PHOTOLYMPIC is a prestigious global photography competition organized by the NGO "League of Professional Photographers" (St. Petersburg, Russian Federation) and Photo Community “Frame24” (Novi Sad, Serbia), in collaboration with the International Association of Art Photographers (IAAP). This international event celebrates the art of photography by uniting talented photographers from around the world in a multi-stage competition designed to showcase exceptional creativity, vision, and technical mastery.

Third Round of Qualifications
In this critical stage, top-ranking photographers from the earlier rounds compete at the highest level. Participants are required to submit entirely new images based on the assigned themes. Photographs submitted in Rounds 1 and 2 will not be accepted in this stage.

All entries will be evaluated by a new panel of jury members, and the top 96 photographers will advance to the most prestigious stage of the competition:

The Grand Finale
? August 18–25, 2025

The final round will be hosted in a city selected by the organizing institutions in Russia and Serbia, in cooperation with IAAP. This culminating event brings together the world’s best photographers to compete for the ultimate title, marking the highest achievement in the PhotoOlympic journey.

Finalist Benefits
All 96 finalists will be awarded a comprehensive travel and participation package, including:
- 7 nights of hotel accommodation, with breakfast
- Airport transfers (arrival and departure)
- Full access to all official activities, including: Excursions and city tours, Masterclasses and panel discussions, Lectures and cultural programs

There are 4 sections, all digital:

A. EMOTIONS (color & mono digital)
B. MOVEMENT (color & mono digital)
C. CONCEPTUAL (color & mono digital)
D. CULTURE (color & mono digital)

NOTE: Artificial Intelligence (AI) photography is not allowed in any of the above sections.
NOTE: Each photo can be presented in only one section

Third round
Closing date: 20.05.2025.
All judging completed by 29.05.2025.
Notifications date: 31.05.2025.
Delivery date: June 6 2025
Gallery publish date: June 6 2025

Photographs must be in JPEG format, with dimensions 1920x1080 pixels at 300, JPEG compression (if Photoshop used for export): 7-12, file size maximum 4 Mb. Each image must have a unique title. Titles must not include file extensions such as .jpg or .jpeg (or any other camera capture filenames). No title or identification of the maker shall be written anywhere on the face of an image.
The photographs of participants with the application are submitted in these ways:
- uploading thought our website: https://theiaap.com/e/olympics3/

The judging will be done by remote online judging. All judges will be using equipment capable of displaying images at 100% of the image resolution. Judges will be using color calibrated equipment.

By entering this contest, you are explicitly consenting to the personal details you have supplied, including physical addresses, email addresses, being held, processed and used by the contest organizers for purposes associated with this contest. You also explicitly consent to such information being sent to organizations that have accorded official recognition, patronage or accreditation to this contest. You acknowledge, agree and accept that by entering this contest, your participation status which includes your first and last name, name of the country used during registration at the contest, number of sections entered and number of photos entered in those sections will be made public in a published status list and that the results of your entry shall be made public in exhibition gallery, exhibition catalog.

To maintain fairness and preserve the integrity of the PhotoOlympic competition, the following rules apply without exception:
- The use of artificial intelligence (AI) for generating or editing images is strictly forbidden. Any image suspected of AI involvement will be disqualified.
- Photographs submitted in Rounds 1 or 2 may not be used again in Round 3, regardless of the theme. Only new and original works are accepted.
- Submitting the same image to multiple themes is not permitted, even if presented in different versions (e.g., color vs. black and white).
- Frames, borders, watermarks, or any form of visible signature on the images are not allowed.
Any violation of these rules will result in immediate disqualification.

In the Third round of qualifications the judges of the event will present the following awards:

4 x IAAP Gold Medal, 4 x IAAP Silver Medal, 4 x IAAP Bronze Medal, 20 x IAAP Diploma,
4 x PhotOympic Gold medal , 4 x PhotOympic Silver Medal, 4 x PhotOympic Bronze Medal, 20 x PhotOympic Diploma,
Total 64 awards in second round of qualifications.
The organizer reserves the right to adjust the number of awards based on the total number of entrants.

EMOTIONS
This category is open to a variety of genres, including reportage, street, portrait, photojournalism, sports, and others. The central focus is the genuine emotional atmosphere captured through facial expressions and body language. The primary judging criterion is the authenticity of the emotion conveyed by the subject(s). Compositing, digital manipulation, and the addition or removal of elements are strictly prohibited. AI-generated images are not permitted.

MOVEMENT
Entries in this category should clearly depict a sense of physical motion — such as running, falling, turning, or other forms of kinetic action — with the moving subject as the central focus. Alternatively, broader scenes illustrating dynamic activity, such as processions, sports, or urban energy, are also accepted. Compositing, photo manipulation, and altering image elements are not allowed. AI-generated images are not permitted.

CONCEPTUAL PHOTOGRAPHY
This category combines visual creativity with abstract or symbolic ideas. The emphasis is on the photographer’s ability to communicate a concept through innovative composition, stylistic choices, and original visual expression. Imagery may include metaphors, symbolism, or constructed narratives. Full digital manipulation is permitted, including compositing, object addition or removal, graphic elements, and background modification. AI-generated content is not permitted.

CULTURE
This category encompasses photographs that reflect the material and spiritual heritage of humanity. Subjects may include traditional practices, rituals, religious life, artistic expression, crafts, and the cultural values of people across the world. The focus is on authenticity and respect for cultural representation. Image manipulation, element addition or removal, and compositing are not allowed. AI-generated images are not permitted.

Notification cards will be sent by email.

Ranko Djurovic
Novi Sad, Serbia

email: [email protected]
website: https://photolympic.com
website: https://theiaap.com/e/olympics3