the editing of the respective images.
Potential winners who fail to provide the necessary image files and editing description will have their image(s) removed from the competition results and competition results will be re-sorted.
The good news: you do not need to change how you edit. You simply need to keep the right files along the way.

CAPA Encourages You to Use Content Credentials
CAPA actively encourages all members to enable and use Content Credentials when editing in Lightroom and Photoshop. Content Credentials create a trusted, built-in record of your editing history that travels with the image file itself.
The key principle is simple: activate Content Credentials BEFORE editing, and include full metadata when you export. Doing so builds a provenance record that protects both you and the integrity of the competition.

CAPA’s Pitfall Guides for Lightroom, Photoshop, ON1 Photo RAW, and Topaz Photo AI are available on the CAPA website. Check out our AI Pitfall Guide documents here.

The Golden Rule: Keep Your Originals

Always retain these three things:
• Your original captured image (RAW or JPEG straight from camera) — never edit the original.
• Copies of your file at each major editing stage.
• A note describing what programmes you used and the general order you used them.

Think of it like keeping your receipts. You may never need them, but if CAPA asks, you will have everything in one place.
If CAPA contacts you as a potential winner, the process is straightforward. You will first be asked to provide a brief description of how the image was edited and which programmes were used. Once CAPA receives that description, you will be given specific instructions for exporting your image with the required metadata for your particular software. You do not need to master export settings in advance — keeping your original files and working copies is all that is required.
Set Up a Simple “Evidence Folder”
Before you begin editing any image you plan to enter in a CAPA competition, create a dedicated folder on your computer for that image. Give it a clear name. Everything goes in there.

Each competition evidence folder should contain:
• A copy of your original RAW or JPEG file from the camera.
• A JPEG exported from Lightroom (if you use LR) before moving to Photoshop.
• A JPEG exported from Photoshop (if you use PS) as your final or near-final version.
• Your layered PSD or PSB file, with layers intact, if you use Photoshop.
• Any other programme’s settings or sidecar files (e.g., Capture One, ON1).

Note: You do not need to submit all of these files with your entry. CAPA may only request specific image files and a summary of editing if your image is identified as a potential winner.

A Note on Content Credentials
Content Credentials must be enabled BEFORE you begin editing, not at the time of export. If you enable them only at export, that editing history is lost, and the resulting credential reflects only the final file, not the process used to create it. In a competition context, an incomplete provenance record cannot be verified and may result in your entry being flagged for authentication review.
If you use Lightroom or Photoshop, activate Content Credentials when you open the image and before any editing begins.
Note that Photoshop does not enable them automatically; you must do so each time you open an image, and software updates can reset this setting.
If you use programmes that do not support Content Credentials (such as Affinity Photo, Capture One, GIMP, Luminar Neo, On1 Photo RAW, Topaz Lab AI, or Zerene Stacker ) should copies of the files produced at each stage and a brief note describing what each programme was used for.
If your image is selected for authentication, CAPA will provide step-by-step export instructions tailored to your specific software.

What CAPA May Ask For

Items CAPA may request:
• An editing narrative: a plain-language description of how the image was edited and which programmes were used.
• For in-camera merged images (HDR, focus stack from camera): the camera-generated merged file before any editing.
• For club entries: the original file submitted by the photographer to the club.

Having your evidence folder ready ensures your quick response to a CAPA request.

Quick Reference Summary

Step	What to do
Create an evidence folder	Make a named folder for each competition image before you start editing.
Copy your original	Put a copy of your camera RAW or JPEG into the folder. Never edit the original.
Export from Lightroom	After LR edits, export a JPEG with Content Credentials to your evidence folder.
Enable CR in Photoshop	Click the CR symbol in PS and enable credentials before touching the image.
Export from Photoshop	After PS edits, export a JPEG to your evidence folder.
Save your PSD/PSB	Keep a copy of your layered Photoshop file with all layers intact.
Note other programmes	For any other software, keep the files it produces and jot down what it was used for.

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Mervyn Kumar-Misir 1971	Mervyn Kumar-Misir 1972	Gordon MacGowan 1973
Gordon MacGowan 1974	Gordon R. Lay 1975	Gordon Lay 1976
Mervyn Kumar-Misir 1977	Mervyn Kumar-Misir 1978	Teunis Obdam 1979
Fred Greene 1980	Fred Greene 1981	Fred Greene 1982
Fred Greene 1983	Fred Greene 1984	Fred Greene 1985
Fred Greene 1986	Fred Greene 1987	Keith Vaughan 1988
Keith Vaughan 1989	Keith Vaughan 1990	Bob Semple 1991
Keith Vaughan 1992	Fred Greene 1993	John Webb 1994
Keith Vaughan 1995	Stephen Scott Patterson 1996	John Webb 1997
Paul Bingham 1998	Keith Vaughan 1999	James Wood 2000
Fred Greene 2001	Fred Greene 2002	Keith Vaughan 2003
Fred Greene 2004	Fred Greene 2005	Fred Greene 2006
Jennifer Fried 2007	Jennifer Fried 2008	Keith Vaughan 2009
Marian Boyer 2010	Jennifer Fried 2011	Viki Gaul 2012
Viki Gaul 2013	Viki Gaul 2014	Viki Gaul 2015
Viki Gaul 2016	Fred Greene 2017	Viki Gaul & Darryl Robertson 2018
Viki Gaul 2019	Viki Gaul 2020	Antonio Solis 2021
Viki Gaul 2022	Laszlo Podor 2023	Viki Gaul 2024
Laszlo Podor 2025	Viki Gaul 2026

Photographic Guild of Nova Scotia

Helping foster and encourage the art and science of photography

2026-2027 Themes and Assignments

The 2026 / 2027 Competitions

Competition Rules

General Competition Rules

Categories

Scoring

Number Of Entries

Awards

Nova Scotia Bird Society Competition Rules

Atlantic Geoscience Society Competition

Nova Scotia Nature Trust Competition

CAPA Competition Rules 2026-2027