Photojournalism is the art of crafting a ‘newsworthy’ images that narrates a compelling story. We invite you to delve into the creation of a “newsworthy” image. 

For the purpose of this competition, “newsworthy” is defined as: 

• Timeliness – a recent event or incident;
• Proximity – a local, national or international topic of interest;
• Conflict and Controversy – situations where people argue or disagree or protest for (or against) actions, events, ideas or policies; 
• Human Interest –  Situations that show people are interested in other people; 

Relevance – images which would attract individuals in forming decision(s) or aiding them to confirm (or change) their current perspective on an issue. 

Each images submitted into this competition should endeavour to answer, Who, What, Where and When, which are the foundations of Photojournalism. 

Photojournalism is not meant to be pretty, structured or artistic. 

Images depicting individuals experiencing homelessness, infirmity, or people in crises will not be accepted. CAPA considers the exploitation of the misfortune and suffering of others for the sake of photography demonstrates a disregard for the well-being of our fellow individuals. 

Theme for this competitions are: 

• Contemporary Issues – images which shed light on current matters, resolved or ongoing, which affect (or have affected) people or places. Examples of issues: natural disasters, impactful situations, parades, protests, community conflicts, gender inequality, and more. 
• Environmental Issues – images that explore problems concerning our planet’s air, water, soil, and beyond. Topics can include climate change, acid rain, air pollution, urban sprawl, waste disposal, water pollution, or outer-space pollution. 
• Animal/Botany/Bird/Insect – images that are ‘newsworthy; issue or topic relating to animals, botany, birds, marine subject or insects. A ‘bird on a stick’ type image would not be considered a ‘newsworthy’ image unless it is an image captured of an extremely rare bird or endangered species. 
• Sports – ‘newsworthy’ images that unleash the energy of sports through candid images of athletes in action. 

For a full definition of each theme and rules for this competition can be found on the CAPA website, https://capacanada.ca/2025-photojournalism-competition/

It is the photograph’s responsibility to ensure that the images they are submitted meet the CAPA criteria. 

Submissions to CAPA are uploaded to their database which required that they must meet the following requirements: 

Maximum horizontal size – 1400 pixels 

Maximum vertical size – 1050 pixels 

Maximum file size – 1.8 MB 

File Name – files must be named as follows: Your Name _ Title of Photo _ Theme. (Example: John Jones _ Day at the Beach _ Landscapes)

An image’s title may be used by the judges in evaluating a submission, so ensure your title complements or contributes to the vision or message being presented in the image. 

As a CAPA club member we are entitled to submit 6 images, from 6 different photographers, all images submitted to our External Competition Chair will be adjudicated, and the best images will be submitted on behalf of the club. You will be notified if your images is selected as one of the club’s submissions. 

Note: CAPA has updated its Eligibility Criteria to include information about artificial intelligence (AI). The full criteria can be found on the CAPA Website – Competitions – CAPA’s Eligibility Criteria – https://capacanada.ca/capa-competitions/capas-eligibility-criteria/

Images for this competition are to be submitted to externalcomp@hcpclub.ca by March 10, 2025.