MMCC Special Themes for 2026-2027 Season

1. Close-ups in Nature

A close-up photograph showing the details of something found in nature. The subject may be a flower, plant, insect, animal, rock, water, ice, feather, shell, or other natural object. The photograph should emphasize details, patterns, colors, or textures that might not ordinarily be noticed. The subject should be naturally occurring rather than manufactured.

2. Curves

A photograph in which one or more curved lines or shapes are an important part of the

composition. Curves may be found in nature, architecture, objects, people, shadows, roads, or other subjects. The curve should be clearly visible and help create the photograph's visual impact.

3. Cityscapes

A photograph in which a city or urban environment is the primary subject. The image may show buildings, streets, skylines, bridges, architectural details, or other features that convey a city's character. Photographs may be taken during the day or at night and may include people, but the emphasis should be on the urban environment rather than on an individual person or activity.

4.Street Photography

A candid photograph of everyday life in a public place. The image should

capture an unstaged moment, interaction, activity, gesture, or scene that tells us something about people or life around us. Photographs may be taken on streets or in other public settings such as parks, markets, public transportation, or public events.

5. The Blue Hour

A photograph taken outdoors during the period of twilight shortly before sunrise or shortly after sunset, when the sky and available light often have a distinctly blue quality. The photograph should make use of the special color, mood, or atmosphere created by this natural twilight.

6. Photo Collage

A single finished image created by combining two or more different photographs. The photographs may be arranged side by side, overlapped, blended, layered, or otherwise combined to create a unified composition. The final entry should be presented and judged

as one image rather than as a series of separate photographs.

7. Portrait in Black & White

A black-and-white photograph in which a person or animal is the primary subject. The portrait may include the face alone, part of the body, or the full figure and may be posed or candid. The photograph should use light, shadow, expression, gesture, or composition to convey something about the person.

8. Wildlife in Action

A photograph of a wild animal actively doing something rather than simply

resting or posing. Examples include running, flying, swimming, hunting, feeding, fighting, playing, caring for young, or interacting with another animal or the environment. The subject must be a wild animal photographed in a free-ranging setting; pets, domestic animals, and zoo animals do not qualify.

9. One or More Bottles

A photograph in which one or more bottles are the principal subject. Bottles may be made of glass, plastic, ceramic, or another material and may be empty or filled, new or old. They may be photographed as a still life or in a natural setting, but the bottle or bottles should be clearly recognizable and central to the composition.