Photography

Capture the moment forever. Tell your story through photography.

2025 Photography Titles

The descriptions in italics are just starting points. Feel free to explore and interpret each topic in your own unique way—creativity and originality are encouraged!

• Animals in Nature - Photograph animals in their natural environments, capturing their behaviour and habitat with minimal evidence of human activity.

• Close Encounters: Macro Photography of Nature's Details – Explore the intricate details of nature through macro photography, focusing on textures, patterns, and small-scale features.
• Capturing Reflections– Capture reflections in water or other surfaces, showcasing how nature, landscapes, and architecture mirror themselves to create symmetrical beauty.
• Patterns in Nature: Discovering Hidden Designs - Capture images of natural patterns, such as the symmetry of flowers or the spiral of a snail shell, emphasizing their beauty and function.
• Nature’s Palette: Exploring Colour in the Wild - Capture the vibrant colours found in nature, showing how different organisms use colour for survival and communication.
• Rainbow Makers: Exploring Light with Prisms – Reveal the hidden spectrum within light, using prisms to capture the beauty of the rainbow.
• Pollution Portraits - Capture how pollution affects colours in nature, from smog-filled skies to discoloured water and landscapes. Show the impact of chemistry on the transformation of colours in polluted environments.
• Pollinators at Work - Capturing the crucial role of pollinators in ecosystems.
• The Night Sky - Capturing the wonder of the universe above us.
• Looking Up - Change your perspective and capture the beauty of the sky, trees, or tall structures from a different angle.

A successful Oliphant Science Awards Photography entry:

• Has accurate science content.
• Will communicate ideas clearly, each photograph expressing a single idea within the topic chosen.
• Will contain good quality photographs.
• Will have the photographs displayed effectively.
• Will show creativity and originality.

Rules for Photography:

• The photographs must be on one of the titles listed above.
• A group of up to 3 students can complete a Photography entry. The highest year level in the group will determine the year category of the entry.
• The photography and ideas expressed must be the student’s own work.
• The photography can be either black and white or colour.
• A maximum of six photographs/images can be used per entry.
• Each photograph must be no larger than 25 cm x 20 cm.
• The photographs must be mounted on a single sheet of lightweight card no larger than 51 cm x 65 cm. No corflute, glass, wood or other heavy frame or backing is permitted.
• The entry must be flat (no three-dimensional material attached).
• Each photograph must have a caption or short statement, linking it to the title.
• All production work must be done by the student including any special effects or manipulation (Commercial developing may be used).
• Any type of camera may be used.
• You must include a written statement of no more than 100 words which includes;
  • The make and model of the camera used.
  • The developing / printing process used.
  • Any special effects or manipulations used.
  • Acknowledgment of any help.

Rules for photographing animals:

• When photographing in a natural setting, ensure that you eliminate any impact that your presence has on the subject and its surrounding environment.
• You must not do anything to injure or distress an animal or damage its habitat in an attempt to secure an image.

In presenting your photography entry:

• You must attach your written statement about the camera and processing to the back of the entry.
• You must securely attach your Identification Label (your Coordinator will give you this label) to the back of your entry.

Photography from a judge's perspective

Posted by Oliphant Science Awards on 15 Apr 2021

by Elizabeth Anderson, Mitcham Girls High School Over the years of involvement with the Photography section of the Oliphant Science Awards I have been lucky enough to have judged work from Years 2...  more...

Photography Perspectives & Trade Secrets

Posted by Oliphant Science Awards on 30 Jul 2020

Are you trying to get the best shot for your Photography entry?  Check out the videos below for some tips from Oliphant Science Awards entrants Toby Trenwith and Josephine Oehler in 'Photography Perspectives'...  more...