The Central West Astronomical Society is proud to announce the 2025 CWAS Astrophotography Awards - the "David Malin Awards".

In order to build on the experience of previous years, and to continue as the premier competition of its kind in Australia, a panel of distinguished Australian astrophotographers will judge the category entries. We are honoured that the judging panel will include Selena Simpson, Alex Cherney, and Peter Ward.

We are excited to announce that there is a new International Section open to all astrophotographers - both Australian and overseas residents. The three sections of entry include - General Section, the new International Section, and a Junior Section (18 or younger). The General Section is divided into four categories; Wide-field (camera shots), Deep Sky (telescope shots), Solar System, and the Theme. The Junior Section will have one open category and entries can be of any astronomical subject. The new International Section has one Nightscapes category.

Click here to see the Conditions of Entry.

The Competition Structure:

• General Section (Open only to Australian residents):
  • Wide-Field
  • Deep Sky
  • Solar System
  • Theme - "People and Sky"

• Junior Section (Australian residents aged 18 years or younger):
  • One Open Category (can be of any astronomical subject)

• International Section (Open to all Australian and overseas resident astrophotographers)
• Nightscapes
• An additional prize, "The Photo Editor's Choice", will also be awarded. This will be judged by a major news organisation's photo editor or editors.

There is no strict delineation between Deep Sky and Wide-Field images. Wide-field images are typically produced with DSLR and interchangeable lens cameras at a focal length of less than ~400mm, but this characterisation is becoming less clear as equipment evolves. Wide-field images are typically constellations or "scenes" rather than deep sky "objects" but entrants are free to submit images to either category. Judges reserve the right to move images between categories.

The Solar System category is for images of solar system objects taken with a telescope. Wide-field solar system shots may be entered in the Wide-Field or Nightscape categories depending on the subject and composition.

In the Theme category, astrophotographers are encouraged to see who can be the most inventive and creative in evoking the theme, which this year will be "People and Sky". Including people in night-time images is challenging but rewarding. Many photographers include people interacting with the night sky in their photographs, and this special section is intended to encourage the exploration of the emotional and human elements of astronomy. As always, the content must be dominated by an astronomical object (or objects). The images must be single exposures, not a composite, except for High Dynamic Range (HDR) and panoramic images. The intention is to encourage people with vision, imagination and creativity, using simple equipment, such as a tripod and ordinary camera, to make attractive images of people interacting with the night sky.

The Nightscapes is intended to showcase the increasing popularity and evolution of this genre of astrophotography, combining beautiful terrestrial foregrounds with a night sky scene - often in a single exposure (HDR is OK) or as a multi-shot panorama. NOTE: Any image that contains terrestrial foregrounds will be considered to be a nightscape image.

All entries must be images that faithfully reflect and maintain the integrity of the subject. Image manipulations or composites that produce works that are more "digital art" than true astronomical images, will be deemed ineligible.

All still images must be submitted as digital files via a dedicated web site that can be accessed at this myphotoclub web page. For judging purposes, still images must be submitted as JPG files with the longest side having a dimension no greater than 4,950 pixels. All images must be in Adobe 1998 RGB colour space and will be judged using a calibrated monitor. Similarly, winning images will be printed from the files as-received, so it would be prudent for entrants to calibrate their monitors if possible. It does make a difference. Click here for an example of a very detailed set of calibration procedures for all platforms. For Mac users, a useful monitor calibration program can be found under "Monitors" in System Preferences, and the ideal solution for monitor calibration is a stand-alone device such as the Spyderexpress.

Submission of entries will close at 23:59 (AEST) on Tuesday, 1 July 2025. Entrants must first create an account on the MyPhotoClub submission page, by clicking on the green entry button. Follow the links to create the account and password.

Entry fees are $20 per entry and should be paid by the PayPal gateway on the entry website. Credit and debit cards can be used on this gateway.

Submitted image files should not contain identifying metadata. If anonymity of the judging process is important to the entrant, then images should not be shared in public forums prior to completion of judging. The winners will be notified and presented with the "David Malin Awards" during a special ceremony, held during the 2025 CWAS AstroFest, in the presence of invited dignitaries on Saturday, 27 September 2025. All winners should make every effort to attend the presentation of the awards.

A selection of the finest astrophotographs received will be professionally printed courtesy of Make Prints and exhibited for the entire year at the CSIRO Parkes Observatory's Visitors Centre. In addition, a second set will tour the country in a travelling exhibition, organised by the Powerhouse Museum, to selected venues across Australia.

There is a limit of five (5) entries per category per photographer. All photographs must have been taken no more than 2 years before the closing date of entry, and no re-entries from previous DMA competitions will be accepted. All entries must be submitted in electronic form via the MyPhotoClub submissions web site. The entrants must provide brief details of the equipment, exposure times, processing, and where relevant, the location where the image was taken.

It is not just technical skill that the judges will be looking for, but an aesthetically pleasing picture that reflects and captures the beauty, inspiration and interest of astronomy. All images will be judged by these criteria.

.

1. There will be three sections of entry - General, International, and Junior (18 or younger).

2. In the General and Junior sections, entries will be accepted only from Australian residents of the COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA and its TERRITORIES.

3. The International section is open to all astrophotographers - both Australian and overseas residents. It contains one category, Nightscapes.

4. The General section has four categories; Wide-field (camera shots), Deep Sky (telescope shots), Solar System, and Theme - "People and Sky"

5. The Junior section is for Australian residents photographers 18 years old or younger and will have one open category (can be any type instrument or astronomical subject).

6. There is a limit of five (5) entries per category per photographer.

7. In the case of images with multiple authors, the instigator of the image will be considered to be the principal author and the one who "owns" the image. The principal author MUST have performed the majority of the work to produce the image. All authors MUST be identified and named in the entry form along with their contributions to the production of the image.

8. Entries that combine images from professional observatories, taken by professional astronomers, for purposes other than creating the entry in question (e.g. the Digital Sky Survey), will be disqualified.

9. Entries must be in digital form and will be accepted ONLY through submission via the dedicated web site at: https://cwasdma.myphotoclub.com.au//

10. To preserve anonymity (as far as practical), the submitted image files should not contain identifying metadata.

11. For judging purposes, still images must be submitted as high quality JPG files with the longest side having a dimension no greater than 4,950 pixels in Adobe 1998 colour space.

12. All photographs must have been taken no more than 2 years before the closing date of entry, and no re-entries from previous DMA competitions will be accepted.

13. Entry fees are $20 per entry and should be paid by the PayPal gateway on the entry website. Credit and debit cards can be used on this gateway.

14. If entry payments are not received by the deadline, then the submitted entries will not be accepted for judging.

15. After notification, the winning images must be supplied on request as TIFF files in Adobe 1998 RGB colour space for professional printing. The longest side should have a dimension of about 4,950 pixels.

16. The winning entries will be exhibited for the entire year in the CSIRO Parkes Observatory's Visitors Centre. In addition, a second set of images will tour the country in a traveling exhibition, to selected venues.

17. Permission to reproduce entries for publication to promote the competition and exhibitions will be assumed as a condition of entry. The copyright of the image remains with the author, and we will try to ensure that the author is credited where the image is used.

18. All entries must be images that faithfully reflect and maintain the scale and integrity of the subject. Image combinations and manipulations that grossly distort the intrinsic and relative brightness of a scene will be deemed ineligible. If there is any doubt about the acceptability of an entry, then the competition organisers should be contacted, before the entry is submitted, for adjudication on the matter at the following email address: dma@cwas.org.au.

19. If after the judging process, an image is subsequently determined to have violated the letter and/or the spirit of the rules, then that image will be disqualified. Any prizes consequently awarded for that image, must be returned to the competition organisers.

20. The competition judges reserve the right to reject any entry that, in the opinion of the judges, does not meet the conditions of entry or is unsuitable for public display. The judges' decisions will be final.

21. Submissions close at 23:59 (AEST) on Tuesday, 1 July 2025. No entries will be accepted past this date.

22. All winners should make an effort to attend the presentation of the awards.

23. Submission of an entry implies acceptance of all the conditions of entry and the decisions of the competition judges.