Otago Museum marketing and event co-ordinator Charlie Buchan said organisers were looking for beautiful shots of "nearly professionals" to children taking photos while exploring the world, from the Insta-obsessed to a beautiful snap taken while on a walk.
Entries will open on Monday for the 23rd year, and the competition has had a few changes, he said.
Following the "phenomenal success" of last year’s landscape pop-up category, landscape photography had been given a permanent position in the competition.
In its place, a new pop-up category has been opened this year — macro photography.
There would also be the usual wildlife, botanicals, and our impact on the environment categories, as well as categories for under-19 photographers, first-time entrants, and a people’s choice award, he said.
To help photographers hone their skills, Otago Museum would be running talks and workshops throughout the competition period.
He said the competition was extremely popular last year, when entries doubled the previous record year, and museum staff hoped this momentum would continue.
"We live in such a beautiful region. We love how these extraordinary photographers show the country and the world just how amazing Otago is, and how much talent we have here."
Entries close on April 26 — a shorter window than last year’s competition — but it was hoped Otago residents would still have plenty of time to choose photos from 2021, or to get out and take more to enter.
After a blind judging session by professional Otago photographers, selected photos would be displayed at Otago Museum in an exhibition opening on May 28, he said.
