Photographer of the Year 2024 – RULES

Who can enter?

Photographer of the Year entrants must be 18 years and older.
Photos that have at any time before the finalisation of this competition won other photographic competition/s (including category winners) will not be considered.
Previous winners of this competition may enter in subsequent years.
Employees of Africa Geographic and our sponsors may not enter.

Use of AI and post-production software

No composite images or images generated by AI will be permitted.
Any software (including AI) used for post-production adjustments should be used appropriately, not to deceive the viewer or misrepresent reality. Photos should faithfully represent the original scene.

How do I enter?

Photographer of the Year entries may be submitted by email (photocomp@africageographic.com) or via our online entry form.
Photos should not exceed 2MB in size (per photo)
Multiple entries are permitted.
Photos must be submitted in JPG or PNG format.
We may request RAW files and higher-resolution photos, and refusal will result in that photo being disqualified and any awarded prizes forfeited. ALL winners (winner, runners-up, and highly commended) must provide raw files of their winning submissions before our winners are announced.
Do not add borders or copyright watermarks – we will add a copyright symbol and your name.
Please provide EITHER your Facebook OR Instagram username/handle (@username) if you would like us to tag you if/when we share your photo.
Please label each of your photographs in the following order: Your Full name-subject/species-Location. For example: John Smith-mountain gorilla-Bwindi. If the photo is of a person, please include the person’s name in the label if those details are available.
Please provide a brief description/caption for your photographs.

Subject matter

Entrant photos must be taken on the African continent or associated islands. Only entries of African wildlife, landscapes, safari experiences and/or culture will be accepted.
Photos depicting wildlife should be of wild animals – no photos of captive wildlife (including farm animals, big cat and other petting or walking facilities, household pets, and zoo animals) will be considered. We will also not accept photos taken at any of these facilities, – even if the subject is not the effected animal. Photos of rescue/rehabilitation animals may be considered at the organisers’ sole discretion.
Entries depicting humans: Please note that you should always obtain permission from your subjects to photograph them. This may involve negotiating a fee. Do not take any photos of minors (under 18) without permission from a parent or guardian. By submitting your photos to us, you confirm that the necessary permissions were obtained. Authenticity is key for cultural photography submissions. Images of people must provide an accurate and sincere representation of the subject’s reality. These photographs should be a truthful depiction of a natural moment and be respectful of the culture depicted.

Ownership

All Photographer of the Year entries must be the entrant’s original work, and the entrant must not have relinquished relevant rights to a third party. The entrant confirms that they did not contravene any relevant laws and regulations while capturing the photographs, paid all relevant fees and permits and that no such matters impact their claim of ownership and rights. By submitting the entry, the entrant confirms that this is so.

Sponsors and third-party use

Photographer of the Year entrants grant Africa Geographic and the competition sponsors non-exclusive permission to publish their submitted photos on their websites and social media channels in association with the Photographer of the Year competition without compensation to the entrant.
Entrants grant Africa Geographic a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to reproduce, publish and communicate to the public by any means and exhibit their awarded entries in all forms of media worldwide, including event activations, concerning Photographer of the Year.
Photographer of the Year entrants grant the competition sponsors non-exclusive permission to publish their photos captured on the winner’s safari on their websites and social media channels, without compensation to the entrant.
The organisers regret that they cannot accept liability for the misuse of photos by third parties and/or the failure of any third party to credit photos.
Photographer of the Year is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram or Facebook.

Agreement of participation

Photographer of the Year entrants confirm that they have agreed to the rules of the competition. Any entry found not to comply with the rules may be disqualified at any stage of the competition, and any awarded prizes will be forfeited.
Entrants grant Africa Geographic the right to add their contact details to the Africa Geographic newsletter subscriber and app database, from which they are free to unsubscribe at any time.
Entrants agree that they will participate in related publicity and agree to the use of their name and likeness for advertising, promotion and publicity of Photographer of the Year – without compensation.

Judging and prizes

The Photographer of the Year judges’ decisions are final and binding.
Successful entrants will be notified in strict confidence during June 2024. It is a condition of entry that the entrant does not disclose the details of any shortlisted or winning entries to any third party until the announcement has been made public. Winners will be contacted in the manner/via the channel used to submit their photos.
The prizes are non-transferable. The organisers reserve the right to substitute the listed prizes with an alternative of equal value (but the entrant shall not have any right to demand this). The prizes must be claimed within the dates specified, or they will be forfeited.

Closing date

Photographer of the Year entries must be received by midnight CAT on Friday, 31 May 2024, or such date as Africa Geographic may advise on its social media pages.