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Top New Zealand photographers will donate their time and expertise as judges of the inaugural Capital Photographer of the Year competition.

The Capital Photographer of the Year (CPotY) competition celebrates Wellington and the wider region, its beauty, its creativity and its people. It’s set to be one of the biggest photography competitions the Wellington region has ever seen, with six categories, cash prizes, and free entry.

The judging panel for CPoTY 2021 includes twenty of New Zealand’s top photographers, artists, curators, creatives, and art connoisseurs. They are: Janet Bayly, Bonny Beattie, Steve Boniface, Joyce Campbell, Conor Clarke, Russ Flatt, Mark Gee, Henry Hargreaves, Gavin Hipkins, Rebecca Kempton, Jacqui Kenny, Grant Maiden, Jeff McEwan, Marcia Page, Neil Pardington, Anne Noble, Jono Rotman, Matariki Williams, Virginia Woods-Jack and Simon Woolf.

See bios and more information about the judging panel here: CPotY Judges

“One of our aims with Capital magazine is to showcase the best photographic talent the region has to offer, Capital Photographer of the Year is a natural evolution,” says Shalee Fitzsimmons (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Convener of CPotY and Capital’s Art Director, “we ultimately want a collection of images that represent our region and creative talent.”

Judges will be looking for:

• Natural talent over digital editing skills.

• Photographs with a strong narrative that evokes a feeling, or an original perspective.

• Photographers who represent their entered category brief well. 

Capital Photographer of the Year would not be possible without partners Mazz Scannell, Splendid Photo, and Capital Publishing, major sponsors Warren and Mahoney (sponsoring the Structure Category) and the Masonic Villages Trust (sponsoring the Society Category), and supporters HuttValleyNZ and ArtZone magazine.