Norton Flavel’s And Another, also known as Snowdrop, hangs above the landscape at Johansen Wines near Tumbarumba. Photo: Snowy Valley Scultpure Trail/Facebook.
A lean snow season has prompted organisers of the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail Winter Photography Competition to extend the deadline and urge photographers to look beyond snow-covered landscapes.
Entries will now close at 11:59 pm on Wednesday 30 September, a month later than originally planned.
Sculpture by the Sea, which organises the competition in partnership with the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail and Region Media, said entries had been slower and less varied than in previous years, with some past participants waiting for another significant snowfall before entering.
“We therefore decided to extend the deadline to give people a little more time to capture the trail into the spring,” a Sculpture by the Sea spokesperson said.
So folks … the winning winter image need not include a single snowflake.
Photographers are being encouraged to take a broader view of winter and consider the many ways the season changes the appearance of the sculptures and their surroundings.
“Photographs don’t necessarily need to feature snow-covered sculptures,” the spokesperson said.
“Frost, mist, changing light and the way the sculptures interact with the landscape are all great things to consider.”
Last year’s competition was won by Gundagai photographer Elizabeth Medyskyi, whose image showed Tony Davis’s Folly Interstice at the Sugar Pines Sculpture Forest near Laurel Hill beneath a light dusting of snow.
The photograph demonstrated how quickly winter weather could transform a familiar artwork and its surroundings, creating a scene that might last only a few hours.
When the 2026 competition was launched in June, Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail founder and Sculpture by the Sea director David Handley said the strongest photographs would do more than simply document an artwork.
Judges were seeking arresting images that used light, landscape, composition or an unexpected perspective to tell a story about both the sculpture and its setting.
The competition is open to everyone, from smartphone users to experienced photographers.
Entries must feature works from the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail, which stretches about 150 kilometres from Tumut to Khancoban.
The trail features more than 60 sculptures by Australian and international artists displayed across forests, vineyards, townships and alpine landscapes.
Established following the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires, it has grown into one of regional NSW’s largest permanent outdoor sculpture collections and a significant tourism attraction.
The winning photographer will receive two nights’ accommodation at Bondi during Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2026, which runs from 16 October to 2 November.
They will also spend a paid day photographing the exhibition alongside its professional photography team.
The winning image will be published by About Regional, Region Canberra and Region Riverina and featured in the Head On Photo Festival Foundation’s online magazine.
To enter through Instagram or Facebook, photographers must make their post public, tag @snowyvalleyssculpturetrail, use the hashtag #snowyvalleyssculpturetrail and follow @snowyvalleyssculpturetrail and @sculpturebythesea.
Entrants are also encouraged to send the post by direct message to the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail account to ensure it is seen.
Alternatively, up to six images can be emailed to info@sculpturebythesea.com.
Entries close at 11:59 pm on Wednesday 30 September.
Original Article published by Edwina Mason on About Regional.
