Straight from the experts – here are your judge-approved tips for entering the Boroondara Photography Competition from our curators at the Town Hall Gallery.

There are prizes for:

• primary and secondary school students
• open competition (all ages)
• best in competition
• people’s choice award.

Consider these points below and enter your best photos by Sunday 4 May 2025 for the chance to win. 

• Think about the theme: Take a moment to reflect on what ‘Hidden Boroondara’ means to you. How does your photo express this idea? Choosing a photo that reflects your unique perspective is more likely to be memorable and intriguing to the judges.
• Experiment: Creativity counts! Try playing around with composition and light. Consider taking photos from different angles and at different times of the day to see what works best for your subject.
• Background check: Before snapping your photo, look out for anything distracting in the background. Keep the viewer's focus where you want it. If you're deciding between 2 similar shots to enter, check the background – it might help you choose.
• Focus: Blurry photos stand out more when printed, so make sure your shot is nice and sharp. If you're going for a blur effect, that's fine, but always zoom in on your photo to double-check the focus.
• Photo description: When you enter, you'll be asked to describe your photo and where it was taken in Boroondara. This description, or ‘artistic statement,’ helps the judges understand your photo better, so put some thought into it.
• File size: Photos that are too small won’t be exhibition-quality. They might look fine on screen but look bad when printed. To enter, your photo needs to be at least 600 kb and ideally over 1 mb in size. 
• Make only minor enhancements: You can edit your photos with minor tweaks like cropping. Photos that have been digitally altered or created using Artificial Intelligence aren’t allowed.
• Learn from the best: browse the winning photos from previous years on our library catalogue photography competition page. You’ll also find a book list with over 50 titles to help you sharpen your photography skills this year.

Visit the Boroondara Photography Competition: Hidden Boroondara page to enter and find out more. 

Image credit: Kai O’Yang’s photo ‘Rowing in Fog’ (2013) was captured on a foggy winter morning in Kew. Judges were impressed by this striking and atmospheric image with an interesting vantage point. In 2019, it was awarded first prize for a historical photograph from 1985 to 2015.