Enter the Annual Orms x Canon Sea Point Promenade Photographic Exhibition Competition

Every year, Orms x Canon invites the city’s best photographers to submit their work and stand a chance to win prizes and have it displayed on the Sea Point Promenade, one of Cape Town’s most iconic spaces.

Over the years, the prom has featured the work of 120 photographers from all walks of life, showcasing the artistic talent of the Mother City’s photographers and bringing art out of exclusive galleries and into the public sphere for everyone to enjoy. Here’s everything visitors and camerapeople need to know.

The Art of Photography

For the seventh edition, Orms asks the simple question: When does a photograph become art?

Unlike previous editions, submissions are not limited to a single thematic focus or subject. Entries can be any type of photo, from portraits and abstracts to landscapes and everything in between. Orms wants photographers with a true artistic vision who pay careful attention to composition, light, colour, perspective, atmosphere, subject, story, timing, and editing.

Rather than capture every minor detail with perfect accuracy, the goal is to look beyond the obvious and have artists show the world through their eyes, in the way only they can. What does photography mean to you, and what can you say through it?

Twenty photographers are selected from thousands of applicants, and each image is made into a large-scale artwork for anyone to see while taking a leisurely walk on the promenade. For Cape Town’s visual artists, it’s an opportunity to show off their hard work and talent to as many people as possible, without the trouble of dealing with museums, galleries, and exhibitions. Those finishing in the top three are even awarded coveted prizes, valued in the tens of thousands of Rands.

For visitors and art lovers, this competition offers a glimpse of what Cape Town’s photographers can do with just a camera and a good idea.

Sought-after prizes to be won

Orms x Canon have once again raised the stakes, providing even better rewards for the competition’s best applicants.

1st Prize, valued at R65 000, includes a Canon EOS R8 Body with RF 28–70mm f/2.8 lens and a R10 000 ORMS Print Room voucher

2nd Prize, valued at R20 000, includes a Canon EOS R50 Creator Kit and a R5 000 ORMS Print Room voucher

3rd Prize, valued at R15 000, includes a Canon PowerShot V1 and a R5 000 ORMS Print Room voucher

The prizes are not exchangeable, non-transferable, and cannot be redeemed for cash.

How to enter Orms x Canon

Orms x Canon: The Art of Photography is open to all South African citizens. The competition runs from 19 August, and entries close at midnight on 30 September. Applicants must fill in the submission form with images and personal details. Winning entries will be displayed for at least a year; T’s & C’s apply.

Photographers must upload their JPEG images using the link. Only landscape format is allowed, with submissions limited to 5MB each. Unlimited submissions are allowed, although only five images can be uploaded at a time. AI-generated images are not permitted in the competition; images that are found to have been made with AI or not taken by the applicant can be disqualified.

Inspirational images to give entrants an idea of what Orms is looking for, along with the full competition rules, are available on the website. Selected finalists will be notified via email to request their high-resolution files for display at Sea Point Promenade.