#UgOps2025 Photography Competition
#UgOps2025 Photography Competition
“Have you entered yet?”
Put simply, the Underground Operators 2025 Photography Competition is our challenge to everyone in the resources industry: Capture, with a photo, a sense of what working underground really looks like.
Are there prizes?
Absolutely! Two winners will be selected:
- #UgOps2025 Photography Prize (selected by the conference subcommittee)
- People’s Choice Prize (selected by #UgOps2025 conference delegates)
Both winners will be awarded:
- $1,500 in professional development spending with AusIMM
- A complimentary full delegate registration to AusIMM's Underground Operators Conference 2027 - the event's 50th anniversary - valued at over $2,000 AUD
- A framed copy of their winning photograph with a certificate of achievement
How do I enter?
In 2025, eligibility for this competition has expanded to include any person, over 18 years, working within the resources industry. Entrants do not need to be a member of AusIMM and they do not need to attend Underground Operators 2025.
Your entry must be submitted by 11:59pm (AEST) on Monday, 24 February 2025.
Photo specifications are intentionally set so that any photo taken on a modern mobile phone should meet requirements (more on this below). In other words, anyone with a phone is good to go. You don’t need to be a professional photographer; all you need is an idea!
See below for more details including FAQ and judging panel, or simply click the button to enter your photo!
Enter your photo now
Join the Underground Operators 2025 Photography Competition!
Meet our judges
Frequently asked questions
Why a photography competition?
- A challenge for underground mining in Australasia is the struggle to communicate a sense of what working underground looks like. How can we shape the community view of what this work entails, the shapes defining the environment and people you meet underground?
- Beyond this, how does the underground mining community continue to attract and inspire the next generation of workers to take their place? This is necessary to continue the evolution of underground mining in the. You can play your part in attracting them with honest and inspiring images from the underground.
How will the winners be acknowledged?
- With your consent, many of the submitted images will be displayed onsite at Underground Operators 2025, and the two prize winners will be presented with a high-quality framed copy of their winning entries.
- These images will also be utilised as part of the marketing campaign for the Underground Operators 50th anniversary in 2027.
Am I able to submit more than one photo?
- Each entrant may submit up to two photographs.
- No image can be entered more than once.
Are there any required photo specifications?
- Entrants are required to retain a copy of any photographs submitted in the highest resolution possible.
- The entrant should ensure that all photos are uploaded so that when they are opened there is no need to rotate the photo.
- Portrait and landscape photos are acceptable.
- Image minimum specifications:
- Sensor Resolution (megapixels) - 12.1
- Typical Image Resolution (pixels) - 4000 x 3000
- Maximum Print Size - 20 x 15 inch
- Print Resolution - 200 dpi
- Maximum Output Size - A3+ sized prints
Additional permissions
- Entries which include a close-up photo of a person, or persons, must have permission from the person/s in the photo.
- Entrants should seek permission from their employer and/or operator of the site on which the photograph was taken.
What else should I include in my submission?
- Photographer name
- Date and location
- Equipment used, e.g., camera, phone, etc.
- Title, with an accompany 250-word limit description of what it shows, in plain English.
Competition terms and conditions
The Promoter reserves the right, at any time, to verify the validity of entries and personal details concerning entrants and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms and Conditions or who tampers with the entry process.
Click here for full terms and conditions.