Rules

01Concept

PhotOlympic 2027 consists of three international photography qualification competitions, followed by a live Semifinal and Grand Final. Each qualification round is an independent competition, offering photographers opportunities to earn awards, certificates, and points in accordance with the patronage regulations. The annual entry fee allows photographers to participate in all three qualification rounds with a single payment.

02Themes and number of photographs

Each qualification round features four themes. Photographers may submit up to five photographs per theme, allowing a maximum of 20 photographs per round and up to 60 photographs across all three rounds. The themes are announced separately for each qualification round. Participants in the second and third qualification rounds must submit entirely new photographs corresponding to the assigned themes. Photographs submitted in previous rounds may not be resubmitted.

03Free participation in the first round

Photographers may participate in the first qualification round free of charge by submitting one photograph in each of the four themes, without paying any entry fee.
These photographs are judged under the same conditions as paid entries and are equally eligible for awards and electronic certificates.

Free participation is available only in the first qualification round and does not include additional photographs or participation in subsequent rounds. Photographers who initially participate free of charge may upgrade to the annual entry option at any time before the first round's submission deadline.

04Entry fees

Annual entry — €45 per season. Photographers may pay the annual entry fee at any time before or during the first qualification round, up to and including the official submission deadline. The annual entry includes up to five photographs per theme in each round, a maximum of 60 photographs across all three rounds, and no additional entry fees for the second and third rounds. Registration and uploads may be completed before payment.

Individual qualification round — €25 per round. After the submission deadline for the first qualification round, the annual entry fee is no longer available. Photographers who have not purchased the annual entry option may participate by paying €25 for each qualification round they wish to enter, with up to five photographs per theme and 20 photographs per round. Free participants in round one may still enter rounds two and three.

IAAP member discount — 50% off every entry fee. IAAP members pay €22.50 for the annual entry and €12.50 for an individual qualification round. Please note: payment of an entry fee does not guarantee awards, points, or qualification for the Semifinal.

05How to apply

Registration takes four steps. First, create an account on theiaap.com and confirm your email address. Second, submit your photographs to the four competition sections, following the technical requirements for each file. Third, pay the applicable entry fee — annual entry, individual round, or free entry in the first round, which requires no payment. Fourth, after completing your registration and any required payment, you will receive a confirmation email. Registration and uploads are possible before payment is completed, as long as the first round deadline is respected.

06Technical requirements and image editing

Submitted files must meet the following requirements: file size 3–5 MB, format JPG, maximum dimensions 6000 × 4000 px, minimum dimensions 3000 px on the long edge, any aspect ratio, resolution 300 dpi and RGB color mode. Files that do not meet the technical requirements cannot be judged.

Image editing is permitted in accordance with the rules of the relevant competition category. Adjustments such as brightness, contrast, cropping and color correction are allowed where permitted by the category rules, together with any further adjustment allowed by the rules of the relevant category. Photographs generated or modified using artificial intelligence and prohibited photomontages are not allowed.

The organizer reserves the right to request original RAW files or unedited JPG files to verify the authenticity of submitted photographs.

07Selection of semifinalists

Each qualification round is an independent competition for awards and points, and results from different rounds are not combined. A total of 96 photographers qualify for the Semifinal: 10 from the first qualification round, 10 from the second qualification round and the remaining 76 places from the rankings of the third qualification round.

The 10 highest-ranked photographers from the first qualification round and the 10 highest-ranked photographers from the second qualification round secure their places in the Semifinal. If a photographer ranks among the top 10 in both rounds, their place in the second round is awarded to the next highest-ranked photographer who has not yet qualified. Photographers who have already qualified through the first or second round cannot occupy an additional place; instead, the invitation is extended to the next highest-ranked eligible photographer from the third-round rankings. If an invited photographer is unable to participate, the invitation is extended to the next highest-ranked eligible photographer from the corresponding qualification round.

08Awards

Awards and electronic certificates are presented in each qualification round in accordance with the published awards program and applicable patronage regulations. Every round is judged on its own, so awards, certificates and points are awarded within that round alone. Physical medals are not included in the standard entry fee. Award winners may separately order and pay for the production and delivery of their physical medals.

09Registration support

If you registered but have not received a confirmation email, first check your Spam or Junk folder, where automated confirmations are often filtered. Next, add photolympic@gmail.com to your contact list or approved senders. If your confirmation still has not arrived, contact the organizer at the same address.