CATEGORY DESCRIPTION

The Creative Wedding Category is designed to recognise and reward photographers who push the boundaries of traditional wedding photography. This category celebrates artistic expression, creative concepts, and storytelling in the context of weddings and related events, such as engagement sessions, styled shoots, and anniversaries. It encourages photographers to experiment with creative themes, compositions, and post-production techniques while maintaining a connection to the wedding narrative.

CATEGORY INTENT

This category celebrates innovative wedding photography that goes beyond traditional moments
and embraces artistic freedom and conceptual photography. It recognises photographers who creatively interpret wedding stories through unique compositions, concepts, and post-production approaches, while still honouring the essence and emotional connection of the wedding day and related events. 

This category rewards photographers who push creative boundaries while maintaining a strong connection to the wedding narrative. Creative compositions, bold themes, and storytelling techniques are encouraged, all while ensuring a clear link to the wedding context. 

CATEGORY RULES

This is a MAJOR EDITING CATEGORY and allows for significant creative manipulation of the original image.

Entries may:

• Alter, add, or remove elements
• Combine multiple images or scenes
• Transform the original capture creatively

The final image does not need to represent the original scene as photographed.

RULES

1. Compliance with Global Rules, Terms and Conditions, and Spirit and Intent of the Awards 

All entries must comply with the Global Rules, Terms and Conditions, and the Spirit and Intent of the awards. This includes adherence to the principles of originality and ethical standards set forth by the competition. Images should represent the work of the entrant, and any entries that violate these guidelines will be disqualified. 

2. Eligibility 

The Wedding Creative Category is open to images that celebrate broader aspects of wedding-related events, including: 

• The wedding day
• Hen/stag parties
• Trash the dress sessions 
• Engagement sessions 
• Anniversaries
• Styled wedding shoots 
• Elopements 

The photographs should convey a creative vision while still maintaining relevance to the wedding theme. 

3. Allowed Techniques

• Compositing (combining multiple images or elements)
• Adding or removing subjects or objects
• Background replacement or scene construction
• Extensive colour grading or creative colour shifts
• Heavy dodge and burn or relighting
• Artistic effects and filters (e.g. painterly styles, texture overlays, blur effects) as long as this does not add non-photographic elements or photographic elements not captured by the entrant
• Retouching and reshaping, including significant changes to form or appearance

4. Capture Techniques

• In-camera techniques such as multiple exposure and intentional camera movement (ICM) are allowed
• Focus stacking and stitching are permitted

5. Not Allowed

• Any use of AI-generated content (as outlined in Global Rules 2.2)
• Any entry that misrepresents AI-generated elements as photographic work
• Adding non-photographic elements (except in explicitly permitted circumstances outlined in the category specific rules) 

6. Presentation (Digital & Print)

• Borders may be created using photographic elements (e.g. textures, objects, or parts of your image)
• Computer-generated borders that simulate a physical print presentation (e.g. mat colour or mount) are only permitted for entries submitted for print judging and may be included in the required digital upload of those print entries. Such borders must be clearly distinct from the image.
• Non-rectangular crops must be presented on white, or with a photographic border – unless representing a print mat (see above)
• Series may be presented with or without gaps (compositing is allowed)
• A thin stroke line (black or white) may be used to define the edge of the image only if the edge would otherwise not be visible 

WANT TO BE NAMED PROFESSIONAL CREATIVE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR?