The Australian Education Union is holding a national photography competition for TAFE students to show us what life on campus is like in 2023.
Send us your best picture (or pictures) that depict life at TAFE in 2023 and be part of telling a powerful visual story about the life-changing role of Australia’s world-class TAFE system.

Whether it is the world-class facilities, the student diversity or the expert hands-on training, natural snaps or fully staged shots, entrants have the creative freedom to impress us with their vision. Judges will be looking for outstanding photographs that are well-crafted and portray the vibrancy of life at TAFE in 2023.

Prize:
  • Each state based winner will win $1000 and a trip to Canberra where their work will be displayed in an exhibition.
  • The overall winner will win $5000 and publication in the TAFE Teacher magazine.
  • Prizes are non-transferable.
ENTRIES NOW CLOSED
Prizes
  • Overall
    • Winner: $5,000
    • Runner Up: $1,000
  • State or Territory
    • Winner: $1,000
Judging Criteria

State, territory and overall winner prizes are awarded with regard to the following criteria: 

  • Relevance and / or interpretation of the theme 
  • Artistic merit
  • Emotion
  • Considered a high-quality photograph 
Entry Terms & Conditions:
  1. To be eligible to apply you must:
  1. be a currently enrolled student of an public TAFE Institute or VET student at a public dual-sector provider (specifically Federation University, RMIT, Victoria University, Swinburne University of Technology, Charles Darwin University, CQUniversity), and be prepared to provide proof of identity if requested
  2. be over 18 years old at the time of entry and reside in Australia
  3. submit no more than three photographs in the competition
  4. provide a valid return email address and any other details required including on any form as part of the process of submitting your entry or entries online via the AEU website
  5. Entrants will indemnify and keep indemnified AEU against any claims in relation to their entry that the entry infringes the personal or proprietary right of any other person. By submitting an entry, each entrant grants to the AEU royalty-free, reasonable use, non-exclusive licence for 24 months to edit, publish, translate, modify, adapt, make available and distribute the entry throughout the world in any media in relation to The Australian TAFE Teacher Magazine and the TAFE photo competition. Winning photographs will also be requested to allow their winning image to be used in publicity for any future TAFE Photo Competitions, with credit. Each Entrant undertakes to complete any necessary documentation to formalise the licence
  6. Each Entrant also confirms that anyone depicted in an entry has given their permission for the inclusion of their image in the entry and the use of the entry including their image by the Entrant and the AEU 
  7. AEU will use any data submitted by Entrant only for the purposes of running the competition and crediting photographs. By entering this competition, Entrant consents to the use of their personal data by AEU for the purposes of the administration of this competition 
  8. The winners agree to take part in reasonable post event publicity and to the use of their names and photographs in such publicity, including interviews and photoshoots for media 
  9. By entering the competition Entrant agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  1. To be eligible to apply, any photograph submitted:  
  1. must have been taken by the Entrant
  2. must be wholly original and must not infringe the copyright, moral rights or other rights of any third party 
  3. must respond to the competition theme, ‘Life on Campus’ 
  4. must be in JPEG form and at least 1MB and 300dpi. Entrants must also submit a caption under 100 words including when and where the image was taken and why it is relevant 
  5. Photos taken from drones are strictly prohibited and will not be considered for judging 
  6. Photos must not contain explicit content or be offensive in any way, at the absolute discretion of the AEU, noting that any entry considered as such will be excluded as a valid entry by the AEU without recourse by the Entrant 
  7. must depict a location or people or building or thing from within a current TAFE or eligible education campus 
  8. must have been taken between 1 January 2023 and the entry closing date, be an original work, completed and owned by the submitting photographer, and must be submitted as required during the competition period from Monday 10th April 2023, 9am AEST to Friday 9th June 2023, 5pm AEST 
  9. must not be watermarked or feature identifying features of the Entrant 
  10. may have been taken digitally or using film but must be submitted in digital form, online via the AEU website either as a JPEG or TIFF file 
  11. may be edited to adjust minor composition elements such as exposure, brightness and contrast, however content must not be removed, added, altered or distorted beyond the truth or substance of the original photograph. If photographs are edited, it is a condition of entry that entrants retain the original photograph and provide it upon being requested in the timeframe specified.
    Adjustments permitted in the competition include but are not limited to:
  • Cropping
  • Rotation such as to straighten a crooked horizon
  • Altering brightness and contrast
  • Noise reduction, minimal sharpening and softening
  • Conversion from colour to black and white (i.e. total desaturation)
  • Standard clean up and enhancement
Adjustments not permitted in the competition include but are not limited to:
  • Removal of subject matter present in initial capture
  • Addition of subject matter not in initial capture
  • Compositing of multiple images
  • Colour changes untrue to the original capture
  • Use of special effects and distortion
  • Application of “creative” filters such as those available in Instagram 
  1. By entering you:
  1. declare that you are eligible to enter (having regard to condition 1 above) and that you will only submit compliant photos (having regard to condition 2 above) 
  2. acknowledge that this competition is run by the Australian Education Union, 120 Clarendon Street, Southbank VIC 3006, otherwise known as the Promoter 
  3. acknowledge that the Promoter does not accept responsibility for, nor is liable for any photos/images lost or corrupted in the process of submitting them or thereafter 
  4. acknowledge that any images submitted may be published in The Australian TAFE Teacher Magazine, on AEU or associated bodies websites and social media accounts, and in other AEU material either directly or indirectly. Images will be stored in the Promoter’s photo library for an open period of time and by entering you hereby grant a reasonable use non-exclusive license to the Promoter to reproduce entrant’s image for a period of 24 months. At no time may the Promoter sell or license your image to others without your written permission
  5. acknowledge that the total prize pool is $14,000 and that the award of prizes will be made in accordance with the following table (Item 3i) at the Promoter’s absolute discretion in awarding Prizes.  
  6. Acknowledge that “State and Territory Prizes” will form the shortlist for the “Overall Prizes”  
  7. acknowledge that the “Overall” and “Runner Up” Prizes will be awarded by recommendation to the Promoter by an appointed panel of judges, having regard to the following considerations:  
    • Relevance and / or interpretation of the theme
    • Artistic merit
    • Emotion
    • Considered a high-quality photograph
  8. acknowledge that the “State and Territory Prizes” will be awarded by recommendation to the Promoter by the local AEU Branch or Associated Body via a locally convened panel of judges having regard to the following considerations:
    • Relevance and / or interpretation of the theme
    • Artistic merit
    • Emotion
    • Considered a high-quality photograph
  9. Prize Pool
    • Overall
      • Winner: $5,000
      • Runner Up: $1,000
    • State or Territory
      • Winner: $1,000
  10. agree that if requested, identification must be shown to the Promoter to verify identity, student status and age and if this is refused, the entire prize is forfeited and no substitute will be offered or compensation paid and the Promoter may select another category winner 
  11. as owner of the copyright in my entry, grant to the Promoter and its agents, contractors and event partners collectively an non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty free, worldwide licence to use the photos comprising my entry in any form at its absolute discretion including but not limited to being whole or in part or edited or manipulated such as by enlarging or shrinking and also in any way at its absolute discretion including but not limited to publishing whether in print, online or elsewhere and exhibiting anywhere (full media worldwide), with the Promoter where possible, to acknowledge the entrant as owner.
  12. agree to release and fully indemnify the Promoter for any costs and all liability incurred or suffered from or in connection with this competition including but not limited to any intellectual property rights infringement or lack of informed consent of subjects in the photos comprising my entry 
  13. acknowledge that the Promoter intends to exhibit a selection of entries at its absolute discretion (not all entries) in Canberra on 6th September 2023 and that the exhibits, if any, displaying the photos comprising my entry belong to and are the physical property of the Promoter 
  14. agree that the Promoter may cancel or vary the competition or these Terms and Conditions of Entry unilaterally at any time. The Promoter is not liable nor responsible for any loss or costs incurred as a direct or indirect result of such cancellation or variation 
  15. agree to participate as reasonably required by the Promoter in promotional activities relating to the competition, including but not limited to, being interviewed and photographed and grant the Promoter an irrevocable, royalty free, worldwide licence to use such footage and photographs in its absolute discretion 
  16. acknowledge that the Promoter collects personal information about entrants for use related to this competition and in doing so will comply with the Promoter’s Privacy Policy. 
Privacy Policy

If you have any questions or are having trouble with your submission, please contact aeu@aeufederal.org.au.