North Shore Salon
Recognised as one of New Zealand’s most anticipated photographic events, the North Shore Salon is your opportunity to challenge yourself, share your passion, and showcase your best work alongside photographers from across the country. Since its inception in 1995, it has built a reputation for excellence, bringing together a vibrant photographic community to celebrate creativity, recognise outstanding imagery, and inspire photographers to continue pushing the boundaries of their craft.
One of the greatest benefits of the Salon is having your images viewed by an exceptional panel of judges who are among the most highly respected and accomplished professionals in the photographic industry. Their experience, knowledge, and thoughtful critiques provide invaluable feedback that can help you see your work from a fresh perspective, refine your skills, and continue growing as a photographer. For many entrants, the judges’ comments are just as rewarding as the competition itself.
With a wide range of categories, there’s something to inspire every photographer, regardless of experience or photographic style.
Open Colour | Monochrome | Scapes | Minimalistic and People
The distinguished panel of judges for 2026 comprises Mike Langford, Gail Stent, Chris Traill, Rachael Smith and Gerard Emery with Shar Devine and Russell Hamlet as judge convenors.
Panel judging 12th September – results and Youtube recording available by 11am on 13th September
Photographers will compete for the prestigious Supreme Winner Trophy, along with medals, certificates, and an exciting range of prizes generously provided by our sponsors. Canon have donated a CANON imagePROGRAF PRO-310 printer for the Salon Champion so it’s definitely worth entering to be in to win!!
We love supporting this competition and once again this year’s award-winning photographs will be professionally printed and exhibited by Print Art, ensuring the winning images are presented at their very best.
Done & Dusted!
The Iris Awards 2026 have found their winners! The Awards celebrate the innovation and excellence of professional photography today, providing a platform for recognition within the wider photographic community and with the general public. For the second year running Sarah McGregor took out the top accolade – New Zealand Professional Photographer Of The Year.
Last year after winning Sarah wrote an insightful article Why I enter...
She talks about how It started with curiosity. That first entry wasn’t about hoping to win anything….to now how she feels about entering There’s a strange rhythm to it. The excitement when entries open. The ideas that start forming months before you even pick up a camera and the transformation through to your client work at this time. The pressure you put on yourself. The late nights. The constant second-guessing. And then eventually, the moment you hit submit, which is equal parts relief and fear. Because no matter how long you’ve been doing it, it still matters. It still feels personal.
She also talks about how it’s been such a learning process – what people don’t always see is what happens behind the scenes. The printing. The testing. The failure. The reprinting. The hours spent trying to get a skin tone right on a paper that suddenly behaves differently to how you expected. The conversations with your printer. The experiments with surface, texture, tone. The decisions that feel small but end up completely changing the final image. That process has probably been one of the most valuable parts of entering awards for me. It forces you to slow down and really understand your work. Not just how it looks on a screen, but how it exists physically in the world. What it feels like to hold. How it behaves under light. How it sits as an object, not just an image. And that learning doesn’t stay in the award space. It filters directly into client work. The way I shoot now is different because of it. The way I light, the way I finish files, the way I think about presentation. Even the way I talk to clients about what they are receiving has changed. There is a deeper understanding of quality that only comes from pushing your work through that kind of scrutiny.
A big part of the learning curve is listening to the live judging of all the categories and entries. We have given the link below so you can have a nosy and see which categories catch your fancy…we have also given you the link to read Sarah’s full article. Enjoy!
It's a Wrap!
The New Zealand Amateur Photography Awards is a digital entry only competition which can introduce amateur photographers to the world of photographic competitions. The aim is to encourage pushing creative boundaries, provide critique for growth and development, and opportunities for recognition of the strength of a photographer’s work. Paul Francis took out the Amateur Photographer of the year award for 2026. Paul loves capturing New Zealand and its birds through a creative lens — turning ordinary moments into beautiful, stylish expressions of nature.
He says – Photography has become my way of slowing down, reconnecting with nature, and appreciating the quieter moments between the busy parts of life. Its my therapy.
To see the NZAPA finalists click on the link below and to see more of Paul’s work enjoy his website.
Creative Focus Results Are Out
Apartment Dwellers & Fragility–Helen McLeod, The Living Gallery-Lisa Kearns, The After Party-Julia Rae
With enticing categories – Impossible Realities, Everyday Surreal, On The Street and of course Creative Focus, entries flooded in to be in the running for not only the winner of each category but also a supreme winner still to be announced! Who out of the four fabulous category winners will be the cream of the crop? Why not have a look to see which image you would choose. The overall champion will be announced on Sat 22 August at the Creative Focus awards evening.
A Rolling Exhibition In Christchurch
If you are in Christchurch don’t miss this curated exhibition with regular rotation, tempting you to go several times! Most items are for sale on a cash & carry basis and proudly printed by Print Art. Organised by Christchurch Photographic Society The Art of Noticing features open images, plus a set of themed images each month, beginning with black and white; followed by landscape and finally nature is a three month long exhibition. The beautiful work of 35 photographers, is on show so there will be plenty of personal expression, and the noticing of the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary on show.
The Art of Noticing | Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery
2 Harakeke Street |Tuesday to Sunday | 9am to 3pm
Exhibition Coming Up
Pop the date for this exhibition in your diary! Desmond Burdon, long time Print Art customer has an exhibition coming up at the beginning of September with his partner, ceramicist, Pauline McCoy
Desmond’s current work is the result of more than forty years photographic experience. Distilled into a new visual language, a more personal and expressive art practice and driven by a desire to make work that means something, Desmond brings together photography, illustration, texture, colour, AI and graphic design to create images that communicate ideas and evoke emotion. By using this blend of mediums he feel it allows him to explore themes with depth and nuance, while giving space for spontaneity and self-expression. Images shaped by lived experience, technical precision, and an ongoing curiosity. This layered approach forms the foundation of his current artistic voice. Thoughtful, experimental, and distinctly his own.
Parallel Lives Pauline McCoy and Desmond Burdon with his latest body of work Gaza | Upstairs Gallery | Titirangi
4- 18 September | Opening 4th Sept 5.30pm