The seventh Orms x Canon Promenade Exhibition announces a competition for photographers from South Africa. Participants can submit their work with a chance to win a share of the prize fund totaling 100,000 rand and gain the opportunity to exhibit their photographs as part of a large-scale public exhibition.
For the past six years, the Sea Point Promenade has transformed photography into a public spectacle, showcasing selected works in one of Cape Town's most recognizable and vibrant public areas. In its seventh edition, the Orms x Canon Promenade Exhibition is themed 'The Art of Photography.'
The competition poses a simple question: when does photography become art? Instead of seeking a specific theme or style, the organizers are looking for photographers who possess a clear creative vision. Portraits, landscapes, still lifes, architecture, abstract or conceptual photography, as well as works falling between these genres, are accepted.
A crucial criterion is the concept behind the image and the contribution the photographer makes to it. The organizers are interested in shots that demonstrate thoughtfulness through composition, light, color, perspective, subject matter, moment in time, and post-processing. An image can convey an idea, create an atmosphere, tell a story, or simply offer a different perspective on an ordinary moment.
Prizes totaling 100,000 rand
Three prizes totaling 100,000 rand are available. The first prize, valued at 65,000 rand, includes a Canon EOS R8 body with an RF 28–70mm f/2.8 lens and a 10,000 rand voucher for the ORMS Print Room. The second prize, worth 20,000 rand, includes a Canon EOS R50 Creator Kit and a 5,000 rand voucher for the ORMS Print Room. The third prize, valued at 15,000 rand, includes a Canon PowerShot V1 and a 5,000 rand voucher for the ORMS Print Room.
However, the opportunity to participate is not limited to prizes and equipment. Twenty photographs will be selected for a large-scale public exhibition along the Sea Point Promenade, giving authors a chance to present their work to thousands of visitors to this promenade. Over the six years of the competition, more than 120 photographers have participated, and tens of thousands of applications have been received, with the total value of awarded prizes exceeding half a million rand.
This year's exhibition continues to emphasize bringing South African photography out of the digital format and presenting it in the public sphere. If you are a photographer capable of expressing your thoughts through images, this is your chance to show the world your point of view.
Judges advise: look beyond the obvious, experiment, rethink, and find beauty in the unexpected. Challenge how we perceive the ordinary moment. Use your camera not only to capture what is in front of you but also to demonstrate something through the prism of your vision.
To participate, you must fill out the submission form providing your details and uploading images. There is no limit to the number of works; you can submit 5 images at a time an unlimited number of times. To maintain uniformity, only LANDSCAPE format photos are accepted, and files must be in JPEG format and not exceed 5 MB each.