Sustainability is society’s ability to exist and develop without depleting all of the natural resources needed to live in the future. Photography is a powerful medium for raising awareness of such important issues and making a big impact to supporting sustainable developments.

How can one highlight the importance of this sustainable relationship between the present and the future? Here’s your chance to convey the delicate balance required to sustain our world through the creative lens of your camera.

This Thirteenth Season also presents our photography community a specialised, enthusiastic space for fans of sports excitement who are able to translate the feelings and emotions of competition and read its scenes with the required efficiency! Through the ‘Sports Photography’ category.

In addition, the new season opens up an exciting space for creatives in crafting short video tailored for social media platforms. These videos have had a profound impact on both public opinion and the global stage, surpassing the reach achieved by individual images or collections in their history. Do not miss the opportunity to entertain the audience and convey your creative and distinctive ideas.

For the eighth year in a row, the ‘Portfolio’ category continues to bring in great photographic works from photographers that have an awe-inspiring passion for visual story-telling.

Lastly, and definitely not least, the ‘General’ Category (Colour and Black & White) gives photographers the opportunity to soar to new heights of creativity without any restrictions in their path.

Sustainability

Sustainability is society’s ability to exist and develop without depleting all of the natural resources needed to live in the future

Photography is a powerful medium for raising awareness of such important issues and making a big impact to supporting sustainable developments.

How can one highlight the importance of this sustainable relationship between the present and the future? Here’s your chance to convey the delicate balance required to sustain our world through the creative lens of your camera.

Photography has the power to make a difference in the world through visual narratives. Lend you eye to the story of sustainability.


General (Colour and Black & White)

Every year, thousands eagerly await the return of the General Category, as it remains the highlight for photographers to showcase their artistry that is not defined under a specific category.

More than one-third of the submissions over the years has been from this category; which continues to evolve advancing both in quality and diversity.

Due to its popularity, we continue to offer participants two opportunities to participate under these sub-categories: the first in Black & White - to transport us to the classic world of the monochromatic palette; and the second in Colour - to experience the rich tapestry of hues.


Portfolio (Story-Telling)

One of most challenging categories for photographers to skilfully invite us into a story through a series of photographs.

A photographic narrative delves straight into the subject matter and tells the story from a photographer’s perspective. This is your opportunity to engage and connect the hearts and minds of the audience in a way a single photograph cannot.


Short Videos (For Social Media)

With the widespread popularity of short videos on the social media platforms, we have noticed the presence of remarkably creative talents capable of producing engaging, meaningful and impactful content that resonates with a wide audience

For the Thirteenth season, we are opening the doors to content creators to present distinctive and creative ideas through short videos tailored for social media platforms. These videos must narrate inspiring and motivational stories that have a positive impact on society


Sports Photography

If you enjoy the dynamic energy of sports action than this is the category for you. Photographers have to capture scenes that translate the emotional and visual narrative of sporting events.

This is an exciting opportunity to blend sports appreciation with artistic expression.


WHAT’S NEW

  • Season Theme Sustainability will be the main theme of the season.
  • Grand Prize The Grand Prize (USD $200,000) will be chosen from any category available this season, and not only from the main theme.
  • Submission Deadline Last day of participation will be on 30th June 2024 at 11:59 pm (UAE local time)
  • Special Awards There are THREE Special Awards for the Thirteenth Season and they are; ‘Photography Appreciation Award’, ‘Photography Content Creator Award‘ and ‘HIPA Photographer of the Year Award‘.
  • Other categories Other categories are; General, Portfolio, Sports Photography, and short videos for social media
  • Photo Criteria Submitted Photo(s) must be in JPEG 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.
  • Story Telling In the Portfolio category, participants are required to submit 5 - 10 photographs telling one story
  • Short Video category In the Short Video category, the video must be in vertical format with a 9:16 aspect ratio, with a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (Full HD quality); meeting the criteria for compatibility with social media platforms.
  • About (AI) Generated Images Participation with photos generated by AI (Artificial Intelligence) is not permitted, and HIPA reserves the right to reject works submitted using this technology without explaining the reasons.

Special Awards

Photography Appreciation Award (1)

There are many passionate people within the photography industry who are dedicated and relentless in their pursuit for excellence. These people offer their services and expertise without expecting a return on their efforts and therefore form a vital part of the photographic community.

The ‘Photography Appreciation Award’ is a special category for a person or group who has shown long-standing commitment to enhancing the art of photography. By awarding the recipient, HIPA hopes to give back a small amount of the respect and appreciation they deserve.


Photography Content Creator Award (1)

Service to photography is not limited to taking stunning photographs, but extends to editors, publishers, bloggers, researchers, inventors, promoters and all print and digital content creators that have had a positive impact on the industry and helped shape it to what it is today.


HIPA Photographer Of The Year (2)

In its Thirteenth Season, HIPA has introduced the ‘‘HIPA Photographer of the Year’ award, designed to honour one outstanding photographer whose has accomplished exceptional photographic achievements over twelve consecutive months. This award acknowledges a year enriched with extraordinary visual imagery and photographic projects of exceptional value.
Those aspiring to participate must present a comprehensive overview of their accomplishments over the past twelve months, along with details of their current projects and their vision for future endeavours. Individuals are encouraged to include what they consider to be their iconic photographs that highlighted their journey in the previous year.
Those achieving such milestones can submit their portfolios as per the guidelines specified on our website: www.hipa.ae.


  • (1) - All winners of the special awards except "HIPA Photographer Of The Year" are to be exclusively selected and invited by HIPA
  • (2) - The winner of the ‘HIPA Photographer of the Year’ Award will be selected through direct personal nominations or by relevant institutions and agencies.

GrandPrize 200,000

Grand
Sustainability
1st 40,000
2nd 30,000
3rd 20,000
General (Colour and Black & White)
Colour
1st 40,000
2nd 30,000
3rd 20,000
Black And White
1st 40,000
2nd 30,000
3rd 20,000
Portfolio (Story-Telling)
1st 50,000
2nd 40,000
3rd 30,000
Short Videos (For Social Media)
1st 40,000
2nd 30,000
3rd 20,000
Sports Photography
1st 40,000
2nd 30,000
3rd 20,000

Special Awards

HIPA Photographer of the Year Award 80,000

Photography Content Creator Award 50,000

Photography Appreciation Award 100,000

GrandTotal 1,000,000

Grand

All the Prize money will be in US Dollars

Rules

  • The Competition is open for online submissions only (the Submissions), through the Competition online registration page available on www.hipa.ae.
  • Submissions will be accepted from 12:01 am on 8th March 2024 until 11:59 pm on 30th June 2024, UAE Standard Time, (GMT +4). Submissions made after the deadline will not be accepted.
  • Participants must be individuals aged eighteen (18) years or over at the time of the Submission(s).
  • You hereby certify that you are eighteen (18) years old or older at the date of submitting your Photo(s) to the Competition. You further understand and agree that HIPA will automatically and without further notice discard any Photo(s) that are found to be submitted by a participant that is below eighteen (18) years old at the time of the Submission.
  • You may submit up to one (1) Photo in each relevant category of the Competition including the sub-categories under the General category, except the Portfolio category where you can submit between 5-10 Photo(s). You must provide a title and description for each Photo submitted and a description for the set of photos in the Portfolio category.
  • The same Photo must not be submitted in more than one (1) category. Any Photo submitted in more than one (1) category will be discarded from the Competition.
  • 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 requested to submit the raw/original camera files at the same time of submitting their Photographs, but it will be requested from them if they qualify to the final stage of judging.
  • Black and white Photo(s) are permitted in all the categories of the Competition except for the Colour sub-category under the General category.
  • For the Portfolio category, you are requested to submit a series of Photo(s) on the same subject matter. The number of permitted Photo(s) is the minimum of 5 and maximum of 10 Photo(s).
  • In the Short Video category, the video and content must be in vertical format with a 9:16 aspect ratio; a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (Full HD quality) and meeting the criteria for compatibility with social media platforms. The video duration must not be less than 30 seconds and no more than 90 seconds.
  • The use of voiceovers in the short video category is allowed in any language; provided that the final submission must include English subtitles/transcripts
  • All submitted Photo(s) (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(sis acceptable, provided any such editing does not affect the authenticity and/or genuineness of the Photo(s). Advanced editing used to create illusions, deceptions and/or manipulations; including compositing and creative retouching of the Photo(s) is prohibited. HIPA preserves the right to assess and discard from the competition any submitted Photo(s) 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) (that have won any previous award(s), whether in any HIPA prior competition(s), or in any other competition(s) whatsoever and announced before 30th June 2024, and/or Photo(s) that have been previously used, or are intended to be used, for any kind of commercial purposes, must not be submitted. Any Photo(s) submitted in contrary to the foregoing will be automatically and without further notice disqualified from the entire Competition.
  • HIPA's appointed judging panel shall assess and determine the winning Photo(s). The results, prizes and the winners will be announced in a public ceremony.
  • The winner(s) will be contacted by HIPA and must provide HIPA with their bank account details and personal details within seven (7) days from HIPA's request. The cash money prize(s) will be paid to each winner within a period of two (2) months following the announcement of the Competition's results.
  • Payment of the prize money is subject to obtaining the winner(s) legal documents required to process the bank transfer. Alternatively, the prize money can be collected in person via cheque, on receipt of valid photo identification
  • HIPA’s judging panel has the right, at its absolute discretion, to turn down or reject any Photo(s) or Submission(s) without having to give any notice or explanation to the relevant Participant
  • Any federal, state/ provincial/ territorial, and/or local taxes, fees and surcharges and taxes (whether foreign or domestic, and including income tax) on any prize that may be awarded to you under the Competition will be solely paid by you.
  • The decision of HIPA's judging panel is final and binding on all Participants in respect to all matters relating to the Competition.
    • Biography:
      • Your bio should describe your specialties and an overall aesthetic of your work in 500 words or less.
    • Eligibility:
      • A brief text, no more than 100 words, in response to the question, “Why do you believe you deserve the accolade of HIP Photographer of the Year?”
    • Achievements:
      • You must submit a minimum of three (3) of your achievements, with a maximum of ten (10) permissible to showcase your skills and experience. These accomplishments must have taken place between April, 1st, 2023, and April, 1st 2024.
      • Each achievement must be accompanied by at least one document (image or any type of file), and may include up to a maximum of ten files in total.
      • You are required to upload your achievements before 30th June 2024 (11:59 pm - UAE standard time).
    • Current Projects:
      • You must present at least one cuurent photography project and are permitted to include up to a maximum of three current projects.
      • At least one document (image or file) for each project and up to a maximum of ten files per project.
    • Future Plans:
      • Each photographer must outline at least one record of their future plans related to POY and can include up to a maximum of three future plans.
      • For each project, you need to include at least one document (image or any type of file), with a maximum of ten files allowed per project.
    • Iconic Photographs:
      • You are required to upload one iconic photograph of your works, with a maximum of three iconic photographs.
    • Edits or Modifications to Submissions:
      • Participants have a 7-day window following successful participation to make changes or edits to their POY submission.

* The above terms can also be found in the Rules tab of our competition page

  • Submitted Photo(s) must be a single work of original material created and/or taken by you, must not contain any materials owned or controlled by a third party for which you have not obtained a license, permission or approval to use, must not infringe the copyright, trademark, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity.
  • Upon reaching the final stage of judging, you grant HIPA, a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty free, sub-licensable right and license to use, publish, reproduce, display, perform, adapt, modify, create derivative works, distribute, have distributed, print, promote your submitted Photo(s), in whole or in part, in any form, in all media forms now or hereafter known, anywhere in the world for any purpose, related to the Competition, the publication in HIPA promotional digital and/or printed materials and formats broadcast such as on HIPA magazines, printed leaflet and brochures, HIPA website and/or through other public online feeds, promoting subsequent competitions and/or the work of HIPA generally.
  • You must obtain, solely bear the cost for, and provide HIPA within seven (7) calendar days of any request to do so by HIPA, with any or all of the following:
    • A signed written consent, release and/or permission of each and every identifiable individual person(s) appearing in your submitted Photo(s), clearly authorizing you to use their picture or likeness for submitting the Photo(s) in the manner contemplated by the Competition, and authorizing HIPA to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the entry(s) for all purposes, in any media now or hereafter known. Please click here to download the draft of the Model Release Form;
    • A signed written license from the copyright owner of any sculpture, artwork, or other copyrighted material that appears in your submitted Photo(s), authorizing HIPA to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the relevant entry(s) for all purposes, in any media now or hereafter known;
    • A signed written license from the owner of any private property included in your submitted Photo(s), authorizing HIPA to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the relevant entry(s) for all purposes, in any media now or hereafter known; and
    • A signed written license or release letter from a person who has the right or is able to assert any right over the Photo(s) (e.g. employer, agency, etc.) authorizing HIPA. HIPA to reproduce, distribute, display, and create derivative works of the relevant entry(s) for all purposes, in any media now or hereafter known; and click here to download the model of the Release form.
    • If you have been announced as a winner of the Competition (in any category), you grant to HIPA, a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty free, sub-licensable right and license to use, publish, reproduce, display, perform, adapt, modify, create derivative works, distribute, have distributed, promote your winning Photo(s), in whole or in part, in any form, in all media forms now or hereafter known, anywhere in the world and for any purpose, including but not limited to: display at a potential exhibition of winners, publication of a book featuring select entries in the Competition, publication in HIPA materials and/or online highlighting entries or winners of the Competition, and promoting the work of HIPA generally.
  • You hereby hold harmless, release, indemnify and discharge HIPA and its partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers and representatives from all liability, claims, judgments, demands, controversies, agreements, damages, actions and causes of action whatsoever, arising out of or related in any way to the Photo(s), the Competition or the conduct of the Competition and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded, whether in law or in equity, no matter what the cause or nature, and you further waive any claims that you may state or assert against HIPA in association with the Competition or any of its associated activities, or in any way related to or resulting from the Photo(s), Competition even if such injury or claims results from or is caused by the negligence or gross negligence of HIPA, in whole or in part. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless HIPA from any claim arising out of your participation in the Competition including, without limitation, all claims brought or asserted by any third party as a result of any injury or loss that you or they may sustain in any way associated with your participation in the Competition.
  • If HIPA, at its sole discretion, is of the opinion that you have breached any of the Rules, HIPA has the right to disqualify you from the Competition, and in such circumstances you must re-pay to HIPA all costs undertaken by HIPA in relation to your Submission(s) and participation in the Competition and the awards ceremony, including but not limited to (if and to the extent applicable) any travel costs incurred by HIPA, and re-pay the Competition prize money and return any trophies or certificates at your own cost to HIPA.
  • Under no circumstance HIPA will be liable for any:
    • lost, late, misdirected, stolen, illegible or incomplete Submissions;
    • error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, submitted Photo(s);
    • problems, failures or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers, providers, computer equipment, software, email, players or browsers, on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, at any website, or on account of any combination of the foregoing;
    • incorrect or inaccurate information, caused by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Competition or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of the Photo(s) and/or the Submissions; and/or
    • injury or damage to any Participant or to any computer related to, resulting from or in connection with the Competition.
  • If, for any reason, the Competition is not capable of being conducted as anticipated, due to computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of HIPA, which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Competition, HIPA reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition as deemed appropriate, disqualify any Participant, and/or select winners from all eligible Photo(s) submitted prior to the termination, cancellation, modification or suspension. HIPA reserves the right to correct any typo-graphical, printing, computer programming or operating errors at any time.

The Competition, your Submission(s) and the Rules shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Emirate of Dubai and the applicable federal laws of the United Arab Emirates, and any aspects or disputes arising out of or in connection with the Competition and/or your Submission(s) will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Dubai courts (as established by Law No. (3) of 1992 and Law No. (13) of 2016).

This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by Apple Inc. The participants understand that they are providing information to HIPA and not to Apple Inc. Any questions, comments, or complaints regarding the contest should be directed to HIPA and not to Apple Inc.

Faq's

General Questions

No, you cannot nominate others to take part on your behalf.

We accept photo descriptions in English or Arabic or both languages only.

Participants are NOT requested to submit the raw/original camera files at the same time as submitting their photographs. But will be requested from them if they reach to the shortlisted participants.

The use of a photograph for the purpose of:

• Sale or resale or for the purpose of producing a document containing all or part of the copy, printout or photograph for sale.

Registration is available through the HIPA website; all rules must be read and accepted before registration.

No, you can check the uploaded submissions from the Dashboard.

You can participate with pictures taken with digital or analogue cameras, but submission must be done digitally online, so film photographs would have to be scanned by the participant before submission.

No, you cannot participate with any photo(s) that has / have already won in HIPA or any past competitions.

There are no fees whatsoever and the competition is completely free of cost.

'Sustainability’ is the main theme of the Thirteenth Season of competition.

Other categories in the Thirteenth Season are: General (Colour and Black & White), Portfolio (Story-Telling), Sports Photograph and Short Video (for social media).

Submitted Photo(s) must be in JPEG 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 300 dpi and to be suitable for publication.

In the Short Video category, the video must be in vertical format with a 9:16 aspect ratio, with a minimum resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels (Full HD quality); meeting the criteria for compatibility with social media platforms as a reel.

Yes, that is possible except the Colour sub-category under the General Category.

Yes, a brief description of minimum 30 words in length must be included with each photo in all categories. Except for the ‘Portfolio’ category you need to write a description for the entire portfolio

Yes, but deletion and / or replacement of photographs must take place no later than three (3) days after the original upload.

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) is an international photography award established in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, in order to encourage and spread the culture of photography across the world.

Yes, a model release form will be required upon request from HIPA if you reach the final judging stage

Please check your spam or Junk mail folders for any emails from HIPA, and make sure to add noreply@hipa.ae to your e-mail safe list.

You can submit photos through the official HIPA website www.hipa.ae

We encourage all individuals over the age of 18 from any part of the world to participate.

You may contact HIPA through customer.helpdesk@hipa.ae if you encounter any issues with the uploading of photographs(s).

Yes, there is no restriction on the date that submissions are taken on.

Submitted Photo(s) must be in JPEG 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 be suitable for publication.

You may submit up to one (1) photo in each relevant category of the competition including the sub categories under the ‘General’ category, except the ‘Portfolio’ category, where you must upload 5-10 photographs.

Yes, as long as you possess the copyright for the photograph, and did not win any moral or material prize.

Technical Issues

Yes, you can see your submitted photograph(s) as soon as they are uploaded.

You may edit or update all your details (except your name and email address) by logging on to your member page on the HIPA website

Judging

The identity of judges will remain anonymous until the completion of the current season.

You will be notified via the e-mail address you provided during registration. If you are chosen as a finalist, then you will be asked to provide necessary documents to ensure that your personal details are correct.

There are 4 stages of judging at HIPA.

Yes, judging is anonymous. Judges are not aware of participants’ names or details.

No, only participants who have their photograph(s) published in the annual book of the respective season will receive a copy of the annual book from HIPA's offices in Dubai, UAE.

Yes, although winners will be asked to sign an undertaking letter that allows HIPA or any of its partners to use winning photos in our publications and all noncommercial purposes.

Yes, you can, but HIPA still hold the right to use it as per the undertaking letter.

We have a system for judgment based on FOUR main stages

  • Stage 1:

    The process begins with the screening (filtration) of received photographs. In this stage, judges check all submitted photographs and verify their compatibility with the rules and regulations. Photographs are marked either as qualified or not qualified.

  • Stage 2:

    Qualified photographs move on to the first stage of actual judging by a group of judges. There are usually three groups of three judges, and each group handles a specific category. Judges give a score for the photographs between 1 and 100.

  • Stage 3:

    A percentage of the photographs (percentage differs according to the total number of photographs) will be qualified to the third judging level. All the judges, usually 9, give another score between 1 and 100.

  • Stage 4:

    The HIPA team begins the verification process of participants within a certain time-frame. This includes requesting legal documents such as model release forms and ownership statements, in addition to copies of identification cards and/or passport copies. The result of this stage determines the winners in each category.

It means you may be a winner and that your photo may also be published in our annual book / website gallery according to the achieved score.

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Special Award Winners