About Capture the moment 2025

Capture the moment is our photography competition for New Zealanders who have an intellectual disability or an intellectual disability and autism.

Building on the success of the IHC Art Awards, we wanted to showcase the talent of New Zealanders through a different medium.

The theme of this year’s competition was “Nature: the living world” (Nature – all the animals, plants and other things in the world that exist or happen independently of people, water, sea mountains).

This year's judges were Shayne Jeffares, Bridgit Anderson and Beren Hughes, last year’s winner.

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FOTO FEST in Hastings City

The top 30 finalists will be exhibited at FOTO FEST in Hastings City from 19 September to 2 October 2025.

FOTO FEST is a city-wide visual art and cultural event that takes place within Hastings City including local galleries, community spaces, inside and out, local businesses and retailers.

FOTO FEST is managed by FOTO Iwi, a creative charitable trust.

Prizes

• Winner – $5,000
• Second place – $3,000
• Third place – $2,000
• Youth Award winner – $1,500
• People's Choice winner – $1,500

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Terms and conditions

Click here to view the terms and conditions.

If you require any further information, please contact us at ihc.events@ihc.org.nz.

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Judges

Bridgit Anderson

Bridgit is an Ōtautahi Christchurch-based photographer and designer, specialising in human-interest and social history storytelling.

Recent exhibitions: Stella & Cecil (2021) and Christine’s Jewellery Box (2023) and Nothing About Us Without Us (2024), an exhibition celebrating 75 years of IHC advocating for the rights, inclusion and welfare of all people with intellectual disabilities.

Exhibited and published nationally and internationally, Bridgit’s work is held in private and national collections, including the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa.

‍Shayne Jeffares

Photography has been a part of Shayne’s life for more than 30 years as a professional wedding and portrait photographer in the Hawke's Bay.

In 2022 Shayne established Foto Fest, a photography festival with a focus on celebrating community and worked closely with IHC to host the photography exhibition, Capture the moment.

Shayne has also run numerous photography workshops within IHC communities across the country and was a judge at last year's Capture the moment photography competition.

Now into its fourth year, Shayne is excited by the opportunities for this year's festival, held again in Hastings, Hawke's Bay and showcasing IHC Capture the moment exhibition as well as IHC’s 75 exhibition “Nothing about us without us”.   If last year's event is anything to go by, it will be a great opportunity to see everyone again and to enjoy both the exhibitions together.

‍Beren Hughes, First Place Winner of the 2024 Capture the moment photography competition

Beren is an award-winning photographer who has a great eye for unusual arrangements; he sees things differently.  He also claims to be a better photographer than his father!

Following in his dad’s footsteps Beren has enjoyed photography for many years.  He studied photography at Spotswood College with good success with his end of year portfolio boards. He has been exhibiting at The Gables in Pukekura Park, New Plymouth (home of the North Taranaki Arts Society) for a few years and has received great feedback on his images and some sales of his work.