When photo competitions get it wrong, there are no "bad guys" – just the rule-abiding photographers that get stabbed in the back
At this year’s Capture the Dark photo competition, winning images broke the rules. While there are never “goodies” nor “baddies” when this happens, there are the rule-abiding entrants left asking: What the heck?
In the aftermath of the Capture the Dark 2026 photo competition winners announcement, there has been a shift from praise to controversy. DarkSky International, the global NGO promoting reduced light pollution, mistakenly awarded images that violated their own rules. The dispute began shortly after the winners were announced, on August 14, when photographer Raaber Way criticized the results on Facebook.
News outlets soon picked up on the story, amplifying the awareness of the issue. While no grand conspiracy exists behind the faulty ruling, the affected photographers are the rule-following artists who didn't receive the recognition they deserved. DarkSky International, a highly influential organization within the astrophotography community, has inadvertently impacted the prospects of these just photographers.
Raaber Way pointed out the problematic images, including Tom Rae's "The Chasm," which won the Creatures of the Night category, and Mikel Iraeta's "A Dialogue Between Space and Human Light," which secured second place in the Impact of Light Pollution category. Both compositions broke the rule of using different focal lengths in the composite images.
The competition organizers released the technical settings for each photographer, revealing that Rae and Iraeta had used lenses with distinct focal lengths. Despite not believing that the artists intended to cheat, Way still considers the images ineligible under the competition rules. DarkSky International acknowledged receiving the concerns and questions raised by the controversy but stated that they "stand by" their chosen winners.
However, their response seems more like a corporate response lacking a genuine admission of mistake. The organizers' statement is perceived as inadequate. The reporter suggests that a public apology and re-election of the winners are necessary to rectify the situation and show support for the photographers who rightfully deserved a spot in the top three for the Creatures of the Night and Impact of Light Pollution categories.
Written by urgent.news from Digital Camera World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
