Nominations open for Hamdan International Photography Award

This category welcomes all forms of photography including aerial, photojournalism, and even abstract, to highlight the philosophical and aesthetic dimensions of power.

Theme

• Power will be the main theme of the season.

Categories

• Power: Power’, a multi-faceted theme, is not just something one can see or measure; it is also something one can feel and engage with. It exists in many forms, each with its own dimensions and meanings.
• Drone (Video): Photographers have reached new creative heights using specialised tools to enhance their artistic control and produce exceptional ideas that have shaped the photography industry and influenced various fields.
• Sports Photography: From intense competition to moments of victory and defeat, Sports offer a dynamic blend of emotion, movement and storytelling.
• Portfolio (Storytelling): A challenging category for photographers to the art of visual story-telling, where each image weaves into a compelling narrative.
• General (Black & White and Colour): Each year, thousands eagerly await the return of the General Category, a cornerstone for photographers to showcase their artistry that is not defined under a specific category.
• Special Awards:
  • Photography Appreciation Award: The photography industry has many passionate individuals who tirelessly strive for excellence. These dedicated professionals offer their skills and expertise selflessly, playing a crucial role in shaping the photographic community.
  • Photography Content Creator Award: Service to photography goes beyond capturing stunning images; it includes editors, publishers, bloggers, researchers, inventors, promoters, and all content creators – both print and digital – who have made a positive impact on the industry and contributed to its evolution.
  • HIPA Photographer of The Year: The ‘HIPA Photographer of the Year Award’ celebrates an exceptional photographer whose creative achievements over 12 consecutive months have resulted in a remarkable portfolio of visual masterpieces and ground-breaking photographic projects.

Prize Information

• The Grand Prize of USD $200,000 will be awarded to one winner from any category this season, not limited to the main theme.
• Power:
  • 1st $40,000
  • 2nd $30,000
  • 3rd $20,000
• Drone (Video):
  • 1st $40,000
  • 2nd $30,000
  • 3rd $20,000
• Sports Photography:
  • 1st $40,000
  • 2nd $30,000
  • 3rd $20,000
• Portfolio (Storytelling):
  • 1st $50,000
  • 2nd $40,000
  • 3rd $30,000
• General (Black & White and Colour):
  • Black & White:
    • 1st $40,000
    • 2nd $30,000
    • 3rd $20,000
  • Colour:
    • 1st $40,000
    • 2nd $30,000
    • 3rd $20,000
• Special Awards:
  • HIPA Photographer of The Year: $80,000
  • Photography Content Creator Award: $50,000
  • Photography Appreciation Award: $100,000

Eligibility Criteria

• Participants must be individuals aged eighteen years or over at the time of the Submission(s).

Application Requirements

• You may submit up to one Photo in each relevant category of the Competition including the subcategories under the General category, except the Portfolio category where you can submit between 5 – 10 Photo(s) and one video for Drone (Video). You must provide a title and description for each Photo submitted, for the set of photos in the Portfolio category and in Drone (Video).
• The same Photo must not be submitted in more than one category. Any Photo submitted in more than one category will be discarded from the Competition. Using more than one account for the same person is not allowed.
• Submitted Photo must be in JPEG or JPG format, with high quality and resolution, of a minimum 5 MB in size, the minimum of the longest edge should be no less than 2000 pixel and the quality no less than 300dpi and to be suitable for publication.
• Participants are not required to submit should upload their photo(s)/video in RAW format initially. However, if shortlisted, they must upload the RAW or camera original file(s) in any format.
• Black and white Photo(s) are permitted in all the categories of the Competition except for the Colour subcategory under the General category.
• For the Portfolio category, you are requested to submit a series of Photo(s) on unified subject matter. The number of permitted Photo(s) is the minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 Photo(s).
• Drone video rules:
  • Duration: 30 seconds to 1 minute
  • Resolution: Minimum Full HD (1920×1080); 4K (3840×2160) preferred
  • File Formats: MP4, MOV or AVI (Other formats will be rejected)
  • Codec: (H.264 or H.265)
  • Maximum File Size: 500 MB
• All submitted Photo(s) or video must not contain any tag(s), signature(s), initial(s), frame, border(s), logo(s) or any other references and/or marks added by the Participant. Basic technical editing of the Photo(s) or video is acceptable, provided any such editing does not affect the authenticity and/or genuineness of the Photo(s) or video. Advanced editing used to create illusions, deceptions and/or manipulations; including compositing and creative retouching of the Photo(s) or video prohibited. HIPA preserves the right to assess and discard from the competition any submitted Photo(s) or video deemed, at HIPA’s own discretion, contrary to the foregoing.
• Photo(s) that portray or otherwise include inappropriate and/or offensive contents, including nudity, violence and/or any other contents deemed to be contrary to the UAE religious, cultural and/or public morals traditions and practices will be disqualified.
• Photo(s) and video that have won any previous award(s), whether in any HIPA prior competition(s), or in any other competition(s) whatsoever and announced before 31st May 2025, and/or Photo(s) or video that have been previously used, or are intended to be used, for any kind of commercial purposes, must not be submitted. Any Photo(s) and video submitted in contrary to the foregoing will be automatically and without further notice disqualified from the entire Competition.

For more information, visit HIPA.