This Month's Categories
About the Category System
Aperture Photo Club runs three photography categories every month. Each category has its own submission pool, its own voting round, and its own winner. This structure ensures that photographers who specialize in very different styles are never competing against each other on unequal footing — a macro shot of a flower is judged alongside other macro and nature shots, not against a long-exposure cityscape. The categories rotate themes within each genre from month to month, so even if you have a strong preference for one category, there is always a fresh prompt to work with. Review the descriptions below to understand the focus and spirit of each category before submitting your work.
Wildlife & Nature
The Wildlife and Nature category is dedicated to photographs that capture the living world in its natural state. This includes animals in the wild, insects in close-up, birds in flight, reptiles at rest, and any other subject from the animal kingdom photographed in its natural habitat. It also encompasses broader nature photography such as forests, rivers, mountains, weather events, and natural landscapes. The defining characteristic of this category is authenticity — the natural world as it actually is, not as it is staged or arranged. Photographers are encouraged to exercise patience and respect for their subjects, prioritizing the welfare of wildlife above any shot. Images should not be taken in controlled environments such as zoos, aquariums, or studios unless the controlled setting is itself the subject of the image. The best wildlife and nature photographs convey a sense of presence — the feeling that the photographer was truly there, in that moment, with that creature or that landscape.
Urban & Architecture
The Urban and Architecture category celebrates the built environment — the structures, streets, and spaces that humans have designed and constructed. This includes photographs of buildings, bridges, skylines, alleyways, subway stations, staircases, industrial facilities, and anything else that reflects how people organize physical space. Both grand architectural landmarks and overlooked corners of everyday urban life are welcome here. Strong submissions in this category often find unexpected beauty in familiar places — the way light falls through a grid of windows, the geometric repetition of a parking garage, or the contrast between a glass tower and an aging brick building beside it. Photographers are encouraged to experiment with perspective, shooting from low angles, from above, or from inside structures to reveal shapes and patterns that the casual observer would miss. Post-processing is welcome in this category, including black and white conversion, HDR processing, and perspective correction, provided that the structural integrity of the image is maintained.
Food & Still Life
The Food and Still Life category covers a wide range of subjects united by the common element of a deliberately arranged or composed scene. Food photography is a central part of this category — dishes, ingredients, beverages, table settings, and the textures and colors of culinary subjects. Still life photography more broadly includes any arranged collection of objects: flowers in a vase, tools on a workbench, books stacked on a shelf, or any other grouping of inanimate objects photographed with intentional composition and lighting. Unlike the Wildlife and Nature category, staging and arrangement are not only permitted but encouraged in this category — the quality of the composition, lighting, and styling is a significant part of what is being evaluated. Photographers are judged on their ability to make everyday objects look extraordinary through careful attention to light, shadow, color, texture, and framing. Both natural light and artificial lighting setups are welcome, and post-processing is fully accepted provided the final image is not misleading about the actual subject matter.
How to Submit
Once you have selected your category and captured your shot, head to the Submit page to enter your photo in the current monthly contest. Be sure to review the Club Rules before submitting so your entry meets all format and content requirements. Each member may submit one photo per category per month.