Physical Geography Photo Competition 2014
‘A Different View By You'
Theme for 2014: ‘Physical Geography around where I live’.
What physical geography can you spot around where you live?
We know that physical geography is all around us, but often we don't stop to notice and really
look for what can be found in the neighbourhood, so to help you explore and find the physical
geography near you we are running a photo competition.
What’s involved:
 Discover examples of physical geography in your local area.
 Capture your physical geography on any type of camera - a phone camera may be ideal.
 Submitting your best photo with a caption describing the geographical processes captured
in the photo
 Discovering, through participating in the competition, that physical geography is all around
us.
To be in with a chance of winning one of the prizes on offer (see p.2), attach your photo (no
larger than 6MB) to an email with information in the following table pasted into your message.
Write the subject header pgphotocomp14 and send your email to:
pgphotocomp2014@geography.org.uk
Name
School
School year
Contact email address
Physical geography theme of your photo (e.g.
weathering)
Where the photo was taken (use post code, grid
reference, latitude/longitude coordinates or a
short url link to a placemark on Google Maps).
A few sentences (250 words maximum)
describing the geographical theme in your
photo, and any other information you deem
appropriate.
Competition categories
There are two age categories for the competition:
1. Years 7 - 9 (ages 11 to 14)
2. Years 10 - 13 (ages 14 to 18)
In each category, the judges will select one winning entry. There will also be prizes for second
and third place runners up.
The deadline for entries is 31 August 2014.
Prize winners will be announced early in the autumn term 2014.
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Physical Geography Photo Competition 2014
‘Physical Geography around where I live’
Prizes:
Prizes are courtesy of outdoor clothing company Páramo Directional Clothing Systems
1st prize = Fuera Smock
2nd prize = Páramo Travel Towel
3rd prize = selection of Nikwax aftercare products
All winners and entries judged as Highly Commended will receive a copy of Longman’s Student
Atlas from the GA and a certificate plus photos will feature on a special page of the
Geographical Association website and other websites.
Anyone can take photos - but here are a few tips
1. Photos must be landscape in orientation.
2. Clean the lens. Over time the lens can collect dust, which can make your photos blurred
- just wipe it with a clean cloth.
3. Lighting can ‘make or break’ a photo, so think about the weather and the time of day
before venturing out with your camera (early morning and evening sun light is usually
particularly pleasing, as opposed to an overcast sky).
4. Consider the framing of your photo, i.e. everything that is in it. Try to avoid having the
focus of your photo in the middle (Google search ‘rule of thirds’).
5. Look high and low, big and small and close and far for your ideas.
Remember, only one photo per entry. A winning entry will not be based entirely on the ‘best’
photo, so make sure you write an interesting and informative caption!
Some ideas
For some inspiration here are some examples of physical geography you might find in your
neighbourhood:
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a building showing signs of weathering
trees causing damage to pavements, walls or buildings
a 'river channel' carved into the dirt on the side of the road
mud cracks
a pool of water after a rain shower
overflow from a gutter/drainpipe in a downpour
a valley that has been ‘forgotten’ because it has been built over
a fencepost that leans downhill
moss growing on one side of a tree
soil colours and texture in a freshly-dug garden
pebbles in a stream.
There are many other examples of physical geography waiting to be explored.
We hope you enjoy taking photos of the physical geography in your area and look forward to
receiving your entry.
Good Luck
This competition is organised by the Geographical Association Physical Geography Special Interest Group and
Worldwise Committee supported by Páramo Directional Clothing Systems.
Winning entries will be decided by a judging panel and their decisions will be final.
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