RECKON you can cram 1000 words or more into a single photograph?
The Newcastle Herald is once again searching for the Hunter's best backyard photographer. You could be named the winner in the 2026 Hunter Photography Prize.
David Whyte's entry, Outstretched Wings, an evocative image of a native waterbird drying its wings at Lake Macquarie, won the competition in 2025.
Judges noted Whyte's unquestionable skill in the frame and the purposeful composition.
"I knew what I wanted," Whyte said. "I knew the shape. I stood there for a while. He was perched on the branch and he was moving his wings around. I was just watching and observing it, and when his wings were out, I took a few."
"I just patiently waited."
Now it's your turn - what will you capture?
The annual Hunter Photography Prize is open to residents of the Hunter Region. To be eligible, your main source of income cannot be derived from photography.
Photographs must either be taken in the region or feature Hunter people. You can take your pictures with anything ranging from a Box Brownie to your trusty smartphone. The overall winner will collect the 2026 Hunter Photography Prize.
Entries are now open and close at midnight on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Winners will be named in the Newcastle Herald on January 31, 2026, and online at newcastleherald.com.au.
Our judges will select the winner. The judges' decisions are final. A readers' choice award will be voted via newcastleherald.com.au.
A selection of entries may be published in print editions and/or on the websites of the Herald and other ACM mastheads, including the Maitland Mercury, Port Stephens Examiner and the Singleton Argus.
Winners receive vouchers to buy photography equipment to further their passion. The judges' selection will receive an $1100 voucher at Harvey Norman, while the people's choice will receive a $900 voucher.
By entering the competition, a person is stating the photograph was taken by them and that they own the copyright. The photographer gives Australian Community Media and the associated titles permission to publish their submitted photographs in any form, including print, online, book, calendar or exhibition. The photographer retains the copyright.
To enter email photoprize@newcastleherald.com.au (maximum five photos, as JPEG attachments).
Write your name and "Hunter Photography Prize" in the subject field.
All entries must list the author's name, address, email address and phone contacts.
Please note that not all photo entries will be published. Photos must be minimum 500KB and maximum of 2MB. Australian Community Media reserves the right to crop a photograph.
The judges include Newcastle Herald photographers Peter Lorimer and Jonathan Carroll, Herald editor Lisa Allan, Herald senior deputy editor Matt Carr and Herald Sunday and opinion editor Deborah Richards.
Entries close at midnight on Tuesday, January 20, 2026.
Full terms and conditions can be viewed below.