Overall winner: Portrait in Nature from the Faces I have met category. Beautiful image. The pose and eye contact allow for connection between the subject and the viewer. The wide aperture creates a clear subject while balancing the visual weight. The blur in the foreground and background adds layers and depth to the image, along with nice lighting that creates contrast. The biggest highlight is the use of mainly two colours with various tones. Brown and green create harmony within the image. The hair and skin tones match other parts of the image, and the dress matches the grass.
Absence of colour:
- 1st place: After the flood. This is a complicated scene that can be hard to compose well, but this image has achieved that. The small amount of framing that the sky adds helps a lot. Exposing the tree well was a good choice, even though it meant the sky would be blown out. The detail and shape of the tree are the real winners.
- 2nd place: Balancing act. A great behaviour shot of a Whistling Kite. Shooting at eye level allows for an accurate perspective. I like the framing of the lighter background. Visual weight is all to the left. I would look at a crop coming from the top right to see if that helps with balance and field of view.
Culture and our way of life:
- 1st place: Where heritage comes to life. A typically Australian scene. Having the eye of the sheep visible ensures a connection. It's well exposed with nice contrast to convey depth. Having the little pieces of wool separate from the main subject helps tell the story. I'd look at using the vertical lines in the scene to straighten the image.
- 2nd place: A father's legacy. Such a beautiful scene. You can sense the pride in the father and the son (even the horses!). Love the tones within the image. In terms of visual weight I'd look at a portrait crop. The image would have been stronger if the subjects were sharp. I'm not sure if that was a result of shutter speed, focus, or noise reduction, but having the protagonists sharp would help convey the story.
Faces I have met:
- 1st place: A window into play. Such a fun idea. The joy on the faces makes the shot. The contrast between light and shade creates balance, split down the middle. I would like a touch more room between the subject and the edge of the image, and maybe his feet in shot (you may not have had room behind you to do so).
- 2nd place: Message me. Small in frame is very on trend at the moment. This fits the bill. The black and white of the dress and the stairs contrast nicely with the beige colours. All of the lines and common shapes work very well. I'd play around with different crops to see which works best (it may be this one!).
Lie of the land:
- 1st place: Morning glow. A beautiful morning scene. Those early morning colours are great. The clouds in the background make great layers. It's nice to see the amount of birds in the trees. The hero of the shot is the early morning fog and the glimpse of morning light across the grass. I'd look at a 3:2 crop to remove the brightest part of the sky that can grab the eye first.
- 2nd place: Gloucester Lilli Pilli. A pretty shot capturing the lilli pilli in light. The low key effect really allows the subject to stand out. Depending on how busy it was below the flower, I'd like less negative space at the top and a touch more of what was below.
Man made:
- 1st place: Steam engine. Very cool scene. The image has multiple layers, creating depth. You've left room for the vehicle to move, allowing the viewer to move through the image as well. You could use the flute as a guide to straighten the image. I'd also play around with the image in black and white to see what it would look like.
- 2nd place: Faux feather. A very creative idea to include in this category. The image has simplicity and complexity all at once. It's almost X-ray-like; I'd be interested to see that contrast pushed a little farther.
Natural environment:
- 1st place: Cathedral rocks. Kiama is a great place to photograph, especially the sea stacks. The energy brought by the long exposure makes the scene. The water creates a clear path through the image, and I love that you find some cormorants at the top of the rock. I'd look to straighten the image slightly by using the part of the water that reaches the horizon.
- 2nd place: Cheeky chipmunk. The image captures the title perfectly. The puffy cheeks and pose make a great behaviour shot that fits the species. Focus is spot on, as is the subject connection. I'd like to see the full tail by showing a bit farther left, and slightly lower.
Not your normal photo:
- 1st place: Moo nose. I love this. Such a great concept, and shooting it in low key only adds to the shot. Focus is spot on. The diminishing focus with diminishing light adds to a great shot.
- 2nd place: Looking straight up. Great shot challenging perspective. Having the trees converge to find some well controlled colour makes for a different and good scene.
Junior:
- 1st place: Fragile beauty. What a great shot! Great framing separates the subject (and the flower) from the background and the sides of the image. The sharpest part of the shot being around the eye is perfect. The detail, especially the proboscis is amazing. Well done.
- 2nd place: Hide and seek. Nice find. Capturing this beautiful creature sneakily looking at the camera takes great skill. The path between the leaves leads you through the entire image. Congrats.
- Highly commended: Portara. Looks like a beautiful place! I love how you've captured both the cool and warm tones of the scene. What a great photo to have as a reminder of a great memory.
Pix from the Stix is Gloucester's annual photography exhibition that celebrates the talents of budding and experienced photographers. Pix has a range of categories for entrants 18 years and older, as well as an open section for juniors 17 years and under.
The 2026 judge Richard Shaw will announce the winners on Saturday 15th August - come along from 1pm, announcement will be made at 1.30 pm. Voting for the people's choice will open on Wednesday - remember to bring a gold coin or you will be able to vote online (the link will be posted here).
2025 entries
2026 Competition Details
About (click arrows to view)
Our Sponsors
Thank you to our sponsors. We couldn't have this competition without your support.
Please support our sponsors whenever you can.
Gloucester Community Shop | Gloucester Medico |
Elders Real Estate Gloucester | Jacobs Building |
Revive Pharmacy | KE and LA Forbes Building |
Gloucester Tyre and Battery | Rotary Club of Gloucester |
Kelly & Partners | Faulls Ridge Wine |
Key Dates
Friday 1 May 2026 Competition opens
Sunday 26 July 2026 Competition closes at 11pm AEST
Monday 10 August 2026 Works to be delivered to Gloucester Gallery between 9am - 11am
Wednesday 12 August 2026 Gallery is open to the public
Saturday 15 August 1pm 2026 Opening Event where the judge will announce the winners. Announcement will be at 1.30pm
Saturday 29 August 2026 Works to be collected from Gloucester Gallery from 1pm to 2pm
Gallery Address: 25 Denison St Gloucester NSW 2422
Categories
Faces I Have Met
This portraiture category allows you to capture the essence of some of the interesting and diverse characters that you may have met.
Lie of the Land
This category is specific to the Barrington Coast and allows you to explore the differing landscape features around this region.
The Natural Environment
For a more in-depth photography experience of nature, capture the flora and fauna in a truly individual and explicit manner.
Man-Made
Focus on obscure or everyday objects and use your photographic skills to capture the essence of the myriad of man-made objects that surround our lives wherever we may find ourselves.
Not Your Normal Photo
A time to really test your artistic flare. Experiment with a more abstract or conceptual approach to photography, pushing the limits of what is achievable through digital technology.
Absence of Colour
Black and white photography (or even partial colour absence) has a unique way of highlighting and capturing the essence of a subject. Use your imagination to create stunning photographs highlighted by the distinct lack of colour.
Culture and Our Way of Life
This category is a chance to capture what culture means to you. By definition, culture is all about the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of people within a community.
Junior
This category is open to people aged 17 years and under. There is no specific genre so feel free to experiment in any of the above listed categories.
The ’Junior’ section (under 18 years as of the closing date of the exhibition period) is an open genre category.
The ‘Senior’ section must be submitted under one of the above categories with the genre used as the basis for the composition of the photograph.
Image Appropriateness
Any image deemed unsuitable/inappropriate will be excluded from the competition and/or the exhibition.
No refunds will be issued.
Judging
All winners are chosen through a blind-judging process. The competition judge will be provided with the digital photographs only, containing the category and title of the photograph. Judging will be completed prior to the first day of the exhibition with the winners announced at the opening event.
All entries are to be submitted in both digital and print format. Any entry not submitted for physical exhibition will be disqualified without refund.
Prizes
Each senior category awards: 1st Prize $100, 2nd Prize $50
Junior category awards: 1st Prize $75, 2nd Prize $50 plus a $25 Encouragement Award.
A Major Prize of $500 is awarded to the overall winner - chosen from senior categories only. This is an acquisition prize - meaning that the framed winning photo will become the property of the Gloucester Arts and Cultural Council to be included in the PIX Collection. The photographer retains copyright over the image.
Category prizes will only be paid once the work has been collected from Gloucester Gallery.
Prize Sponsors
Major Prize | |
Absence of Colour | |
Culture and Our Way of life | Revive Pharmacyhttps://revivepharmacy.com.au/ |
Faces I Have met | |
Lie of the Land | |
Man Made | |
Natural Environment | |
Not Your Normal Photo | |
Junior | |
Opening Event |
People’s Choice Prize
There is a voting box on display during the course of the exhibition where visitors can cast a vote for a gold coin donation. The winner of this vote will be awarded the funds collected in the box during the exhibition.
Criteria & Conditions
Entry Details
Complete the online PIX entry form on Trybooking, once this has been submitted you will be emailed a link to upload your images.
All completed entry forms, payments and digital photographs MUST be received by 11pm on 26th July 2026 for the blind-judging.
All entries must be prepared in both a digital and print format. Any entry not submitted for physical exhibition will be disqualified without refund.
An entry fee of $20 applies for each entry in the ‘senior’ section and $10 per entry for the ‘Junior’ section. Please note that payment made via trybooking.com may incur an additional booking fee retained by Trybooking.com.
Each person can submit up to five (5) entries.
A maximum of 3 photographs for any one entry displayed as a series is permitted.
Photographs must not have been exhibited in the Gloucester Gallery or any other gallery within a 200 kilometre radius of the Gloucester Gallery.
Printed Photo Size
There is no maximum size specification for printed photographic entries this year. When choosing your photograph and frame size please be mindful that firstly, entries are only judged on the digital photograph and secondly, there are space limitations within the gallery.
Digital Photo File Size and File Naming Convention
All digital entries must be in either jpeg (.jpg) or png (.png) format, between 2Mb and 7Mb in size.
An email confirmation will be sent which will include a link for you to upload your image(s)
Each photograph file name must include the category code and photograph title.
The following format is to be used. Example: NAT-PixFromTheStix.
There must not be any photographer signature or watermark on the digital photo for judging purposes.
Category code are:
FAC = Faces I Have Met | NOT = Not Your Normal photo |
LIE = Lie of the Land | ABS = Absence of Colour |
NAT = The Natural Environment | CUL = Culture |
MAN = Man-Made | JUN = Junior |
Framing of Photo
All print photographs must be suitably framed for hanging via a 2-hook system (one on each side near the top on the back of the frame).
Where large ‘D’ rings aren’t fitted to the frame, please ensure the wire or cord is firmly stretched across the back of the frame. A loose wire or cord will cause the work to flop forward and/or the wire or cord to be visible.
Any entry not conforming to the framing requirements may be disqualified without refund.
Labelling your Photograph for Entry
All print entries must be clearly marked on the back with the following details:
* Name of photographer
* Photograph Title
* Category
* Brief description/explanation
Category codes are:
FAC = Faces I Have Met | NOT = Not Your Normal Photo |
LIE = Lie of the Land | ABS = Absence of Colour |
NAT = The Natural Environment | CUL = Culture |
MAN = Man-Made | JUN = Junior |
Delivery of Your Entry
All print photographs must be prepared for exhibition hanging with in-person deliveries received at the Gloucester Gallery, 25 Denison Street on Monday, 10 August 2026 between 9am and 11am.
Works being sent by courier or post must be received by Noon on Monday, 10 August 2026. Please let us know at pix@artsgloucester.org if you are posting your works so we know to expect a delivery. Address for deliveries is 25 Denison Street, Gloucester, NSW 2422.
Courier and postage expenses are the responsibility of the entrant, including pre-paid return freight. The packaging must be reusable or include additional packaging for return and include required address labelling.
Photographs submitted prior to the delivery date must be packaged for storage by the entrant.
For assistance with alternative delivery arrangements, please email pix@gloucester-arts.com.au.
Late entries will NOT be accepted.
Use and Ownership of Photograph
By entering the competition, the photographer gives permission for Arts Gloucester and Gloucester Gallery to use the digital images for promotional purposes. This includes use by the sponsors of the entered category. The photographer will be given credit, where possible. The photographer will retain ownership of the photograph.
Gallery Exhibition Details
By entering the competition, the photographer agrees to have their works on exhibition in the Gloucester Gallery for the duration of the public exhibition.
The Pix from the Stix exhibition will be on display in the Gloucester Gallery from Wednesday, 12 August until Saturday, 29 August 2026.
The exhibition opening and prize winner announcements Saturday, 15 August 2026 doors open at 1pm with the announcment at 1.30 pm at Gloucester Gallery.
All competition participants, friends and families are invited to attend. Entry to the opening is free.
Selling Photographs
Photographers can opt to have their entries up for sale during the exhibition in the Gloucester Gallery and are required to supply a sale price at the time of delivery. Any sales made during this period attract a 20% commission retained by the Gloucester Gallery.
Collecting Works at Close of Exhibition
All unsold entries must be collected between Noon and 1pm from Gloucester Gallery on the final day of the exhibition unless otherwise arranged with the competition coordinators. Any unsold entries uncollected after 2 months from the conclusion of the competition will automatically become the property of Arts Gloucester.
Lost or Damaged Works
Arts Gloucester and the Gloucester Gallery take no responsibility for any loss of or damage to any works submitted.
Contact Details
2026 Pix Entry Form
2026 Judge
Gloucester’s annual photography competition, Pix from the Stix welcomes Rich Shaw as the judge for 2026.
Wildlife Photographer & Educator
Rich Shaw is a photographer and educator based in Port Macquarie, and the founder of Amegilla Studios, with a strong passion for teaching. Rich focuses on helping photographers understand not just how to take images, but why they work.
His work in wildlife photography has been recognised through success in competitions, giving him a practical understanding of what makes an image stand out in a judged environment. As a judge, Rich brings a thoughtful and constructive approach, focussing on light, composition and intent while encouraging photographers at all levels to grow and refine their craft.
Thank you to the 2026 Sponsors