Buxton Photo Challenge is an annual summer event hosted by High Peak Photography Club. It typically takes place in July as part of Buxton Fringe Festival and is open to everyone. The aim is to take 6 photos, on 6 given themes, in 6 hours and they must be in order! Participants can use a stand-alone camera, or their phone camera. Prizes are awarded to the images that impress the judges the most for each theme. By following our dedicated ‘Buxton Photo Challenge’ Facebook page, you can find out about future events and view the photos from previous challenges.
The sweltering, sunny conditions weren’t enough to deter the 44 participants of the 2026 Buxton Photo Challenge, perhaps due to the slightly cooling breeze and higher altitude of the town. A good turn out, especially given that the event took place the day after the carnival and England World Cup match! As always, it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet new people and catch up with some familiar faces to chat about all things photography.
We certainly weren’t disappointed with the results. Each and every one of the photos submitted had merit and fulfilled the criteria that we set out. It was great to see so many different and creative interpretations of the themes, some carefully composed, some preconceived and planned, and some plain lucky shots. We particularly enjoyed seeing how some had embraced the Street Photography genre, creating photos of people and street scenes.
As with previous years, 5 judges had the difficult task of selecting the images that they felt best showed ‘inventive and creative interpretation of the theme, together with overall quality of the composition and image’. Of course, they each had their own favourites and individual perspectives on how the theme was best represented, so the votes were spread across a variety of photos. However, after counting up the votes, the following photos were selected as ‘the best’ for each theme.
Some of the other great images can be found on the Buxton Photo Challenge Facebook page.
Theme 1: Contrast
Theme 2: Together
Theme 3: Today’s Weather
Theme 4: Capture the Moment
Theme 5: Cool
Theme 6: From My Perspective
