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Environmental Photographer of the Year
Open to all professional and amateur, national and international photographers of all ages, the CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year is an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography. The competition encourages entries that are contemporary, creative, resonant, challenging, original and beautiful, but most of all, pictures that will inspire people around the world to start taking care of our environment. We are excited to announce the 2018 competition is sponsored by Olympus UK.
Contest Prize & TERMS
PRIZE DETAILS:
Environmental Photographer of the Year
£2,000 cash prize and personalised certificate
Spread and interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine
Changing Climates Prize
£500 cash prize and personalised certificate
Interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine
Built Environment Prize
£500 cash prize and personalised certificate
Interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine
Sustainability in Practice Prize
£500 cash prize and personalised certificate
Interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine
Young Environmental Photographer of the Year (Under 21)
Camera equipment
Annual subscription to The Environment Magazine
Interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine Not eligible to enter? - Find contest where you are.
COPYRIGHT: General Rules
Entries must be received by 16.00 BST on Tuesday 31 July 2018 (‘the Closing Date’).
Each entrant may enter up to ten (10) still photographs.
All photographs entered must have been completed since 01 January 2017.
Entries must be submitted as digital files only. For initial entry, all still photography images must be submitted as JPEGs, saved at a high quality level, with a maximum file size of 5MB. SEE DIGITAL SPECIFICATIONS SECTION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
If shortlisted, entrants must be able to supply images as RAW files or original JPEGs. SEE DIGITAL SPECIFICATIONS BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
Entrants must be the sole author and owner of the copyright for all the entries they submit, or they must have obtained permission from the copyright holder to submit the entries on their behalf. A copy of any such written permission must be supplied to the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) on request.
The photographer retains the copyright to all their entries into the Environmental Photographer of the Year. The photographer will be credited. The photographer agrees that CIWEM will not be liable to the photographer in the event of inadvertent omission of the credit.
Do not add a signature to any entry as judging is done anonymously and entries with overlay signatures will be rejected.
It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure that all the necessary permissions are obtained from people featured in the entry.
All entries, should be a faithful representation of the original scene and localised adjustments should be used appropriately. Some digital adjustment or editing is allowed, but entrants should understand that the objective is to remain faithful to the original experience, and to never deceive the viewer or misrepresent reality. SEE DIGITAL ADJUSTMENT GUIDELINES SECTION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
Each entrant agrees to participate in related publicity and to the use of their name and entry for the purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity of the competition and exhibition without additional compensation.
By entering the Competition, you grant CIWEM a non-exclusive licence to reproduce, publish and communicate your entry to the public by exhibiting your entry through all media throughout the world in relation to the Environmental Photographer of the Year competition and CIWEM’s charitable activities. This includes but is not limited to: the competition judging process; an exhibition and tour; inclusion in an Environmental Photographer of the Year Exhibition catalogue or book; online galleries; promotional, press and marketing materials associated with the Environmental Photographer of the Year and CIWEM’s charitable activities and public benefit remit; and associated merchandising. CIWEM is allowed to pass on any entry to online and print publications to be used either for editorial or image based promotion only in relation to the Environmental Photographer of the Year, with full credit given to the photographer. CIWEM’s use of the photographs may include third party licensing to generate revenue which will be used for the promotion of the Environmental Photographer of The Year and other charitable activities undertaken by CIWEM. Commercial opportunities, such as third-party licensing, may exist for photographers to benefit from the use of any selected entry. Where such a commercial benefit is likely to arise, permission will be sought by CIWEM in advance.
By entering the competition you accept that your entry may be exhibited by CIWEM or other exhibitions organised or attended by CIWEM as part of the Environmental Photographer of the Year. CIWEM reserves the right to reproduce any entry for exhibition purposes.
CIWEM cannot accept liability for the misuse of entries and or failure of any third party to comply with the Environmental Photographer of the Year’s credit guidelines.
The sponsors of the Environmental Photographer of the Year (detailed on this website) reserve the right to reproduce any entry from the exhibition in their own marketing and publications, in relation to the competition and exhibition only.
Judges appointed by CIWEM will choose the exhibition and winners. The judges’ decision on all matters relating to the competition is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into. During judging the judges reserve the right to move entries from one category to another where appropriate and not award any entry within a category.
CIWEM reserves the right to cancel this competition at any stage.
CIWEM reserves the right to amend, remove or introduce additional judging categories at any stage during the competition.
The competition is open to all international photographers, both amateur and professional, and of all ages.
It is the responsibility of each entrant into the competition to ensure they have read and abide by the General Rules. By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the General Rules, that their entry complies with the General Rules, and that they will be liable to the Owners and their licensees in respect of any damages or losses incurred as a breach of the General Rules by the entrant.
Any entrant found to not comply with the General Rules at any stage of the competition will be disqualified and any prizes will be forfeited.
The decision of CIWEM on all matters relating to the Competition is final and binding.
Special Notes for Under 21 Category
Anyone born on or before 31st July 1997 can enter this category. Only photographs taken by photographers within this age range can enter this category.
Proof of date of birth may be required upon request.
For entrants under 18 parental written permission must be received from the parent or guardian of the photographer upon request from CIWEM.
Digital Specifications
The following guidelines explain the required specifications for each category at the different stages of the competition. Please ensure that your entries adhere to these guidelines. If any further queries, please check the HELP & FAQs section or contact CIWEM by email.
Initial entry: all still photographs must be submitted as JPEGs, saved at a high quality level with a maximum file size of 5MB. Each image file must be named with your surname, first name and brief title e.g. SmithJohn_Title.jpeg. Whilst image titles may be too long to be used as image names, a section of your title would be adequate.
Proof of authenticity: original digital camera RAW files will be required if your image is shortlisted. Digital images captured as JPEG are allowed, providing the original un-retouched JPEG is available for inspection. Any work created from more than one original (e.g. stitched images), must be declared as such, and the original captured images should be available for inspection when requested.
Printing: for printing in all media and for inclusion in an exhibition, a high-resolution image (preferably TIFF) will be requested if your image is selected.
Mobile Category: This includes images shot on any mobile phone or tablet. Images should still be no smaller than 1MB in order to enter them, and a higher resolution version may still be required.
Digital Adjustment Guidelines
The following digital adjustments are not allowed:
adding or removing animals, parts of animals, plants, distractions, people etc.
composites and sandwich shots that add elements.
images that have been digitally manipulated outside of the allowed adjustments.
The following digital adjustments are allowed:
removal of sensor dust spots and chromatic aberration
levels (in moderation)
curves (in moderation)
colour (in moderation)
saturation (in moderation)
contrast work (in moderation)
shadow and highlights (in moderation)
sharpening (including selective sharpening) in moderation
cropping in moderation and as long as a suitable high-res TIFF file can be supplied for printing a large exhibition display
dodging, burning and toning (in moderation)
neutral density gradients (in moderation)
removing lens vignetting
panoramas i.e. panoramas created from several images that have been taken from the same location and at the same time, and then combined or stitched using digital techniques, and resulting in a wider view than can be achieved with most wide-angle lenses. (NB: stitched panoramas must be declared in caption information.)
multiple exposures are only allowed if this is a feature of the camera and the result is one single file. Entrants must state in the caption if their image is a multiple exposure
Data Protection
The personal data of entrants will be managed by CIWEM in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018
CIWEM will collect personal data about entrants (and when applicable parents/guardians) at the time of entry, and as otherwise provided in order to administer the competition and its associated activities only
If you experience problems with the online entry process, or if you have any questions about entering the Environmental Photographer of the Year that cannot be answered by reading the Rules and Guidelines, or by looking at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please contact CIWEM by email. USAGE RIGHTS: 7. PUBLICITY
(1) All entrants agree that, if their entry is selected by the Jury, they will participate in related publicity and agree to the use of their name and likeness for the purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity of the Competition and/or the Exhibition and Touring Exhibition without additional compensation.
8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
(1) Each entry must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party.
(2) The entrant must either be the sole owner of the copyright in the entry(s) submitted or have secured the written permission of the copyright owner or any joint owners of copyright to submit the entry(s) into the Competition. A copy of any such written permission must be supplied to the Owners on request.
(3) In the event that an entrant is not the sole copyright owner of the entry(s), the entrant agrees to notify the Owners at the date of submission, providing the names of all copyright owners.
(4) Ownership of the copyright in any entry submitted to the Competition will remain with the copyright owner(s). The photographer will be credited (eg © photographer’s name). The photographer agrees that the Owners will not be liable to the photographer in the event of inadvertent omission of the credit.
(5) By entering the Competition, the entrant grants to the Owners a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to reproduce, publish, exhibit and communicate to the public, by any means and in all media throughout the world any entry. This licence is granted only for use in relation to the Competition, Exhibition and Touring Exhibition, which shall include (with the right to sub-license where necessary) - but will not be limited to - any of the following uses:
(i) the process of judging the Competition (including the public vote);
(ii) display during the awards ceremony, Exhibition, and Touring Exhibition;
(iii) publication in other magazines or print media which the Owners (or their official partners, supporters, or sponsors) may produce;
(iv) publication on relevant parts of the Owners’ website, including within interactive elements available for viewing or download;
(v) in publicity materials (including social media).
(6) All entries selected for the Exhibition are intended for inclusion in the annual Portfolio Book and possibly the Highlights Book, for which the photographers will be paid the Owners’ standard fee. Images selected for the People’s Choice may also be included in the Highlights Book, for which the photographers will be paid the Owner’s standard fee.
Other commercial opportunities may exist for photographers to benefit from the use of any entry selected by the Jury. Where such a commercial benefit is likely to arise, permission will be sought by the Owners in advance. Examples include:
(i) publication on the cover of the Portfolio Book
(ii) inclusion in merchandising associated with the Competition, Exhibition and/or Touring Exhibition
(iii) third-party licensing
(7) Awarded submissions may be used by the Owners for the purposes of promoting the Competition, Exhibition and/or Touring Exhibition from the date of notification of awarded submissions until the end of the Touring Exhibition and thereafter the Owners may keep the awarded submissions within an archive (electronic or otherwise) provided that should the submissions be used in connection with the Competition, Exhibition and/or Touring Exhibition after the period of five (5) years following the notification of awarded submissions, permission will be sought from the entrant and from the entrant’s parent or guardian if the entrant is aged under 18 on the date on which permission is sought.
£2,000 cash prize and personalised certificate
Spread and interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine
Changing Climates Prize
£500 cash prize and personalised certificate
Interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine
Built Environment Prize
£500 cash prize and personalised certificate
Interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine
Sustainability in Practice Prize
£500 cash prize and personalised certificate
Interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine
Young Environmental Photographer of the Year (Under 21)
Camera equipment
Annual subscription to The Environment Magazine
Interview in one issue of CIWEM’s The Environment Magazine Not eligible to enter? - Find contest where you are.
COPYRIGHT: General Rules
Entries must be received by 16.00 BST on Tuesday 31 July 2018 (‘the Closing Date’).
Each entrant may enter up to ten (10) still photographs.
All photographs entered must have been completed since 01 January 2017.
Entries must be submitted as digital files only. For initial entry, all still photography images must be submitted as JPEGs, saved at a high quality level, with a maximum file size of 5MB. SEE DIGITAL SPECIFICATIONS SECTION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
If shortlisted, entrants must be able to supply images as RAW files or original JPEGs. SEE DIGITAL SPECIFICATIONS BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
Entrants must be the sole author and owner of the copyright for all the entries they submit, or they must have obtained permission from the copyright holder to submit the entries on their behalf. A copy of any such written permission must be supplied to the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) on request.
The photographer retains the copyright to all their entries into the Environmental Photographer of the Year. The photographer will be credited. The photographer agrees that CIWEM will not be liable to the photographer in the event of inadvertent omission of the credit.
Do not add a signature to any entry as judging is done anonymously and entries with overlay signatures will be rejected.
It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure that all the necessary permissions are obtained from people featured in the entry.
All entries, should be a faithful representation of the original scene and localised adjustments should be used appropriately. Some digital adjustment or editing is allowed, but entrants should understand that the objective is to remain faithful to the original experience, and to never deceive the viewer or misrepresent reality. SEE DIGITAL ADJUSTMENT GUIDELINES SECTION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS.
Each entrant agrees to participate in related publicity and to the use of their name and entry for the purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity of the competition and exhibition without additional compensation.
By entering the Competition, you grant CIWEM a non-exclusive licence to reproduce, publish and communicate your entry to the public by exhibiting your entry through all media throughout the world in relation to the Environmental Photographer of the Year competition and CIWEM’s charitable activities. This includes but is not limited to: the competition judging process; an exhibition and tour; inclusion in an Environmental Photographer of the Year Exhibition catalogue or book; online galleries; promotional, press and marketing materials associated with the Environmental Photographer of the Year and CIWEM’s charitable activities and public benefit remit; and associated merchandising. CIWEM is allowed to pass on any entry to online and print publications to be used either for editorial or image based promotion only in relation to the Environmental Photographer of the Year, with full credit given to the photographer. CIWEM’s use of the photographs may include third party licensing to generate revenue which will be used for the promotion of the Environmental Photographer of The Year and other charitable activities undertaken by CIWEM. Commercial opportunities, such as third-party licensing, may exist for photographers to benefit from the use of any selected entry. Where such a commercial benefit is likely to arise, permission will be sought by CIWEM in advance.
By entering the competition you accept that your entry may be exhibited by CIWEM or other exhibitions organised or attended by CIWEM as part of the Environmental Photographer of the Year. CIWEM reserves the right to reproduce any entry for exhibition purposes.
CIWEM cannot accept liability for the misuse of entries and or failure of any third party to comply with the Environmental Photographer of the Year’s credit guidelines.
The sponsors of the Environmental Photographer of the Year (detailed on this website) reserve the right to reproduce any entry from the exhibition in their own marketing and publications, in relation to the competition and exhibition only.
Judges appointed by CIWEM will choose the exhibition and winners. The judges’ decision on all matters relating to the competition is final and binding and no correspondence will be entered into. During judging the judges reserve the right to move entries from one category to another where appropriate and not award any entry within a category.
CIWEM reserves the right to cancel this competition at any stage.
CIWEM reserves the right to amend, remove or introduce additional judging categories at any stage during the competition.
The competition is open to all international photographers, both amateur and professional, and of all ages.
It is the responsibility of each entrant into the competition to ensure they have read and abide by the General Rules. By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the General Rules, that their entry complies with the General Rules, and that they will be liable to the Owners and their licensees in respect of any damages or losses incurred as a breach of the General Rules by the entrant.
Any entrant found to not comply with the General Rules at any stage of the competition will be disqualified and any prizes will be forfeited.
The decision of CIWEM on all matters relating to the Competition is final and binding.
Special Notes for Under 21 Category
Anyone born on or before 31st July 1997 can enter this category. Only photographs taken by photographers within this age range can enter this category.
Proof of date of birth may be required upon request.
For entrants under 18 parental written permission must be received from the parent or guardian of the photographer upon request from CIWEM.
Digital Specifications
The following guidelines explain the required specifications for each category at the different stages of the competition. Please ensure that your entries adhere to these guidelines. If any further queries, please check the HELP & FAQs section or contact CIWEM by email.
Initial entry: all still photographs must be submitted as JPEGs, saved at a high quality level with a maximum file size of 5MB. Each image file must be named with your surname, first name and brief title e.g. SmithJohn_Title.jpeg. Whilst image titles may be too long to be used as image names, a section of your title would be adequate.
Proof of authenticity: original digital camera RAW files will be required if your image is shortlisted. Digital images captured as JPEG are allowed, providing the original un-retouched JPEG is available for inspection. Any work created from more than one original (e.g. stitched images), must be declared as such, and the original captured images should be available for inspection when requested.
Printing: for printing in all media and for inclusion in an exhibition, a high-resolution image (preferably TIFF) will be requested if your image is selected.
Mobile Category: This includes images shot on any mobile phone or tablet. Images should still be no smaller than 1MB in order to enter them, and a higher resolution version may still be required.
Digital Adjustment Guidelines
The following digital adjustments are not allowed:
adding or removing animals, parts of animals, plants, distractions, people etc.
composites and sandwich shots that add elements.
images that have been digitally manipulated outside of the allowed adjustments.
The following digital adjustments are allowed:
removal of sensor dust spots and chromatic aberration
levels (in moderation)
curves (in moderation)
colour (in moderation)
saturation (in moderation)
contrast work (in moderation)
shadow and highlights (in moderation)
sharpening (including selective sharpening) in moderation
cropping in moderation and as long as a suitable high-res TIFF file can be supplied for printing a large exhibition display
dodging, burning and toning (in moderation)
neutral density gradients (in moderation)
removing lens vignetting
panoramas i.e. panoramas created from several images that have been taken from the same location and at the same time, and then combined or stitched using digital techniques, and resulting in a wider view than can be achieved with most wide-angle lenses. (NB: stitched panoramas must be declared in caption information.)
multiple exposures are only allowed if this is a feature of the camera and the result is one single file. Entrants must state in the caption if their image is a multiple exposure
Data Protection
The personal data of entrants will be managed by CIWEM in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018
CIWEM will collect personal data about entrants (and when applicable parents/guardians) at the time of entry, and as otherwise provided in order to administer the competition and its associated activities only
If you experience problems with the online entry process, or if you have any questions about entering the Environmental Photographer of the Year that cannot be answered by reading the Rules and Guidelines, or by looking at the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please contact CIWEM by email. USAGE RIGHTS: 7. PUBLICITY
(1) All entrants agree that, if their entry is selected by the Jury, they will participate in related publicity and agree to the use of their name and likeness for the purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity of the Competition and/or the Exhibition and Touring Exhibition without additional compensation.
8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS
(1) Each entry must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party.
(2) The entrant must either be the sole owner of the copyright in the entry(s) submitted or have secured the written permission of the copyright owner or any joint owners of copyright to submit the entry(s) into the Competition. A copy of any such written permission must be supplied to the Owners on request.
(3) In the event that an entrant is not the sole copyright owner of the entry(s), the entrant agrees to notify the Owners at the date of submission, providing the names of all copyright owners.
(4) Ownership of the copyright in any entry submitted to the Competition will remain with the copyright owner(s). The photographer will be credited (eg © photographer’s name). The photographer agrees that the Owners will not be liable to the photographer in the event of inadvertent omission of the credit.
(5) By entering the Competition, the entrant grants to the Owners a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to reproduce, publish, exhibit and communicate to the public, by any means and in all media throughout the world any entry. This licence is granted only for use in relation to the Competition, Exhibition and Touring Exhibition, which shall include (with the right to sub-license where necessary) - but will not be limited to - any of the following uses:
(i) the process of judging the Competition (including the public vote);
(ii) display during the awards ceremony, Exhibition, and Touring Exhibition;
(iii) publication in other magazines or print media which the Owners (or their official partners, supporters, or sponsors) may produce;
(iv) publication on relevant parts of the Owners’ website, including within interactive elements available for viewing or download;
(v) in publicity materials (including social media).
(6) All entries selected for the Exhibition are intended for inclusion in the annual Portfolio Book and possibly the Highlights Book, for which the photographers will be paid the Owners’ standard fee. Images selected for the People’s Choice may also be included in the Highlights Book, for which the photographers will be paid the Owner’s standard fee.
Other commercial opportunities may exist for photographers to benefit from the use of any entry selected by the Jury. Where such a commercial benefit is likely to arise, permission will be sought by the Owners in advance. Examples include:
(i) publication on the cover of the Portfolio Book
(ii) inclusion in merchandising associated with the Competition, Exhibition and/or Touring Exhibition
(iii) third-party licensing
(7) Awarded submissions may be used by the Owners for the purposes of promoting the Competition, Exhibition and/or Touring Exhibition from the date of notification of awarded submissions until the end of the Touring Exhibition and thereafter the Owners may keep the awarded submissions within an archive (electronic or otherwise) provided that should the submissions be used in connection with the Competition, Exhibition and/or Touring Exhibition after the period of five (5) years following the notification of awarded submissions, permission will be sought from the entrant and from the entrant’s parent or guardian if the entrant is aged under 18 on the date on which permission is sought.
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