The Portland Photographic Society

September 2025 – Contrast, but not lighting
Could be contrasting subjects, textures, moods, expressions, etc.

October 2025 – Macro
A closeup of insects, seeds, butterflies, other small natural objects.

November 2025 – Cityscapes
This theme is a view of a city or urban area, and typically includes a wide view of skyline, streets, or buildings.

December 2025 – Patterns
Any type of repetition that creates intrigue be they natural or manipulated.

January 2026 – Black and White
The theme is black and white, not monochrome. The images should be black and white and shades of gray.

February 2026 – Abstract
Images that rely form, color, and curves to present a non-literal, emotional interpretation of the subject.

March 2026 – Minimalist
A sparse well composed image shying away from overabundance of color, patterns or information.

April 2026 – Destroyed
Make an image where the subject has been destroyed.

May 2026 – Light and Shadow
Light is a requirement for photography, but where there is light there is shadow. Capture an image where both of these elements play an important role — an image where light and shadow seem to vie for attention.

September 2024 – Minimalist
A sparse well composed image shying away from overabundance of color, patterns or information.

October 2024 – Macro
A closeup of insects, seeds, butterflies, other small natural objects.

November 2024 – Slooow shutter speed
An image made with a minimum of a 1-second exposure.

December 2024 – Part color and part black and white
Any mix of color to black and white in a photo, from spot color to partially black and white.

January 2025 – Textures in black & white
For example, weathered wood, stone, animal fur, fabric, sand flowing water, etc.

February 2025 – Doorways
Any kind of door as the primary subject.

March 2025 – Humorous
Find a subject that will make us laugh and photograph it.

April 2025 – Something old
Something or someone past their prime chipped and or peeling paint, or has been brought back to a shine.

May 2025 – Complementary colors
Two colors that are on opposite sides of the light color wheel. The most common examples are blue-yellow, green-magenta, or red-cyan. Use for dramatic effect in your image.

September 2023 – Shadows
Any any photo that displays some form of a shadow.

October 2023 – High Key
Make an image that is intentionally very bright with very little or no dark shadows present while preserving detail in the subject. High key images usually have a bright background.

November 2023 – Macro in Nature
A close focus image of most anything in nature, from the bark of a tree to lichen on a stone, to the more typical iconic flower macro photos.

December 2023 – Buildings or architecture
Show a unique perspective of a whole or part of a building or structure as the main subject.

January 2024 – Black and White
The theme is black and white, not monochrome. The images should be black and white and shades of gray.

February 2024 – Intentional Camera Movement (ICM)
Create an image while intentionally moving the camera during exposure. The camera movement may be horizontal, vertical, at an angle, circular, or erratic, as well as zooming in or out.

March 2024 – Portraits
A portrait, whether traditional, contemporary, or creative.

April 2024 – Just the street, no people
An abstract image where the street itself is the main or one of the main compositional elements.

May 2024 – Repeating Patterns
Use repeating shapes or a repetitive pattern as part of your composition to keep your viewers engaged.