The North Shore National Salon of Photography was established in 1995 by the North Shore Photographic Society (NSPS). The NSPS created the Salon to promote the art of photography in New Zealand through a prestigious, national photographic event each year.

The NSPS, which was founded in 1954, now has nearly 100 members, ranging from amateurs to professionals and from beginners to experts. Affiliated with the Photographic Society of New Zealand (PSNZ), it is part of a network of photographic clubs and societies across New Zealand.

Each year, the NSPS has run a competition for New Zealand photographers, with the 2021 Salon attracting 1935 entries from entrants including members of 42 photographic clubs and societies from Whangarei to Southland and overseas. The Salon convenes independent panels of selectors to judge entries in various categories, with accepted prints and digital images being publicly exhibited, and all accepted photographs are reproduced in an attractive catalogue.

For 2022 the Covid 19 pandemic has forced us to change this format. This year, entries will all be digital but at a higher than normal resolution, and the exhibition of prints will represent only the medal winners and be printed (by us) from the digital image entered.

Entrants to the Salon's competitions are typically amateur photographers from photographic clubs and societies, although the Salon is open to professionals and club membership is not a requirement. In fact, in recent years we have had a good number of first-time entrants that are not affiliated to these organisations.