Rules And Regulations

The GENCF Photographer of the Year Awards shine a spotlight on how photography can spark change for our planet. To keep the competition fair and smooth for everyone, please read and follow these simple rules.

  • Submission Begins: 3rd March 2026 (On the special occasion of World Wildlife Day)
  • Closing Date: 30th June 2026
  • Exhibition Date & Venue shall be declared in July.
  • Entry Fee: ₹1500 INR / $18 USD per participant.
  • Non-Refundable: We will not refund the entry fees once it is paid.

Eligibility

  • Age Requirement: This contest is for photographers who are at least 18 years old.
  • Global Participation: Anyone from anywhere in the world can join.
  • Original Work: Every photo you enter has to be your own. Make sure you took the shot, and you have all the rights to it.
  • Photographs that have won awards or been exhibited in other competitions are eligible for entry in GENCF POTY.
  • The images that have won awards or have been exhibited in GENCF POTY 2025 are not eligible for re-entry.
  • The calendar year does not matter. Old Photographs are also acceptable from Digital Era.
  • Deadlines: Upload your photos using the official GENCF dashboard before the closing date. Late entries are not accepted.

Submission Guidelines

  • Number of Entries: For each category, 10 pictures can be submitted, provided that, maximum 20 images can be submitted in total.
  • Initial Submission: JPEG, 300 dpi, 1920 px on the longest edge.
  • Images with watermarks are not acceptable
  • You can submit photographs taken from any medium like Mobile Cameras, Point & Shoot Cameras, SLR Cameras, DSLR Cameras & Drones that supports RAW images.
  • No Alteration by GENCF: We won’t change your picture, except for maybe a little resizing or cropping, unless you say it’s okay. Your edits stay your edits.
  • Final Submission (if selected): We will ask for high-resolution RAW and TIFF files. We will not accept photographs for selection of awards without the RAW Files. Sending your RAW Files (ARW, CR2/3, NEF, ORF, PEF) is mandatory for declaration of Awards and to be exhibited in the exhibition.
  • If somehow you do not have the RAW file you should submit untouched JPG format with all Metadata available.
  • If you offer a TIFF, make it 8-bit, Adobe RGB (1998) colour space, the same pixel tally as the JPEG, and 500 MB max. Your RAW and TIFF Files shall be deleted after
  • In case of Astro-Landscape Photography: Image stacking is permitted. However, participants must submit 5 original RAW files for every 100 final images, selected at exact intervals (i.e., in multiples of 20 images) to verify authenticity. In case of 200 final images, 10 original RAW files to be submitted.
  • Optionally, the judging panel may ask for before-and-after frames to confirm every edit in the first step of processing.
  • Plagiarism: If we prove an entry copied someone else’s work, that entry will be disqualified right away and banned from the forum for 5 years.
  • Payment Verification: Contestants need to upload a valid receipt of payment to their dashboard. Any fake receipt leads to a 5 years ban.

Ethical Guidelines

  • Contestants must follow local wildlife laws, respect community rules, and use ethical practices when taking photos.
  • Wildlife in Natural Habitat Only: Only photos of wild animals in their own environment are allowed. Animals in zoos, farms, or any controlled space are not eligible.
  • No Disturbance: Wildlife photographers need to protect living creatures and their homes at all costs. Stick to the local rules and be sure your choices match what’s right and safe for the animals and land.

Authenticity

  • Authentication: If an entry can’t pass authenticity checks, it will be disqualified. 
  • For Files: Keep EXIF data intact! We need to see which camera, lens, exposure, and ISO you used. It also determines the authentication so without EXIF Data your photographs disqualify.
  • AI & Manipulation: AI-generated images or heavily forced edits will not make it past intake; only simple adjustments like cropping and touch-up colour tweaks are okay.

Image Integrity & Ownership

  • Ownership: Your copyright never leaves you. You stay the boss of your images, always.
  • Usage Rights: When you enter, you allow GENCF to use your photo for these specific things only:
    • Online galleries and the event website
    • Public exhibits and displays
    • GENCF marketing campaigns (both digital and print, including our social feeds)
  • Photo Credits: We promise to always name you whenever we share your work, so everyone knows the photographer behind the shot.

Award Ceremony & Travel: Winners are responsible for covering their own travel and accommodation expenses to the venue. If a winner is unable to attend the award ceremony, they are encouraged to arrange a local representative, where possible, to accept the award on their behalf. In cases where no representative is available, GENCF will send the award in secure packaging. Any customs duties, taxes, or unforeseen charges related to shipping must be borne by the participant.

  • Prints & Frames: You must pick up your own prints and frames at the venue during the day of Award Ceremony. GENCF will not keep your prints and frames after the Award Ceremony.

 

Data Privacy & Liability

  • Data Privacy: We will use your contact info only for contest updates; we won’t give it to anyone else. 
  • Liability: GENCF is not liable for any copyright disputes or for awards that get lost or damaged in the mail.