We all know how great Kaikoura's wildlife and scenery is for providing photographic opportunities, and with changes to this year's 48 hours in Kaikoura competition, entries look set to increase.

The date for the annual contest has been amended to the weekend of July 21 to 22, in order to take it out of the school holidays.

Organiser Neroli Gold said there were always families who were keen to enter but who were away during the holidays.

The change of date would ensure as many local photographers as possible were able to take part this year, she said.

As well as the change in date, competition conditions of entry have changed to allow the district's many professional snappers to participate.

The professional section requires a portfolio of three photographs, from each of the three categories of sea/landscape, people/portrait and nature/wildlife.

The professional section will be judged by those attending the exhibition and will be separate from the open section, which is for amateur photographers.

The competition and subsequent exhibition is a popular event on the Kaikoura calendar and, depending on the weather, often sees many folk out and about capturing the many facets of Kaikoura life throughout the weekend.

Each entry must have been taken on the specified weekend.

Neroli said the competition had changed over the years, thanks to advances in technology.

"The first year it was all real film.

"Now cameras come in the shape of cellphones, iPads, you name it," she said.

"But the main focus is still the same – to get locals out and about, enjoying the region."

Last year's winner, Zoe Battersby, said the contest was an important tool in recording the changes in Kaikoura, and this was why she liked to enter and support the competition.

Entries for this year's competition will need to be in by July 26. Judging will take place on July 27, with a prizegiving the following day at Encounter Kaikoura.

The exhibition of the pieces will run throughout the following week until August 5.

Local professional photographer Andrew Spencer, who entered the competition in its first year as an amateur, is designing a website for the event which should go live later this week.

Entrants will be able to download entry forms from the site, or pick one up from Doug at Photo And Frame, or from Encounter Kaikoura, where the exhibition will take place.

There are some fabulous prizes up for grabs this year, including one of the professional's photos on a canvas, so put the date in your diaries and start thinking about your winning subject.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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