Clare Hall Through Your Lens: Seasonal Photography Competition
Following the enthusiastic response to Clare Hall Through Your Lens last term, we are delighted to continue the project throughout 2026 as a seasonal photography competition.
What is the competition about?
Clare Hall Through Your Lens is a community-led photography initiative celebrating the many ways people experience Clare Hall. From changing seasons and shifting light to familiar buildings seen from unexpected angles, the project encourages thoughtful observation and creativity.
Across the Anniversary year, submissions will be grouped by season. At the end of each term, a small number of images will be selected and recognised, contributing to a lasting visual record of the College during this milestone year.
Whether you enjoy photography as a hobby or simply like capturing moments on your phone, every contribution adds to the story of Clare Hall.
Who can take part?
The competition is open to all members of the Clare Hall community:
- Current students
- Fellows and Visiting Fellows
- Visiting Life Members
- College staff
- Clare Hall families
You do not need to be an experienced photographer. Good-quality smartphone photos are very welcome – what matters most is your perspective.
What can you photograph?
Photos should feature Clare Hall’s grounds, gardens, buildings, or outdoor spaces. We particularly welcome images that capture:
- Seasonal change
- Light, colour, and atmosphere
- Architectural details and viewpoints
- Quiet or overlooked corners of College life
- College wildlife
To respect privacy, photos must not feature identifiable people. To help us create a shared visual record of this anniversary year, we kindly ask that submissions are new photos taken during this period, rather than images from previous years.
Last term’s submissions can be found here.
How to take part?
- Take a photo that captures something meaningful, beautiful, or intriguing about Clare Hall.
- Submit your image using the online form linked on this page.
- Add a title or short caption.
- Confirm your consent for the image to be featured and archived.
All featured images will be credited to the photographer. Copyright remains with the photographer.
All submissions will be permanently preserved as part of the College Archives, creating a visual record of Clare Hall during its 60th anniversary year.
Seasonal structure and timing
The competition runs across four seasonal rounds:
- Lent Term 2026 (Winter): February – March
- Easter Term 2026 (Spring): April – May
- Summer: June – July
- Michaelmas Term 2026 (Autumn): September – October
How does the competition work?
Throughout each term, submitted photos may be shared on Clare Hall’s website, social media, and TV display as part of the ongoing Clare Hall Through Your Lens project. These posts celebrate participation and highlight the range of perspectives within the community.
At the end of each term, all submissions from that season will be reviewed together by a small panel of volunteer judges. From these, three winning images will be selected.
The winners will be announced at the end of term through College communications. The winning images themselves will be reserved for inclusion in a special Clare Hall 60th Anniversary Calendar, to be produced at the end of the anniversary year.
Each seasonal winner will also receive a Clare Hall prize in recognition of their contribution.
This approach allows us to celebrate all submissions as they come in, while keeping the final selection and calendar reveal as a meaningful highlight of the anniversary year.
Our judges:
- Dr Trudi Tate (Fellow, Review editor)
- Slaine Campbell (garden designer)
- Louise Ellis-Aylott (gardener)
- Lisa Valentini (PhD student, GSB Green Officer)
Ready to join in?
We look forward to discovering Clare Hall through your photos, and sharing the unique viewpoints of our vibrant community!