Cadet photography competition

Thanks to a generous donation by one of our Association members, in 2017 the RFCA launched its inaugural cadet photography competition – #WeAreCadets, which is designed to help us celebrate the cadet experience across the region.

The competition is open to all sea cadets, army cadets, air cadets and CCF cadets from units/detachments based in the RFCA for Yorkshire and the Humber area and will run until September 2023.

Enter for your chance to win either £25, £75 or £150!

“Cadets is great fun”

The theme for this year is ‘being in the cadets is great fun’. Send us your snaps of friends having fun on annual camp, training nights, sports events, parades or simply hanging out.

How to enter

Simply complete the below entry form and email your photos and form to
[email protected] by the closing date of 29th September 2023 to be in with a chance of winning a cash prize.

Be sure to read the full rules of entry before submitting your photos.

Images will be shared on social media and used in RFCA marketing materials. The winners and some of the best submissions will be celebrated at the November Association meeting and we’ll be organising coverage on social media and with traditional media outlets when the winners are announced.

Competition rules of entry

• The competition is open to all cadets aged 13-18 from sea cadet, army cadet, air cadet and combined cadet force units based in Yorkshire and The Humber.
• The competition will take place on an annual basis and will be ascribed a theme each year. It is intended that the theme will inform the content of entries. The 2023 theme is ‘being a cadet is great fun’.
• If a cadet is due to ‘age out’ before the competition results are announced, then they must provide suitable personal contact details on the entry form and make themselves available for PR and photo opportunities should they be shortlisted as finalists.
• Entries are restricted to still photography only.
• Use of filters / editing software is allowed for enhancement purposes only. Any editing that changes the content of a picture dramatically or affects the integrity of an entry will be rejected.
• Entries should be submitted at the highest quality, the minimum file size required is 1mb and each photo should, where possible, have a resolution of at least 300dpi.
• Entries can be taken by any electronic device (smartphone, digital camera, tablet etc). Photos must be submitted as jpeg files via email or by a file sharing platform such as WeTransfer, Dropbox or the RFCA cloud system, assistance can be provided if required. Files should be sent, along with an accompanying entry form to [email protected].
• Submitted images may subsequently be used by the RFCA for marketing purposes (marketing literature/social media/website). By submitting an entry you agree to your image(s) being used for this purpose.
• Consent must be gained by the photographer of any image depicting people in each cadet organisation. Check with the subjects that they are content to be photographed with a view to the images being put online and in marketing collateral. Shortlisted finalists pictures will be sent to cadet HQ’s to confirm that the subjects have signed photography waivers for cadet events. Any that have not been signed will be rejected.
• Entries will be judged on the following criteria:      
  • Composition
  • Technical ability
  • Artistic merit
  • Originality
  • Impact
• Prizes will be awarded to first, second and third place. First place will be awarded a cash prize of £150, second place £75 and third place £25.
• The judging panel will consist of representatives of the RFCA and a professional photographer. The panel’s decision is final.

Click here to download and print the poster to display on your notice boards in your cadet unit