ORMS x Canon photography competition returns with R100 000 in prizes

The ORMS x Canon Sea Point Promenade Photographic Exhibition is returning for its seventh edition, giving South African photographers the opportunity to have their work displayed in one of Cape Town’s most iconic public spaces.

This year’s theme, The Art of Photography, asks photographers to explore a central question: when does a photograph become art?

The Art of Photography takes centre stage

For the past six years, the exhibition has brought photography out of galleries and onto the Sea Point Promenade, where thousands of locals and international visitors get to experience the selected works.

Previous exhibitions have explored themes ranging from Birds, Wildlife and Movement to Landscapes, Macro and Black & White photography.

Together, the exhibitions have created a visual record of diverse perspectives and creative voices.

For its seventh edition, photographers are being challenged to move beyond simply documenting what appears in front of the camera and reveal their individual creative vision.

Portraiture, landscape, still life, architecture, abstract and conceptual photography are all welcome.

The focus is on intention, expressed through composition, light, colour, perspective, subject, timing and editing.

What photographers are being asked to explore

Photographers are encouraged to experiment, reinterpret the ordinary and find beauty in unexpected places.

The camera should become a tool for expression, with the winning photographs expected to communicate an idea, evoke emotion, tell a story or create an atmosphere.

From all entries, 20 photographs will be selected and transformed into large-scale artworks for display along the Sea Point Promenade.

R100 000 in prizes up for grabs

The competition offers R100 000 worth of prizes across the top three entries.

First prize is valued at R65 000 and includes a Canon EOS R8 Body with RF 28–70mm f/2.8 lens and a R10 000 ORMS Print Room voucher.

Second prize is valued at R20 000 and includes a Canon EOS R50 Creator Kit and a R5 000 ORMS Print Room voucher.

Third prize is valued at R15 000 and includes a Canon PowerShot V1 and a R5 000 ORMS Print Room voucher.

Six years of South African photography

The exhibition enters its seventh year after showcasing 120 photographers over the previous six editions.

During this period, the competition has received tens of thousands of entries and awarded more than R500 000 in prizes.

This year, photographers are invited to show the world how they see it, look beyond the obvious, experiment and reinterpret their surroundings through The Art of Photography.

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