Calling all young photographers in Canberra!

Are you a Year 7–12 student with a passion for photography? Enter the 2026 CMAG Secondary School Photography Prize for a chance to showcase your work and win a share of $1700+ in prizes.

 

2026 Stimulus Exhibition -  Maria Fernanda Cardoso: Spiders of Paradise 

Entrants are invited to respond to this visually striking exhibition, where Cardoso blends art, science and nature through large-scale photography and immersive video to reveal the extraordinary colour, beauty and courtship rituals of Australia’s tiny Maratus spiders. 

Be inspired by Maria Fernanda Cardoso’s: Spiders of Paradise, on display at Canberra Museum and Gallery (29 May-23 August). Creative prompts to explore may include: 

Seen and Unseen
Photograph something small, overlooked, or easily missed. Use scale, focus and/or composition to reveal unexpected complexity in the everyday.
Designed by Nature
Photograph patterns in nature or the built environment—colour, repetition, texture or symmetry—that reveal a sense of design, intention, or natural order.
Colour as Communication
Use bold or subtle colour to suggest mood, attraction, warning, identity, or expression—just as colour is used in the natural world. 

   

Ted’s Cameras proudly sponsors the CMAG Secondary School Photography Prize, helping to nurture creativity and inspire the next generation of Australian photographers.

   

Competition Details

• FREE entry for all secondary students attending school in the ACT
• Prizes awarded in two categories: Years 7–10 & Years 11–12
• Entries will be exhibited at CMAG as part of Maria Fernanda Cardoso: Spiders of Paradise
• FREE entry to the exhibition for all visitors

Key Dates

Entries open on Monday 1 June 2026
All entries are due by 11:59pm on Sunday 28 June 2026
Prizes will be awarded and announced on Saturday 25 July 2026
Entries will be exhibited alongside the Spiders of Paradice exhibit until Sunday 23 August 2026

 

Prizes

Two prize categories (Year 7–10 and Year 11–12):

Students can win Ted’s Cameras vouchers, a Sony ZV-1 camera, and take part in a photography workshop at CMAG led by Canberra-based photographer and 2026 prize mentor, Ben Kopilow.

Overall Winner
Sony ZV-1 Camera

Junior (Year 7–10)

•          First Prize: $200 Ted’s gift voucher
•          Second Prize: $100 Ted’s gift voucher
•          Highly Commended: $50 Ted’s gift voucher

Senior (Year 11–12)

•          First Prize: $250 Ted’s gift voucher
•          Second Prize: $100 Ted’s gift voucher
•          Highly Commended: $50 Ted’s gift voucher

 

How to Enter

• Entry is FREE. Link for entries will be available on this webpage on Monday 1 June. 
• You may enter up to THREE photographs, in colour or black and white.
• All entries must be submitted as digital files through the online entry form. Maximum file size: 10MB.
• Each file must include the student’s full name and the photograph’s title in the filename (e.g. JohnSmithCivicSquare).
• A signed permission form from a parent or guardian must be included, allowing the student’s first name and second initial, year level and school to be published alongside their work.
• A teacher contact name and email must be provided for each student entry.
• If an entry features a recognisable image of a person under 18, you must also provide the contact details of that person’s parent or carer to grant permission for their likeness to be shown.
• Artist statement: explain what inspired your work and how you created it in 30 words or less.

 

Terms and Conditions

• Entry is open to all secondary school students enrolled in years 7 through 12 in the Australian Capital Territory in 2026.
• Immediate family of Cultural Facilities Corporation employees are ineligible to enter.
• By participating in this competition, students, teachers, parents, and carers understand that student work will be used for current and future promotional purposes. Appropriate artist credit will be given when used for promotional purposes.
• CMAG reserves the right to display selected works only. Captions will include the student’s first name and second initial, year level and school.
• The work may be produced as part of study or school requirements, but this is not a pre-requisite. Participants do not need to be studying art or a photography-related course.
• No responsibility will be taken for digital files submitted. Digital files will not be returned.