For our PIXELS competition, members can submit an image to the theme which is then judged externally where a gold, silver or bronze can be awarded. At the end of the year, the overall winner is announced.
The themes for the 2026 competition are:
| Month | Theme | Theme Definition |
|---|---|---|
| February | Colour Combinations | Look to capture examples of harmonious or complementary colours underwater. On the colour wheel those next to each other are harmonious those opposite each other are complementary. Colour theory is also valuable to consider in post-processing.  |
| April | Snoot Shooting | Demonstrate creative snoot lighting on a subject. Try to be selective with your lighting, illuminating what is interesting and hiding what isn’t. If you don’t yet have snoot fittings then alternatively use just one strobe. The objective is to see how different amount of light and strobe positions impact on the look of a subject and its surroundings. |
| June | Natural Patterns | Look for pleasing symmetry, repetition, colour combinations in natural patterns. Pick 4 shots and create a GRID of these for display. |
| August | Vertical Low Shots | When shooting macro photos the lower you can get the camera it will generally make a better photo. For this exercise we want to see your low vertical shots – maybe you have to make changes to your camera rig to shoot for this assignment? |
| October | Snoot With Movement | Combine snoot lighting with long exposure. Consider using intentional camera movement (ICM)/panning with the strobe light freezing the subject and the ICM creating an interesting background. If you don’t yet have snoot fittings then alternatively use just one strobe to minimise the light spill. |
| December | Small In The Frame | A macro subject shown in its natural environment to demonstrate just how small the subject actually is. Consider composing the shot with the subject off-centre and maximising your depth of field to showcase both subject and environment. |
The PIXELS Competition has its own set of rules which can be viewed here Pixels Rules.
Entries must also meet the WAUPS Competition Rules and Image Size Guidelines which can be viewed here.