Themes and Competitions
The Club hosts internal competitions in the monthly themes, and participates in a number of external competitions. This list gives an overview of what is planned for the 2025-26 season. As always watch the calendar for changes.
2026 – 2027 Themes [New This Year – No Scoring]
Growing as a Photographer Through Themes
Many photographers find that projects or assignments keep their creativity fresh. A theme or two in our pocket gives us a gentle focus, encouraging us to notice more, try new approaches, and enjoy the process of making pictures. With a full month to explore, there’s time to practice, experiment, and discover at your own pace. And even if there isn’t time to make new images, even combing through our catalogue, selecting and editing images for the theme can help us grow. Sharing our images—and seeing how others interpret the same theme—reminds us that photography isn’t about perfection, but about curiosity, growth, and the pleasure of learning together.
SEPTEMBER 2026 – A MONOCHROME SUMMER
Capture your summer in black and white. Whether you photograph people, places, events, quiet moments, or everyday details, the story is yours to tell. Share whatever aspect of your summer inspires you.
OCTOBER 2026 – CLICK TRICKS
This month's challenge is an invitation to step outside your photographic comfort zone. It's time to turn a few camera dials, explore a few menu settings, and discover what your camera can really do.
NOVEMBER 2026 – WILD EYES
One of the first things we learn about photographing wildlife is that the eyes matter. Sharp, expressive eyes create a connection between the subject and the viewer, bringing life, emotion, and personality to an image. Whether your subject is a songbird, a squirrel, a deer, a dragonfly, or something much larger, make the eyes the star of the photograph.
DECEMBER 2026 – DAYS OF COLOUR
Capture Colours, as many colours as you can. Whether you photograph people, places, events, quiet moments, or everyday details, this colourful story is yours to tell. Share whatever aspect of your Seasonal Sensation inspires you the most.
JANUARY 2027 - DEAD OF WINTER
Capture the January blues and the unmistakable signs that winter has truly arrived. Tell the story of winter as you see it. Whether your images reflect the beauty, stillness, humour, or stark reality of the season, use light, colour, texture, and composition to convey the mood of the Dead of Winter.
FEBRUARY 2027 - LIGHT OF MY LIFE
Experiment with light as both a creative tool and a storytelling element. Whether you create colourful light painting images, photograph the warm glow of candlelight, capture dramatic shadows, or seek out beautiful natural light, consider how light shapes the mood and impact of your photographs.
External Competitions
As a club, we enter several external competitions each year, and all members are encouraged to submit images for consideration, with a jury selecting the final entries. Competitions aren’t just about scores—they help photographers grow by encouraging you to select images you truly value, polish them for presentation, and see how they stand alongside the work of others. Even beginners benefit: the process builds editing skills, sharpens artistic judgment, and pushes you to experiment and stretch beyond your comfort zone. Constructive feedback and comparison provide fresh perspective, and many find that competitions spark new ideas, higher standards, and a deeper appreciation for storytelling and composition.
Watch your email for detailed instructions for each competition as it opens for submissions. As always, check the calendar for updates.
2026 - 2027
CAPA Pacific Zone Challenge [September 2026]
An open-theme competition celebrating the life, people and places that make B.C. and Yukon distinctive. Images may include urban or rural landscapes, people and altered reality, but must be photographed within the Pacific Zone. See the CAPA website for eligibility criteria and other details.
CAPA Monochrome [November 2026]
Explore the expressive possibilities of black-and-white photography through four themes: Texture & Detail, Motion & Stillness, Isolation & Solitude, and Hands at Work. Images may be pure greyscale or uniformly toned with a single colour. Visit the CAPA website for details about the themes and rules of submission.
CAPA Fine Art [January 2027]
A competition focused on photography as creative expression rather than straightforward documentation. Themes include Abstract & Creative Vision, Human Form & Expression, Landscape, Time & Motion, and Still Life, with emphasis on artistic intent, mood and personal interpretation. Visit the CAPA website for details about the themes and rules of submission.
FRDC *Click* Photos of the Fraser [ February 2027]
Since time immemorial, the Fraser River basin has shaped the history, environment, industry, and cultures of this region. From the Rocky Mountains to the Salish Sea, the 1,375 km stretch of the Fraser River is home to almost 3 million people, each with their unique views of the river. *Click* Photos of the Fraser aims to bring together a collection of these points of view and invites photographers to submit photographs that capture the life of the river and the basin
CAPA Inspirational Colour [March 2027]
A celebration of colour as a creative force in photography. Themes include Curves & Lines, Movement & Energy, Nature’s Palette, Colour with a Human Touch, and Colours of Culture. Colour should be an essential part of the image’s impact, not simply incidental to the subject. Visit the CAPA website for details about the themes and rules of submission.
North Shore Photographic Challenge [Spring 2027]
The North Shore Photographic Challenge is Western Canada’s premier competition, open to non-AI entries from individual photographers and clubs across BC and Yukon. With an open theme, subjects may range from landscapes and portraits to abstracts, architecture, wildlife, and more. The Challenge culminates in a Gala on Zoom, Saturday, March 6, 2027, featuring a showcase of entries, judges’ commentary, and the announcement of results.
Crescent Beach Invitational Black & White Print Competition [Spring 2027]
This is a competition with a long history. The subject is open. The images will must be true black and white - no toning. This competition offers an opportunity to hone your skill in making fine art B&W prints.
CAPA Canada My Country [Spring 2027]
A celebration of the landscapes that shape Canada and the people who call it home. Images may explore Canada’s natural and human-made environments or portray Canadians at work, in community and in everyday life. Wildlife and animal-focused images are excluded. Visit the CAPA website for details about the themes and rules of submission.