Definition
A "black and white" image, consisting entirely of a range of "grey" tones from white to black, is a monotone image. A greyscale image that has been uniformly tinted with ONE colour is also a monotone image. A black and white image can range from black, or very dark gray, to white, or very light gray, with various shades of the grayscale in between. A greyscale image with selective (not universal) colour tinting, or with more than one colour tint, does not qualify as a monochrome image.
Themes
There are four themes this year:
- Candid Person(s) - images that capture unscripted moments of subtle interactions, spontaneous dramas of everyday human life, genuine moments found in street scenes, cultural gatherings and daily activities all qualify. CAPA is NOT looking for posed portraits or images created with professional models.
- Natural Surroundings - images that showcase the raw beauty and drama of our environment through weather phenomena, geological formations, landscapes, seascapes and celestial events are wanted. Human elements can be included if they serve to enhance the scale or narrative of the natural scene. Curiously, CAPA includes "cityscapes" in this category, but the theme is "natural" surroundings.
- Dramatic Contrast & Shadows - images where the interplay of light and shadow creates compelling visual narratives through low-key, silhouette, or selective lighting techniques. Architectural elements, human forms, urban structures and natural subjects may be included.
- Nostalgia - images that transport viewers through time by capturing the weathered beauty of bygone eras, from abandoned places and vintage artefacts, to creative composites that bridge past and present, are permitted.
Editing
By submitting your images to a CAPA competition you are asserting that your images meet their requirements. In simple terms, your photos must be "photographic" in origin, captured by you, and must be free of "generative" AI content. Every CAPA competition web page contains a link to their "ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA" page, as well as their current "STANCE ON AI-GENERATED IMAGES", both of which are accessible to the public. Every VCC member entering external competitions should read both publications.
Open editing is allowed: all in-camera, on-camera and post-capture techniques, including removing elements, cloning, double exposure, stacking, sky replacement, HDR, and ICM. As always, the photographer must have taken all the images used.
All submitted photographs should contain complete, unaltered original metadata. The CAPA Competition Director will request un-retouched JPEG or RAW files for verification that winning images comply with eligibility criteria. Failure to provide all original files when requested will result in withdrawal of a winning image.
Triptychs are permitted.
Images converted to black and white from colour, and infrared images (provided they contain only black and white) ARE permitted in this competition.
Digital frames, pin-lines, borders and mats are not permitted.
Go to the CAPA page for full details: 2025 Monochrome Competition.
Submissions
VCC members may enter two images as Club images, but only one can be selected. The Club may enter only 6 images from 6 different photographers. Identifying the theme in which your image should be entered is helpful to the Competition Committee.
The DEADLINE for submission of images to VCC in the Club category is October 15, 2025, midnight PDT.
Individual CAPA members may enter a maximum of 3 images, in one or more themes. The CAPA deadline for individual submissions is November 15 at midnight, Ontario ST.
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Specifications
- Images should be in JPEG format, maximum 1400 pixels on the horizontal x 1050 on the vertical in size.
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Note: One of the dimensions must be exactly the maximum allowed size (either 1400 or 1050 pixels).
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Portrait images will have a vertical height of 1050 pixels. Square images will be 1050 pixels on all sides.
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sRGB colour space is recommended by CAPA. Images should have a maximum file size of 1.8 MB
- Maximum number of submissions per VCC member is two.
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Please preserve your image’s RAW formatted files, should CAPA request them.
See 2025 Monochrome Competition for More Information
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