Rules

Eligibility

  • Open globally to both amateur and professional photographers.
  • Participants of any age may enter. Entrants under 18 must have permission from a parent or guardian..

Submission Guidelines

  • No maximum number of entries per participant.
  • Categories:
    • One Frame: Single photographic portraits judged independently.
    • Photo Essay: Up to 15 images presented as a cohesive body of work.
  • Acceptable Formats: JPG, JPEG.
  • Resolution & Size:
    • Minimum file size: 2MB; Maximum file size: 10MB.
    • Shortest edge: Minimum of 2000 pixels.
    • Color Space: sRGB for consistency in judging.

Image Editing, AI and Ethics

  • Allowed: General editing and post-processing.
  • Not Allowed:
    • AI-generated images
    • Composite images
    • Major digital manipulations

Judging Criteria

  • Judged on overall beauty, power, creativity, technical skill, and originality.
  • Entries are judged anonymously. The identities of the judges are public, but photographers are not identified to judges during the judging process.

Prizes and Recognition

  • One Frame: 1 Winner and 2 Finalists.
  • Photo Essay: 1 Winner and 2 Finalists.

See full prize details on Prizes page

Usage Rights and Promotion

  • Photographers retain copyright ownership of their submitted work.

  • Submitted images will only be used for promotional purposes related to the awards.

  • Photographers will be credited whenever their images are used.

Legal and Privacy Considerations

  • Model Releases: Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary permissions or model releases for identifiable people appearing in submitted photographs, particularly minors.
  • Data Protection: Participant information will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable data protection requirements.
  • Disclaimers and Liability: See full Terms and Conditions governing participant rights, responsibilities and other legal considerations.

Definition of a Portrait

For the purposes of the Shoot The Frame Annual Portrait Award, any photograph that includes at least one person within the frame will be considered a portrait.

Previous Finalists and Winning Images

  • Images previously entered into Shoot The Frame’s monthly contests may be entered into the Annual Portrait Award, including images previously selected as monthly Winners or Finalists.
  • Images or Photo Essays selected as a Winner or Finalist in the 2025 Annual Portrait Award are not eligible to be considered again in the 2026 Annual Portrait Award.
  • Honourable Mentions from the 2025 Annual Portrait Award may be entered again.
  • This rule will continue to apply in future Annual Awards: once an image or Photo Essay has been selected as an Annual Winner or Finalist, it cannot be considered again in a future year.

Participants confirm acceptance of these rules upon entry. For further details, please consult the official Terms and Conditions.