The first round of judging in the Capital Photographer of the Year 2022 competition has been completed. The team at Capital magazine, the organisers of the competition, thank everyone who participated. From Pūkaha to Princess Bay, and Kāpiti to Castle Point, we’ve seen creativity from every corner of the region.

Tough decisions have been made and a copious amount of coffee consumed, but we’ve whittled down a record-breaking 2,500 submissions to just 132 semi-finalists.

“The calibre of entries absolutely bowled us over, which made this phase extra difficult. If you didn’t make it this time, take stock in the fact that every single one of these came down to the wire. That said, we’re confident that these are the very best of a truly great bunch,” says judging convenor Shalee Fitzsimmons.

So, to our semi-finalists, congratulations! We couldn’t have hoped for a stronger pool of entries to move forward. “To pore over these photographs, and see all these little windows into a year in the life of Wellingtonians, it’s phenomenal,” says Shalee.

In the next stage, our judges will determine the finalists, whose work will be shown at the public exhibition from 29 June at Courtenay Creative.

Scroll down to see the semi-finalists in each category.

Whenua is land, territory, and the ground beneath our feet. In this category, photographers should celebrate the mighty Wellington landscape that provides us with so much.

A place is nothing without its people, and Wellington has some of the best. This category is all about showcasing the humans of Wellington – the things they do and the things they love.

Dive by Morgan Fowler
Threads of heritage by Mele Tau’alupe
Beach Rituals by Mike Gong
Chaoson at home in his dad’s garden by Harriette Leake
Crossword by Vita O’Brien
Taku hoa by Renati Waaka
Death Stare by Zuyi Woon
What are we fighting for? by Ryan Cuthill
The Mysterious Gardener by Eduan Groenewald
Floating Ball by Zuyi Woon
Second Date by Henry Broadbent
Fisherman by Benjamin McCallum
Sunbathing by Nathan Hall
Free Palestine by Zuyi Woon
Love of past by Kate Glasson
Freedom Bikers by Alan Blundell
Brothers in arms by Michelle Crutchley
MiaScoot by Benjamin McCallum
Half Time Dip by Zuyi Woon
Play by Sam Tanner
Royal View, Newtown Fair by Greg Jennings
Sunday by Faye O’Sullivan
Te Tokotoru Tapu (The Divine Trinity) by Stef Muyco

From our dwellings to our roadways, the Wellington we live in has been constructed by human hands over generations. This category celebrates the constructed space that forms our region.

#theoryofprotection for Ukraine by Agnieszka Kowalew
Good camouflage by Conor Dolman
Wellington Airport Tower by Rob Fall
Diagonal by Marco Brambilla
Dose/Rits by Iolo Adams
Dusk on lockdown day 5 by Anna Higgins
Exposed by Lewis Ferris
Form and Fold by Libya Munn
Grid by Eva Kerer
Internal Tunnel by Geraldine Pinlac
Kakariki Cream by Alexander Pace
Kite of Steel by Hang Ren
Leading Lines by Benedict O’Flaherty
On a walk to Aro park by Lauren Jack
Packed by Nathan Hall
Rise by Jamie Knight
Slidey by Ashley Brown
Temporary Solution by Alex Thornton
Turnbull by Richard Spencer
Beautiful Backside by Geoff Stahl
Circle by Jamie Knight
Clifton by Richard Spencer

The pandemic has reconstructed the relationship we have with our personal spaces. We want to see photography that speaks to your idea of the inside, whether that represents a space for socialising, privacy, or creativity.

Looking Out by Kevin Ballance
Portal by Alan Beattie
Debussy Rehearsal by Lauren Jack
Bedroom by Asha Roberts
What was home by Hannah Marklew
Our house by Michelle Crutchley
Mamma’s Bedside Essentials by Nina Cuccurullo
Jamming on mount washing by Sam Tanner
Last light by Andy Hansen
Leaf and Lily by Felix Jackson
Let the light one in by Kayt Bronnimann
Lockdown Bread Rising by Jessica Keane
Minecraft by Sam Tanner
Molly by Alex Thornton
School@Home by Libya Munn
Shane’s Window by Kedron Parker
Strawberry Nails by Isabella Sutherland
Sushi Night by Isabella Sutherland
Together by Jamie Knight

Show us movement in a still image. That’s the key to this category. There’s no one right way to interpret this, but we definitely want the image to communicate the idea of motion.

Welly Waka by Bobbi-Jo Burkitt
Diving into summer by Bronwyn Kelly
Lights in movement by Caetano Calestine
Apple Cricket by George Thomson
Autumn Splash by Abi Laven
Beep beep by Philippe Bradfield
Bird bath by Ben Winters
Birds (2) – Lyall Bay by Jenny Heine
Matariki Bursts by Bastiaan van Druten
Cloud Inversion Encroaches an Oriental Bay Ritual by Johnny Hendrikus
Driven by Brock Kilburn
Passersby by Kristine Zipfel
Flying Fox Fun by Melinda Mackenzie
Fog Beams by Jack Burdan
BJJ by Crystal Hart
Liberty by Simon Wong
My Body Is My Vehicle #16 by Sage Rossie
Offside Trap on 35mm by Alex Smale
Tail Lights by Paul Hamer
Wavecrest Lyall Bay by Mary Livingston
Young Star by Humaidi Ridwan

If you’re 21 years of age or under, we want to see your best photography. This is our only open category, with the only rule being that some aspect of Wellington is captured; its people, places, performances, or pooches.

Sun in February by Amélie Logan
Billboard in a Transient State by Liam Philp
Another Reflection by Leo Wooles-Ellery
A summer day in Scorching Bay by Bruno Martin-Edwards
A dogs life by Andie Hughes
Camping by Asha Roberts
A fish out of water by Charlotte Bruin
listen to “not done loving” by mozie by Leo Wooles-Ellery
Cupola by Toby Connor-Kebbell
Dad by Lorenzo Buhne
Life is a beach by Jed Stace
Empty Beauty by Arlo Macmillan
Damels #1 by Felix Jackson
Herd on a hill by Brock Kilburn
Lachie by Lorenzo Buhne
Memories Do Rust by Charlotte Bruin
Patiently waiting by Andie Hughes
Rainy Wellington by Joshua Tansley
Bubble Head Sister by Will Preston
Rocks at the Waterfront by Ella Casey
Say Cheese! by Charlotte Bruin
Untitled by Zac Telem Smith