Rules & Entry Guidelines

Who Can Enter?

The LumEarth Photo Awards welcomes photographers aged 18 and above from around the world, regardless of nationality, residency, or professional experience level. We celebrate both emerging talents and established professionals.

Submission Requirements

All entries must be submitted through the official LumEarth portal at lumearthawards.com. Follow the provided upload instructions carefully and ensure payment is completed before the deadline to confirm your submission.

Data Processing

Your registration information is collected solely for competition administration and communications. We respect your privacy and will never share your data with third parties for commercial purposes.

Copyright & Ownership

You retain complete copyright ownership of all submitted work. LumEarth does not claim ownership rights. Submission grants only a limited, non-exclusive license for award-related promotion, publication in our annual book, exhibition, and digital platforms—always with full attribution to you as the photographer.

Creative Freedom

There is no limit on the number of submissions per photographer. Previously published or award-winning images are welcome. Images from any year are acceptable. You have complete creative freedom—submit any work you believe represents your photography at its finest.

International Compliance

Submissions are evaluated fairly by our international jury regardless of local restrictions. Some entries may be subject to regional regulations that could affect publication, but all work receives equal consideration during judging.

Multiple Category Submissions

You may enter the same image into multiple categories. Each category entry requires a separate fee. Use our category selection tool to choose all categories at once and pay combined fees—or pay separately as you prefer.

Image Authenticity

All submitted images must be photographed by the entrant. After the judging phase, shortlisted and awarded photographers will be required to provide RAW files (or original, unedited files where RAW is not available) to verify the authenticity of their images. Images that cannot be verified, or that are found to breach these rules, may be disqualified at the discretion of the organizers and the jury.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

AI-generated images are not allowed. We do not accept:

• Images created with generative AI
• Images where AI has been used to generate or insert new elements that were not photographed by the author

Only standard post-processing is permitted, such as:

• Exposure and color adjustments
• Contrast, saturation, and white balance
• Cropping and minor cleaning (dust spots, small distractions)
• Global or subtle local adjustments that do not fundamentally alter the content of the scene

Ethical Standards in Nature & Wildlife Photography

In all Nature and Wildlife categories, the following are not allowed:

• Baiting or luring animals with food or sound
• Staging scenes or using captive animals presented as wild
• Any behaviour that may disturb, stress, or harm wildlife or their habitat

Images must reflect natural behaviour and ethical field practice. Any evidence of baiting, staging, misrepresentation or unethical conduct may result in disqualification.

Main Categories (Open Colour & Open Black & White)

In the Main Categories, photomontage and constructed images are allowed, provided that:

• All visual elements come from photographs taken by the entrant
• No AI-generated content is used
• The final image still complies with the general authenticity and ethics rules (no misleading depictions of wildlife or fabricated environmental damage presented as documentary truth)

These categories are open to creative, conceptual, and experimental approaches, as long as the work is based on the photographer's own images and respects the no-AI policy.

Thematic & Special Categories

In the Thematic & Special Categories (Environmental, Nature, Wildlife, Climate & Water–related themes), photomontage is not allowed. Images must represent real moments and documentary or natural scenes, without compositing multiple exposures or elements into a single frame (except for technical exposure blending such as HDR or focus stacking, if used transparently and without altering the reality of the scene).

For shortlisted and awarded images in these categories, RAW (or original) files will be requested to confirm authenticity and compliance with:

• No AI-generated or AI-added elements
• No baiting, staging, or misrepresentation
• Ethical practice in the field

Anonymous Evaluation

LumEarth employs a rigorous blind-judging process. Our international panel of award-winning photographers, curators, and industry experts evaluates all entries based exclusively on artistic merit and technical excellence—without knowledge of the photographer's identity, experience, or reputation.

Multi-Stage Process

1. Pre-Selection Round: Professional photographers conduct initial screening to ensure technical compliance and category appropriateness
2. Jury Round: Curated finalists are presented to the international jury for detailed evaluation
3. Final Deliberation: Jury consensus determines category winners and grand award recipients

Scoring Criteria

Judges evaluate submissions based on:

• Technical craft (composition, exposure, focus, light, color)
• Creative vision (originality, artistic intent, conceptual strength)
• Emotional & visual impact (visual power, resonance, clarity, significance)
• Professional standards (appropriateness, integrity, presentation quality)

Credit Bundles & Payment

Photographers entering multiple images or categories can purchase discounted credit bundles directly from their dashboard. Bundles offer substantial savings compared to per-entry fees—the more you submit, the greater your discount.

• All fees in USD
• Secure payment processing via multiple methods
• Receipts provided automatically upon completion
• No refunds after submission confirmation