Contest Rules

ISPWP CONTEST RULES

ELIGIBILITY

Each participant must be an ISPWP member in good standing (or a co-owner/employee/associate of ISPWP Member) on the date of the contest deadline.

CONTEST FEES

• Each photographer may submit up to a maximum of 15 images. All 15 images are free. 
• The contest allows Late Entries up to 2 business days AFTER the official deadline of April 30, 2025. There are no free entries after April 30, 2025 and all Late Entries are $10 each.
• Contest fees are non-refundable.

PRIZES

• The top 5 winners will receive one year of free ISPWP membership.

DEADLINE

The official deadline is 11:59 pm, April 30, 2025, Pacific Time Zone (West Coast United States - UTC−08:00). We recommend you submit your entries before the evening of April 30, 2025 in your own time zone.

IMAGE RULES

• Images taken at a workshop, seminar, conference, convention, "styled-shoot session", or any other commercial or non-wedding-related event are not allowed.
• Images that have placed in the top 20 in any category in any previous ISPWP contest are not allowed. (Review your Contest Gallery on your ISPWP profile page to see your previous award winners.) 
• Images judged to be Not Safe for Work (NSFW), obscene, or containing graphic violence, nudity, or any other content deemed inappropriate by the judges are not allowed. If the image would not be allowed on major social media sites such as Facebook or Instagram, then assume it is not allowed.
• All images must have been taken on the actual wedding day, except for the categories of "Creative Fine Art Wedding" and "Open Category Wedding."
• Images that integrate or include any part of an image created by any Artificial Intelligence (AI) program or the Photoshop AI Generative Fill (or similar applications) are not allowed. 
• Images that are intentional direct copies or replicas of other photographers' work are not allowed.
• Images that are essentially identical to previous ISPWP award-winning images are not allowed, and images that are essentially identical may not be entered into separate categories in the same contest. For example, a couple in the same location, with the same general composition, but with a slightly different pose, or black and white vs color. Images may be disqualified at the judgment and discretion of the contest judges.
• Logos or watermarks on the image that identify the photographer or the business are not allowed.
• Each image must not prominently feature another photographer's copyrighted image. For example, if historical family portraits are on the wall behind the couple in a bride and groom portrait shot, that may be permitted at the discretion of the judges. However, if another photographer's copyrighted image is prominently featured as a key element in the contest image, that may be disqualified at the discretion of the judges.
• Images must have been created for wedding clients who paid the photographer for photos in the context of their actual wedding, engagement session, bridal session, portrait session, or post-wedding shoot.
• Images should have straight, unmodified borders. No strokes, keylines, frames, borders, torn edges, polaroid edges, badges, or other border modifications are allowed except for the "Creative Fine Art" category.
• Images must be entered into the correct category. Judges will not change the assigned category of an image. The photographer is responsible for assigning the proper category to each image.
• Each image may be entered into only one category. Images that are identical or essentially similar may not be entered into more than one category.
• There are no date restrictions on the photos. The submitted photos may have been taken at any time in the past. If an image has not won a previous ISPWP contest award, then it is eligible to enter.
• COMPOSITES: Images in all categories, except for the "Creative Fine Art" category, must have been created from one single image. Composite images that combine 2 or more images or elements from 2 or more images are allowed only in the "Creative Fine Art" category. RAW image files may be requested by the judges if an image is in question. The photographer must have taken all of the images used in the composite. No stock photography and no photographs taken by a different photographer may be used in the composite.
• PHOTOSHOP: We understand that Photoshop edits are normal and expected for most finished images that are delivered to your wedding clients. However, this is a Wedding Photography Contest and not a Digital Art Contest. Images in all of the categories, except for the "Creative Fine Art" category, must not exceed reasonable Photoshop edits that significantly alter the image. This is will be at the discretion of the judges, but examples of edits that judges would likely ALLOW are cropping, levels, curves, toning, saturation, grain/noise reduction, blemish removal, MINOR cloning of distracting elements, etc. Examples of edits that judges would likely NOT ALLOW (except for the "Creative Fine Art" category) are adding a fake blur/movement effect or fake lighting, compositing, extreme cloning, extreme toning, etc. If you are significantly altering the image, please enter the image in the "Creative Fine Art" category. RAW image files may be requested by the judges if an image is in question.

STUDIOS WITH MULTIPLE PHOTOGRAPHERS

• For studios that have multiple photographers (co-owners/associates/employees), each photographer must enter the contest individually. The primary ISPWP account member must send an invitation to the co-owners/associates/employees. To invite a co-owner/associate/employee you need to use the "My Associates" function on your ISPWP member menu. Only the highest-scoring studio member will count towards the studio's directory page ranking points.
• The "Photographer" is defined as the person who operated the camera shutter.
• Each photographer may submit only ONE contest entry form per contest. For example, if an ISPWP member studio has 3 photographers, each photographer may submit their own contest entry form with up to 15 images on each entry form. 

IMAGE FILE SIZE AND DIMENSIONS

• IMAGE FILE SIZE: Images must be 300KB or smaller.
• IMAGE FORMAT: Images must be in .jpg format.
• IMAGE DIMENSIONS:
  • All images need to fit inside a canvas size of 1080 pixels horizontal and 720 pixels vertical.
  • All images must touch one, or both, of the maximum horizontal or vertical dimensions of 1080 pixels wide and 720 pixels high. In other words, the image must extend to either 1080 pixels wide or 720 pixels high.
  • Recommended dimensions for HORIZONTAL pictures: 1080 horizontal x 720 vertical.
  • Recommended dimensions for VERTICAL pictures:  480 horizontal x 720 vertical (must be submitted vertically).
  • Required dimensions for SQUARE pictures: 720 horizontal x 720 vertical.
  • Images that do not have the correct dimensions may be disqualified.

SCORING AND RANKING

• High-scoring images in each category will earn the photographer ranking points to place higher on their home location ISPWP directory page and towards the ISPWP Photographer of the Year award.
• Points earned for the top 20 placements in each category count towards the overall prize winners of the contest.
• EVERY image entered into the contest will count towards increasing your directory ranking points, even if it does not place in the top 20 in any contest category. You will rank higher on the directory pages if you enter images into the contest than other members who do not enter, even if you do not win any awards. We reward participation even if the image does not win an award.

RULE VIOLATIONS AND CHALLENGES

• If an image is contested for any reason (copying, plagiarism, rule violation, theft, etc.) the person bringing the complaint must contact the ISPWP at admin@ispwp.com. If the ISPWP admin cannot negotiate a solution, then the challenge will be presented to the judges whose ruling will be final. In the case of a tie vote by the judges, the vote will go to a randomly selected panel of 9 ISPWP members to break the tie.
• The judges' decision on ALL MATTERS relating to the competition is final and binding.

GUIDING PRINCIPLE

The guiding principle for the ISPWP contest is that it is a WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST. It is not a contest for workshop or commercial images. It is not a contest for digital art (except for the "Creative Fine Art" category). It is a contest to showcase photographs of your wedding clients and their wedding. The ISPWP has created contest rules in good faith that address the most common issues, but it is impossible to address every possible situation. As such, if the ISPWP or the contest judges determine that an entrant has broken the spirit or guiding principles of the existing rules, the ISPWP and the contest judges reserve the right to disqualify any image at their sole discretion.

IMAGE CATEGORIES

Getting Ready - Images of the preparations before the wedding. Refer to the contest rules (above) regarding nudity.
Ceremony - Images taken at the ceremony venue during the wedding ceremony.
Wedding Day Portraits - Images of any individual, couple, or group taken on the wedding day.
Reception - Images of the couple’s first dance or other images taken during the reception.
Real Moments - Images taken in a photojournalistic style, with no posing or direction from the photographer. 
Creative Fine Art Wedding - Images that showcase the creative artistic ability and digital manipulation skills of the photographer. Extremely creative Photoshop enhancements and experimental art (including composites) are allowed. "Creative Fine Art Wedding" and "Open Category Wedding" are the only categories that allow images of the couple not taken on the wedding day.
Open Category Wedding - Wedding related images that may not fit into any other category. Examples: Engagement Portraits, Post-Wedding Shoots, Kids, Pets, Details, Humor, etc.

Note: All Categories allow posed (photographer-directed) or unposed (photojournalistic) images, except for "Real Moments" which must be unposed.

JUDGING PROCESS

• ISPWP Contest Judges are selected at random from all ISPWP members who have checked the "Apply For Contest Judge" checkbox in their ISPWP Profile Edit Page. ISPWP Contest Judges must also be prior ISPWP award winners.
• ALL images received that conform to the rules are sent to the judges. Images are not pre-selected, pre-culled, or pre-judged.
• After the contest deadline, the ISPWP Contest Judges select their top 10-20 images from each contest category. 
• Each image is assigned a score, with higher-ranked images receiving more points than lower-ranked images. 
• All image points are then combined from all judges and the contest galleries are created and overall contest placements are awarded based on total points. 

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

By participating, entrants agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers LLC, (ISPWP) and each of their respective partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this Contest or any Contest-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder.

The ISPWP and its prize sponsors assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. The ISPWP and its prize sponsors are not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading, or downloading of any materials related to this Contest. 

Your entry to the contest constitutes your agreement to allow your name, business, location, website, and photographs to be published on the ISPWP website and to be used on social media or other websites to promote yourself and the ISPWP. Entrants retain ownership and all other usage rights of their photographs. By entering, participants warrant that his or her images are original, created by the participant, do not infringe on any third party's rights, and that participant has obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party or third party's property appears in the photograph.

ENTRANT LICENSES/RELEASES

If the photograph contains any material or elements that are not owned by the entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, and/or if any persons appear in the photograph, the entrant is responsible for obtaining, prior to submission of the photograph, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit the exhibition and use of the photograph in the manner set forth in these Official Rules without additional compensation.
By participating, ALL ENTRANTS grant the ISPWP, its prize sponsors and their designees, licensees or affiliates (the "Authorized Parties") a non-exclusive, worldwide license to reproduce, distribute, display and post the entries online so that viewers may view all competing entries. In addition, each WINNER grants to the Authorized Parties a license for use of his/her winning entry in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest or of the ISPWP, in any media now or hereafter known, including but not limited to, print or digital publication showcasing the winners; and promotions related to the contest. Authorized Parties will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.

CONDITIONS

This Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Certain restrictions may apply. Entries void if the Sponsor determines the entry to not be an original, or if the entries are illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft.

Participants also agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; (b) that the decisions of the Judges are final on all matters relating to the Contest; and (c) if he/she wins that the ISPWP may use each winner's name, photograph, likeness, and/or voice in any publicity or advertising relating to the Contest or future promotions without compensation or approval (except where prohibited by law). All federal, state and local taxes, fees and surcharges on prizes are the sole responsibility of the prize winners. In the event that the selected winner(s) of any prize are/is ineligible or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited and the ISPWP, in their sole discretion, may choose whether to award the prize to another entrant. 

RIGHT TO CANCEL OR SUSPEND CONTEST

If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, trojan horses, denial of service attacks, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the ISPWP that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, the ISPWP reserves the right, at their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. If the ISPWP elects to cancel or terminate the Contest, the ISPWP will not retain any rights in the submitted photographs and will return the entry fees.