The search is on once again for the Hunter Region's most talented amateur photographers. The Newcastle Herald has officially opened entries for the 2026 Hunter Photography Prize, calling on local residents to capture the essence of their community through a lens.
Inspired by Last Year's Winner
The competition follows the success of the 2025 champion, Lake Macquarie's David Whyte. His winning image, titled 'Outstretched Wings', featured a native waterbird drying its wings at Lake Macquarie. Judges praised the photograph's evocative nature and Whyte's skilful, purposeful composition.
Reflecting on his winning moment, Whyte emphasised patience and observation. "I knew what I wanted," he said. "I stood there for a while... I just patiently waited." His approach serves as inspiration for this year's hopeful entrants.
Contest Rules and How to Enter
The annual prize is exclusively for residents of the Hunter Region whose main income is not derived from photography. Entries must either be taken within the Hunter or feature people from the area. The competition is delightfully democratic regarding equipment, accepting everything from vintage Box Brownie cameras to modern smartphones.
Entries are now open and will close at midnight on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Winners will be announced in the Newcastle Herald and online at newcastleherald.com.au on January 31, 2026.
A panel of expert judges from the Herald will select the main winner, while a separate Readers' Choice award will be decided by public vote on the newspaper's website.
Prizes and Publication
The stakes are high for local photography enthusiasts. The judges' choice for the overall winner will receive an $1100 Harvey Norman voucher for photography equipment. The recipient of the People's Choice Award will be awarded a $900 voucher.
A selection of entries may be published in the print and online editions of the Newcastle Herald and other Australian Community Media mastheads, including the Maitland Mercury, Port Stephens Examiner, and the Singleton Argus.
To enter, participants must email a maximum of five photos as JPEG attachments to photoprize@newcastleherald.com.au. The subject line must include the entrant's name and "Hunter Photography Prize". All submissions require the author's name, address, email, and phone number. Photos must be between 500KB and 2MB in size.
The judging panel comprises Newcastle Herald photographers Peter Lorimer and Jonathan Carroll, editor Lisa Allan, senior deputy editor Matt Carr, and Sunday and opinion editor Deborah Richards.
