New Zealand Landscape Salon

Formerly known as The Laurie Thomas Landscape Salon, this long-running competition boasts a rich legacy spanning 27 years of success. However, in the spirit of growth and evolution, it's time for a refresh.  While the name Laurie Thomas Salon holds immediate recognition among PSNZ members, it may not resonate as strongly with other passionate New Zealand landscape photographers.  So the Salon's organisers, members from the Christchurch Photographic Society, have decided to re-launch the salon, instituting changes over the next two years.

The first step is a name change. The competition will now be known as the New Zealand Landscape Salon and the premium award will be the Laurie Thomas Trophy.  As tradition dictates, the winner shall be awarded, and will keep, this distinctive sculptural trophy.

The A5 printed catalogue which every participant has previously received has started to look a little dated. Consequently, we will now offer a high-quality printed book which will be available to purchase, separate from the entry fee. The decision to forgo the printed brochure has enabled a significant reduction in the entry fee.

The judging teams, comprising assessors from either the North and South Island, alternate annually. This year's team will be from the North and will be led by Annette Johnston FPSNZ. Further details will be announced in due course.

So if your camera has accompanied you in your “Adventures in Aotearoa” please join us in a celebration of our wonderful landscape by participating in the New Zealand Landscape Salon. Entries will be open from the 1st May to 2nd June 2024.

The New Zealand Landscape Salon has adopted the PSNZ definition for Landscape Photography

Photographs which capture a sense of 'space' and 'place' and tell a story of the scene before the camera. A landscape may combine elements such as land, sea, bodies of water and sky and may include human elements for scale and context but not to the extent that the human element becomes the prominent element.

Summary of Competition Rules

• The integrity of the landscape at the time of capture must be maintained. The making of physical changes to the landscape such as the introduction of new elements either from photographic sources or digital painting e.g. adding in, removing or replacing: skies, foregrounds, birds, mists, sun, moon, sun rays or the deletion of significant objects is NOT permitted.
• Minor deletions of transient items eg, a leaf or stone or dust spot or litter, etc are permitted if they do not impact on the integrity of the scene.
• Minor digital adjustments including dodging and burning, changes to tone and contrast, and limited cropping are allowed.
• Entries must have been photographed within New Zealand.
  
• The entry must be 100% photographic in origin.  No element of the entry can be computer-generated including any element created by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Composite images are not permitted.
• Images must be submitted digitally via the nzlandscapeawards.photo website.  Images are to be uploaded in jpeg format, sRGB colour space, maximum resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels.  Images must be at least 3000 pixels in the longest dimension. Photos scanned from transparency are acceptable. Limited cropping is allowed, but the native resolution of the image must still be at least 3000 pixels on the longest edge.
• High Dynamic Range, stitched panoramas/mosaic, and focus stacking techniques are permitted.

Entrants must read the full set of Rules before entering the competition.  The full set of Rules are provided here.

How to Enter

There are just three simple steps to enter the 2024 NZ Landscape Salon. 

1. Login to your Visual Pursuits account (if you've entered the competition previously) or Create a New Account.

2. Pay the competition entry fee via PayPal.

3. Upload your Entries to the Competition.

You'll find a helpful guide to completing each step under the NZLS Support section of the navigation menu at the top of this page.

Entry Fee

Payment of the competition entry fee, using the PayPal platform, is required before entries can be uploaded.

The entry fee is $28 NZD and includes up to 4 digital entries.

Exhibition Photo Book

Details of the printed Salon Photo book that will replace the A5 catalogue, that entrants may remember from previous years, are being finalised.  We are working to offer a high-quality, coffee-table-style, publication that will provide a comprehensive summary of the successful photographs entered into this year's salon.  As soon as details are finalised, books will be available for pre-ordering from this website.  We will notify all entrants of the ordering process.  Books will be designed and sent into production once exhibition results have been finalised.

Meet the Judges

What will the Judges be looking for?

The directive to the judging panel underscores a desire to honour photography that encapsulates an authentic sense of place. While we are open to a creative approach to this goal, we would like to encourage pure photography skills.

The Laurie Thomas Trophy will be presented to the winner of the 2024 New Zealand Landscape Salon.