Paolo Barretta

© Paolo Barretta

Open for entries

color travel photo of men bathing in river in Kolkata, India by Billy Dinh
© Billy Dinh
2023 People AWARD

Win Cash Awards & International Exposure

In December we are looking for portraiture, travel, street photography, documentary work, photojournalism or any other form of photographic practice that tells the story of people!

  • Win $2000 in Cash
  • International Exhibitions
  • Shared on +700K IG network
  • Free Portfolio Account
Submit Photos
Deadline: 31 December 2023

Win $2000 cash prizes each month, see your work published & exhibited internationally!

 1st Prize Winner2nd Prize Winner3rd Prize Winner7
Finalists
Editors' PicksAll Entrants
Monthly Cash Prizes $1000 $600 $400
Home Page Exposure
International Gallery Exhibition
Professional Feedback
Shared on +700K IG network
Gallery Exhibition Feature¹
Exposure with Media Partners
FREE Online Portfolio²
Consideration for Online Stories³
Submission to #tipstories ⁴
  • color portrait photo of Michael Yamashita
    © Michael Yamashita

    The Judge

    Michael Yamashita

    Michael Yamashita is a Japanese-American photographer who has seamlessly combined his passions for photography and travel for over five decades. His remarkable career with National Geographic spans over four decades and has seen him garner numerous industry awards while showcasing his work in exhibitions worldwide. With an Instagram following of 1.8 million, Yamashita is recognized as one of the most influential figures in the world of photography. He regularly shares his knowledge and experience by giving talks at events such as TedX, as well as teaching and hosting photography workshops in Asia and the United States. Over the years, he has released a total of 16 photo books and two documentary feature films, including ‘East Meets West’, a critically-acclaimed, nine-part series exploring the Silk Road trade routes.

  • 1 IMAGE

    $15

    ($15 per image)

  • 3 IMAGES

    $30

    ($10 per image)

  • 6 IMAGES

    $40

    ($6.7 per image)

WE RESPECT ARTISTS' RIGHTS

Together we yearn to discover amazing images while applying strict ethical rules in the selection process of the photo competition, and photographers retain full copyrights for their own work.

  • Read it from our previous winners

    “The work selected for the various themes and featured on the website is outstanding. Uploading images to the competition was very straightforward and took no time at all.”

    Gabriele Casini (1st Prize, B&W Award)

    Previous Winner Gabriele Casini
  • Read it from our previous winners

    "The submit process was easy and smooth. The feedback from the judge Maciek Jasik was spot on and thoughtful. On top of that, the prize money helped me to expand further my work. Thank you!"

    Alessandra D'Innella (1st Prize, Color Award)

    Submit Page - Previous Winner Alessandra D'Innella
  • Read it from our previous winners

    "TIP provides a platform viewed by many industry experts allowing your work to be seen by all kinds of publications. Their social media promotion is excellent and their reward payment service is efficiently prompt."

    Justin Keene (3rd Prize, Portrait Award)

    portrait black and white photograph of Justin Keene
  • Read it from our previous winners

    “I have followed The Independent Photographer for a while and have always found it to be such great inspiration, it feels incredible to be on it myself. This is all very exciting!”

    Tessla Stuckey (1st Prize, Open Call Award)

    Previous Winner Tessla Stuckey
  • Read it from our previous winners

    "It was an honor to be selected as competition winner. I really appreciated the judge’s comments and the way all photographs are displayed on the website."

    Madoka Ikegami (1st Prize, people Award)

    Previous Winner Madoka Ikegami
  • Read it from our previous winners

    "It was an honor to be chosen as winner. The prize money will allow the purchase the printer & scanner that I've been wanting. This opportunity has not only given me exposure, but it has allowed me to continue to work. Thank you."

    Marcus Maddox (1st prize, Open Call Award)

    Previous Winner Marcus Maddox
  • Read it from our previous winners

    "I was very impressed by the professionalism and quality of The Independent Photographer. I am excited to see the next talents from all upcoming competitions."

    Catherine Matthys (1st Prize, Travel Award)

    Previous Winner Catherine Matthys
  • Read it from our previous winners

    "I am beyond grateful for this opportunity, thank you all so much for including me in your amazing platform, exhibition, book. It is extremely encouraging to say the least.”

    Giulia Savorelli (2nd Prize, Color Award)

    portrait color photograph of Giulia Savorelli
  • Read it from our previous winners

    "Each competition shows a beautiful gallery of talent and work, artfully selecting worthy images in each category. The judge's honest and well-worded critique was a truly welcomed prize."

    Conrad Golovac (3rd Prize, Emerging Talent Award)

    Submit Page - Previous Winner Conrad Golovac
  • Read it from our previous winners

    "I was honored to win the People Award. I'm a big fan of the website's 'Stories' in particular. Great images, fascinating stories; it's always inspiring to see what narratives captured the imagination of other photographers."

    Simon Urwin (1st Prize, People Award)

    Submit Page - Previous Winner Simon Urwin
  • Awards Calendar

    1 Month / 1 Award

    Each month we invite photographers to submit their images to a specific competition theme overseen by an acclaimed artist.

    ◇ STREET – September 2023
    ◇ OPEN CALL – October 2023
    ◇ LANDSCAPE – November 2023
    PEOPLE – December 2023
    ◇ BLACK & WHITE – January 2024
    ◇ FINE ART – February 2024
    ◇ STREET – March 2024
    ◇ COLOR – April 2024
    ◇ PORTRAIT – May 2024
    ◇ BLACK & WHITE II – June 2024
    ◇ TRAVEL – Summer 2024

    Coor photography of a man taking a bath by Ivelina Berova
    © Ivelina Berova
  • Portrait photography by Ken Hermann, Odhir Gayen with Devdar Leaves, independent photo contest
    © Ken Hermann

      Enter today!

    1. Choose your photos

      Select the images you wish to enter for the current competition.

    2. Upload

      Upload your images and receive confirmation.

    3. Payment

      Pay the fees securely by Card, Paypal or ApplePay: You're all set!

    Submit Photos

  • An international panel of experts

    The photo competition jury is comprised of internationally acclaimed artists from prestigious agencies such as Magnum Photos, VII Agency, National Geographic, Agence Vu'Vogue & GEO.
    • Judge Steve McCurry Profile Picture

      Steve McCurry

      Celebrated as one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography, American photographer Steve McCurry has created a unique collection of work featuring some of the most famous images of our time.

    • Judge Alessia Glaviano Profile Picture Vogue Logo

      Alessia Glaviano

      Based in Milan, Alessia Glaviano is the Brand Visual Director of Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue. She is responsible for Photo Vogue and was a 2015 World Press Photo jury member.

    • portrait of photographer Peter DiCampo

      Peter DiCampo

      Photographer and writer Peter DiCampo co-founded Everyday Africa and its resultant nonprofit, The Everyday Projects. He is a 2019 Stanford JSK Journalism Fellow and a regular speaker in classrooms and workshops.

    • Judge Ed Kashi Profile Picture VII Logo

      Ed Kashi

      Represented by the prestigious VII agency, Ed Kashi is an acclaimed photojournalist and educator who uses photography to explore geopolitical and social issues that define our times.

    • Judge Maggie Steber Profile Picture National Geographic Logo

      Maggie Steber

      A celebrated figure in the photographic community, Maggie Steber works for National Geographic and is part of the renowned VII Photo Agency. She has earned prestigious honors, including the Leica Medal of Excellence, the World Press Foundation Award & a Pulitzer prize.

    • Judge REZA Profile Picture

      REZA

      Founder of Webistan Photo Agency and Explorer of National Geographic, internationally acclaimed Iranian-French photojournalist Reza is a three-times world press winning photographer and recipient of the ICP Infinity Award.

    • portrait of photographer Carol Körting

      Carol Körting

      Carol Körting is a professional portfolio reviewer and the photo editor of the renowned Leica Fotografie International Magazine (LFI) and its online platform, producing and editing countless photographic projects since 2011.

    • portrait of photographer Nikos Economopoulos

      Nikos Economopoulos

      Member of Magnum Photos since 1990, Nikos Economopoulos has published several monographs and his iconic images have been published and exhibited worldwide. Economopoulos regularly teach and work around the world, in the context of his long-term On The Road project.⁠⁠

    • Judge Magdalena Herrera Profile Picture GEO Logo

      Magdalena Herrera

      Magdalena Herrera has worked in books, print, and magazines, spending ten years as head of the photo department at National Geographic before joining Geo France as Director of Photography. She was the chair of the 2018 World Press Photo contest.

    Eduardo Ortiz
    © Eduardo Ortiz
    Submit Photos

    Deadline: 31 December 2023

    Kickstart your career with
    International exposure & publications

    • color photo of Photo book gallery space in London

      PBC Gallery - London

      We print and exhibit the work of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners of all competitions held over the last 12 months. Produced in collaboration with our partners, PCB Gallery and held at the heart of London, the exhibition celebrates the vision of each laureate, showcasing unique talent, artistry, and skill. We also exhibit digitally the work of all winners AND finalists!

    • IG Account

      Shared on +700K IG network

      The winners and finalists in each category will be showcased on our Instagram accounts (both TIP and TIP Magazine) and our Facebook page, for a total of over 800K followers.

    • The Photographers The Independent Photo contest Independent Photo

      "online gallery" : The independent Photographer Community

      Submit your work for a chance to be featured in our collection and celebrated as a permanent Independent Photographer with your own portfolio page, including an image gallery, and your photo projects.

    Competition Rules

    1. Eligibility:

      The Photography Competition is open only to those who are 18 years of age or older as of the date of entry. The Competition is open to legal residents from all over the world and is void where prohibited by their local law. Employees of The Independent Photographer, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and suppliers, (collectively the “Employees”), and immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of Employees are not eligible to participate in the Competition. The Competition is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited.

    2. Agreement to Rules:

      By participating, the Participant (“You”) agree to be fully unconditionally bound by these Rules, and You represent and warrant that You meet the eligibility requirements. In addition, You agree to accept the decisions of The Independent Photographer as final and binding as it relates to the content of this Competition.

    3. Competition Period:

      Entries must be submitted no later than the deadline of listed on the competition URL, https://independent-photo.com/submit/

    4. How to Enter:

      Participants must pay the entry fees (unless exceptional discount or monthly promotion) and complete the submission form in order to be considered for the Competition. The Competition must be entered by submitting an entry using the online form provided at “https://independent-photo.com/submit/”. The entry must fulfill all Competition requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of The Independent Photographer. If You use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules, your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of The Independent Photographer.

    5. Prizes:

      The Winner of the Competition (the “Winner”) will receive $1000, the 2nd Winner will receive $600, and the 3rd Winner will receive $400. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by The Independent Photographer. No cash or other prize substitution shall be permitted except at The Independent Photographer’s discretion. The prize is nontransferable. Any and all prize-related expenses, including without limitation any and all federal, state, and/or local taxes, shall be the sole responsibility of the Winners. No substitution of prize or transfer/assignment of prize to others or request for the cash equivalent by Winner is permitted. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for The Independent Photographer to use Winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.

    6. Winner & Finalists: (Selection & Notification)

      The decisions of the judges and editorial team are final. Winners and Finalists will be notified by email within five (5) days following the selection of Winners.

      The Independent Photographer shall have no liability for Winner’s failure to receive notices due to spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or for Winner’s provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the Winner cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim the prize within ninety (90) days from the time award notification was sent, or fails to timely return a completed and executed declaration and release as required, the prize may be forfeited. Receipt by Winner of the prize offered in this Competition is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

      Any violation of these official rules by the Winners will result in the Winners’ disqualification as Winners, and all privileges as Winner will be immediately terminated (at The Independent photographer ‘s sole discretion).

      For any unforeseen reason, in the unlikely event that a judge has to cancel their involvement, The Independent Photographer reserves the right to find an alternative judge, making sure that all entrants will be notified.

      All entries will be reviewed by The Independent Photographer’s Editors. Then, selected entries will be reviewed by the Jury. Two (2) Winners and eight (8) Finalists will be selected by our monthly Jury under the supervision of The Independent Photographer, based on the overall beauty, power, photographic skill, creativity, and originality, in accordance with the competition rules. All judges will be appointed by The Independent Photographer. The judging will, as much as possible, be ‘blind’, therefore the photographers will remain anonymous during all the judging process, to ensure that each contestant is judged only on his or her photograph.

    7. Rights Granted by You:

      By entering the competition, You represent and warrant that your entry is an original work of authorship, and does not violate any third party’s proprietary or intellectual property rights. Artificial Intelligence generated images (A.I. Photos) are NOT accepted. If your entry infringes upon the intellectual property right of another, You will be disqualified at the sole discretion of The Independent Photographer. If the content of your entry is claimed to constitute an infringement of any proprietary or intellectual proprietary rights of any third party, You shall, at your sole expense, defend or settle against such claims. Each Participant retains copyright of his or her images, and credit lines will be attributed to each Participant when exhibited or presented anywhere by The Independent Photographer. Images that have been awarded a 1st Prize in other major Competitions are not eligible to the competition. Entries that have been selected as Finalists in previous competitions are eligible to win a cash prize in subsequent competitions. It is possible for a photographer to win multiple cash awards but the same submitted image cannot win multiple cash awards. After each submission, a confirmation page with custom URL is automatically generated, with a thumbnail preview of the image(s) submitted. This confirmation page will be kept online at least 3 months after the competition ended, after what it will be automatically deleted. If a submission to a previous competition has received no prize, that submission is still eligible. You shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless The Independent Photographer from and against any suit, proceeding, claims, liability, loss, damage, costs or expense, which The Independent Photographer may incur, suffer, or be required to pay arising out of such infringement or suspected infringement of any third party’s right.

    1. Terms & Conditions:

      In its sole discretion, The Independent Photographer reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Competition 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 Sponsors that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Competition, Sponsors reserve 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 Competition.

      In such case, The Independent Photographer may select the Winner from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by The Independent Photographer. The Independent Photographer reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Competition or website or violates these Terms & Conditions. The Independent Photographer has the right, in its sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the Competition, to void entry for any reason. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such attempt be made, The Independent Photographer reserves the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.

    2. Limitation of Liability:

      By entering, You agree to release and hold harmless The Independent Photographer and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers, and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from: (i) such entrant’s participation in the Competition and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunction of any computer, cable, network, hardware, or software, or other mechanical equipment; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions, telephone, or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (v) electronic or human error in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries.

    3. Disputes:

      This Competition is governed by the laws of France, without respect to conflicts of law doctrines. As a condition of participating in this Competition, participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Competition, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in France having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances shall participant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby waives all rights to, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e. costs associated with entering this Competition). Participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.

    4. Privacy Policy & Rights:

      There is no risk to enter!

      Photographers retain all copyright on their images and the competition entries are judged anonymously.

      Information submitted with an entry is subject to the Privacy Policy stated on The Independent Photographer’s website. To read the Privacy Policy, click here: https://independent-photo.com/legal/

    5. Social Networks:

      If you use social networks to communicate or administer a Competition or sweepstakes, include the following: The Competition hosted by The Independent Photographer is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with these social networks.

    6. Cancelling Rights:

      The Independent Photographer reserves the right to modify, suspend, to discontinue permanently or temporarily, or cancel the Competition at any time and without being required to give any explanation, in case it is in the incapacity to continue operating as anticipated, for any reason that is outside its jurisdiction and influence. The Independent Photographer will refund the entry fees to all Participants if the Competition is permanently suspended for a specific month, and The Independent Photographer will not reserve rights to use any of the pictures that have been submitted that specific month. In case our exhibitions are canceled, there will be no refunds.

    7. Refunds:
    8. No refunds will be made by The Independent Photographer.

    9. Competition rules modifications:

      The Independent Photographer reserves the right to alter partially, amend, or modify the Competition rules at any time, and all Participants concerned by this change will be notified by email.

    10. Legal responsibility:

      The Independent Photographer will not be held liable or responsible of any images submitted to the Competition and their potential consequences, or any issues that entrants have to face while taking part in The Independent Photographer’s Competition.

    For more information please read our LEGAL.