Our judges will be looking for:
- Photos that complement the caption
- Photos that are sharp and have contrast
- Photos that have action, emotion, drama or humour
- Photos that have impact and catch the viewer’s eye
- Captions that are spelt accurately and are grammatically correct
- Captions that address the category criteria
- Captions that are original
Judges are unable to accept...
- Photos from outside Western Australia
- Photos of plants or animals that aren’t native to Western Australia (unless your caption is about the impacts of invasive plants and animals)
- Captions that are famous quotes or poems
- More than two entries per category per person
- Digital images with a resolution lower than 300dpi
- Mailed or hard copy entries – all entries must be through the Chevron Australia website
- Remember the rule of thirds when composing your picture – landscape or portrait.
- Steady yourself by leaning against an object or elbows on chest and slowly squeeze the shutter release.
- Photos taken at dawn or dusk give warmth and long shadows. Noon is bleached out and flat.
- Position yourself with the sun behind or to one side.
- Move close to the subject.
- Include a reference point to add scale eg a truck.
- Create depth by adding pointers eg a person at the front can add depth to the focus of the distant view.
- Take lots of shots and select the best for submission.
Remember the rule of thirds when composing your picture-landscape and portrait.
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Steady yourself by leaning against an object or elbows on chest and slowly squeeze the shutter release.
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Photos taken at dawn or dusk give warmth and long shadows. Noon is bleached out and flat.
|
Position yourself with the sun behind or to one side.
|
Move close to the subject.
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Include a reference point to add scale e.g. a truck.
|
Create depth by adding pointers e.g. a person in the foreground can add depth to the focus of the distand view.
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Take lots of shots and select the best for submission.
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A photograph might be worth a thousand words, but a caption tells the viewer much more about the image they are seeing.
The challenge with the FOCUS Environment competition is to write a concise, clear caption that addresses the entry category in 25 words or under.
Some hints for writing a winning caption are:
- Answer the five Ws – who, what, when, where, why.
- Be accurate – correct spelling, punctuated properly, facts right.
- Be short and succinct. Use an active voice with suitable vocabulary.
- Don’t state the obvious, but summarise in complete sentences what the photo represents.
- Provide a context by telling people something they don’t know from just looking at the photo.
- Explain the setting and why the photo is relevant to the theme.
From dramatic floods and raging bushfires to sunny skies or trees dancing in the breeze, the elements of sun, wind, rain and fire have an impact on our environment.
In this category capture an aspect of Western Australia’s natural environment. Describe in 25 words or less how your photo reflects the above elements and interacts in the environment.
- Use symbolism to reflect the mood eg the bare tree symbolises desolation.
- Frame the photo to focus on one subject.
- Use shadow or light to represent a negative or positive mood.
- Use colourful words to describe the scene eg starved.
- Use contrast to emphasise nature’s moods.
Today, we are aware of the need to protect Western Australia’s rich biodiversity by preserving native animals and plants.
Your photographic entry should capture a slice of Western Australia’s living environment and feature native plants or animals. You will need to explain in 25 words or less why preserving native species of plants or animals is important.
- Focus on the uniqueness of the habitat.
- Take the audience into the living world of the plant and or/animal.
- Highlight the importance of preserving habitats so plants/animals have a better chance of survival.
- Take photos of native Western Australian plants or animals.
Western Australians are involved in minimising their impact on the natural environment in many ways such as planting waterwise gardens, recycling or planting vegetation to stop beach dune erosion.
Your photographic entry will depict an environmental activity undertaken in your school or neighbourhood where people come together to participate in cleaning up or preserving the environment. Your caption will explain in 25 words or less how the activity benefits our natural environment.
- Use simplicity in your composition to explain the sustainable activity.
- Show how people are positively interacting with the environment.
- Caption needs to explain the story behind the photo.
- You do not need to be a participant in the project.
- If you are photographing other people, make sure you have their permission.