Association photographers Eurasia

Contest consists of 15 sections:

In each section you can download up to 4 works:

Color
Monochrome
Nature
Travel
Mountains, Volcanoes and plains
City and village
Portrait
Kids and animals
Light and shadow
Photojournalism
Still-life
Minimalism and graphics
Concept
Fashion and glamour
Nude

Closing date: 31 May 2026

Judging: 1 June 2026

Notification: 8 June 2026

Start of awards delivery: 20 October 2026

Start of catalogues delivery: 20 October 2026

For applications received by 31 May, 2026:


For single entries, the fee:
Each section costs 3 euros

50% discount for all IAAP members

Для российских участников:
300р за каждую секцию

Для членов IAAP скидка 50%

"Major League" is not just a competition, but a springboard to the IAPE Eurasia title. It is a professional growth tool for those who are purposefully building a career in photography and striving for official recognition. Each acceptance is a point in your piggy bank.

By participating in the Major League, you systematically collect the required number of acceptances to apply for the IAPE title. The competition is becoming not a one-time event, but a stage of systematic movement towards the title.

The jury of the competition consists of photography masters from different regions of Russia. This is not just one look, but a panorama of opinions. A broad overview of talents guarantees a fair assessment, independent of local preferences. 15 nominations cover almost all genres. You are not trapped in one or two categories.

Experiment, discover different facets of your talent — each job can find its niche.

Photos created using artificial intelligence are not allowed.
We remind you that all parts of the image must be photographed by the author, who owns the copyright to all submitted works. Violators will be punished for life!

Rashid Usmanov, EFIAP, Master IAPE
Sergei Koliaskin, Master IAPE
Anna Bazhenovskaya, EFIAP, Master IAPE
Oleg Astakhov, Master IAPE
Andrei Ponomarev, EFIAP, Master IAPE
Oxana Vedmedenko, EFIAP, Master IAPE
Anton Timoshevskii, AFIAP, Master IAPE
Stanislav Ignatov, Master IAPE
Anastasia Legkih, EFIAP, Master IAPE
Yulia Onuchina, EFIAP/b, Master IAPE
Kirill Oginov, AFIAP, Expert IAPE
Alexandra Timofeeva, Artist IAPE

IAAP Gold Medal
IAPE Gold Medal
IAPE Silver Medal
IAPE Bronze Medal
IAPE Honorable Mention
IAPE Honorable Mention
IAPE Honorable Mention
IAPE Honorable Mention
IAPE Honorable Mention
IAPE e-Sertificate
IAPE e-Sertificate
IAPE e-Sertificate
IAPE e-Sertificate
IAPE e-Sertificate

1. Color
The nomination is for works in which color is a key expressive means. The harmony of color combinations, saturation, contrast, mood created by the palette, as well as the relevance of color solutions in the context of the plot are evaluated. Any genre is accepted — from landscape to portrait, from reportage to staged shot. The main condition is that the color should not be random, it should work on the author's idea.
2. Monochrome
A black and white work fitting from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black and white work toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black and white category; such a work can be reproduced in black and white in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage. On the other hand a black and white work modified by a partial toning or by the addition of one colour becomes a colour work (polychrome) to stand in the colour category; such a work requires colour reproduction in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage.
Greyscale Monochrome images may be entered for Nature, Photojournalism and Photo Travel but toned images are not permitted for these sections.
3. Nature Definition
Nature photography records all branches of natural history except anthropology and archaeology. This includes all aspects of the physical world, both over water and underwater.
Nature images must convey the truth of the scene. A well-informed person should be able to identify the subject of the image and be satisfied that it has been presented honestly and that no unethical practices have been used to control the subject or capture the image. Images that directly or indirectly show any human activity threatening a living organism's life or welfare are not allowed.
The most important part of a Nature image is the nature story it tells. High technical standards are expected, and the image must look natural.
• Objects created by humans, and evidence of human activity, are allowed in Nature images only when they are a necessary part of the Nature story.
• Photographs of human-created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domesticated animals, humancreated hybrid animals, and mounted or preserved zoological specimens are not allowed.
• Photographs made where the scene is natural and the animal is unharmed in a carefully managed environment, such as Zoo, rescue centers, and ethically managed natural environment farms are permitted.
• Attracting or controlling subjects through the use of food or sound for the purpose of photographing them is not allowed. Maintained situations such as provided supplemental food due to hardship caused by weather conditions or other conditions beyond the animals' control, where photography is incidental to the feeding of the animal does not fall under this provision.
• Controlling live subjects by chilling, anaesthetic, or any other method of restricting natural movement for a photograph is not allowed.
• Human-made elements shall be permitted under the following circumstances:
a) When they are an integral part of the nature story, such as a songbird singing atop a fence post a manmade object used as nest material, or a weather phenomenon destroying a man-made structure.
b) When they are a small but unavoidable part of the scene, such as an unobtrusive footprint or track in the background.
c) Scientific tags, collars, and bands are specifically allowed.
When photographing at a zoo, sanctuary, or rehabilitation centre, it would be construed that the photographer ensured that it’s properly accredited and conforms to best practices.
Editing Guidelines:
Processing or editing must be limited to making the image look as close to the original scene as possible, except that conversion to grayscale monochrome is allowed.
Allowed editing techniques:
• Cropping, straightening and perspective correction
• Removal or correction of elements added by the camera or lens, such as dust spots, noise, chromatic aberration and lens distortion
• Global and selective adjustments such as brightness, hue, saturation and contrast to restore the appearance of the original scene
• Complete conversion of colour images to grayscale monochrome
• Blending of multiple images of the same subject and combining them in camera or with software (exposure blending or focus stacking)
• Image stitching - combining multiple images with overlapping fields of view that are taken consecutively (panoramas).
Editing techniques that are not allowed:
• Removing, adding to, moving or changing any part of an image, except for cropping and straightening.
• Adding a vignette during processing
• Blurring parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene
• Darkening parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene
• All conversions other than to complete grayscale monochrome
• Conversion of parts of an image to monochrome, or partial toning, desaturation or over- saturation of colour
4. "Travel" — photographs born in travel: culture, everyday life, architecture, nature and people of other places. The atmosphere, authenticity and the ability to convey the spirit of wandering are appreciated.
5. "Mountains, Volcanoes and Plains" is a nomination for works that capture the grandeur and diversity of the earth's surface. Photographs of mountain ranges, active or extinct volcanoes, as well as flat landscapes such as steppes, fields, plateaus, and lowlands are accepted. The composition, scale transfer, atmospheric phenomena (clouds, fog, lighting), texture of rocks and soils, as well as the overall emotional impact of the landscape are evaluated.
6. City and village
In the nomination "City, village", photographs reflecting the life, lifestyle, architecture, infrastructure and atmosphere of settlements of any type are accepted — from large cities to rural settlements. Both documentary and artistic photographs are welcome, revealing the uniqueness or typicality of the area, the relationship between man and the environment.
7. "Portrait" is a conversation without words. In this nomination, we are looking for shots where the face, look, gesture and light become a single utterance. A portrait doesn't just capture an appearance — it tells a story, exposes a character, and makes the viewer stop and feel. Show the person so that he cannot be forgotten.
8. Children and Animals
In the "Children and Animals" nomination, photographs are accepted in which the main or equivalent subjects of photography are children and any domestic or wild animals in conditions that do not pose a danger. Genre, staged, or reportage shots that reveal the nature of the interaction, mutual affection, play, or caring between the characters are welcome.
9. "Light and Shadow
The light catches details, the shadow hides the excess. The "Light and Shadow" category accepts photographic works in which the interaction of illuminated or darkened areas plays a key compositional and semantic role. Both monochrome and color images are welcome, where tonal contrast serves as the basis of the author's visual language.
10. Photojournalism
Photojournalism entries are images with informative content and emotional impact, reflecting the human presence in our world.

Content Guidelines:
· The journalistic (story-telling) value of the image should receive priority over pictorial quality;
· Images that misrepresent the truth, such as those from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography, are not eligible;
· When Human Interest is specified, those images depict a person or persons in an interactive, emotional or unusual situation, excluding sports action.
Editing Guidelines: Processing or editing must be limited to making the image look as close to the original scene as possible.

Allowed editing techniques:
· Cropping, straightening and perspective correction;
· Removal or correction of elements added by the camera or lens, such as dust spots, noise, chromatic aberration and lens distortion;
· Global and selective adjustments such as brightness, hue, saturation and contrast to restore the appearance of the original scene;
· Complete conversion of color images to grayscale monochrome;
· Blending of multiple images of the same subject and combining them in camera or with software (exposure blending or focus stacking);
· Image stitching – combining multiple images with overlapping fields of view that are taken consecutively (panoramas).

Editing techniques that are not allowed:
·Removing, adding to, moving or changing any part of an image, except for cropping and straightening;
· Adding a vignette during processing;
· Blurring parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene;
· Darkening parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene;
· All conversions other than to complete grayscale monochrome;
· Conversion of parts of an image to monochrome, or partial toning, desaturation or over-saturation of color.
11. Still-life
"Still Life" is a nomination for works in which inanimate objects become the main characters of the frame. Composition, light, texture, and color transform mundane things into a story, mood, or metaphor. Here, each object is not an accident, but part of the author's intention.
12. "Minimalism and graphics" — fewer details, more expressiveness. Send photos where the clean geometry, contrasting silhouettes, and rhythm of lines and spots speak for themselves. Without too much fuss, just the gist.
13. Concept.
An important task of conceptual and creative photography is to depict the author's idea through the creation of an image, without using ready-made forms.
The image may be of any subject matter and must obviously display a change in natural color, form, shape or any combination of these three. All images must be original and may not incorporate elements produced by anyone else. Artwork or computer graphics generated by the entrant may be incorporated if the original photographic content predominates. Images may not be constructed entirely within a computer. High Dynamic Range (HDR) images without further changes are not considered “Altered Reality.” Original image must be made by entrant on photographic emulsion or captured digitally. All images must be original and may not incorporate elements produced by anyone else. Original images must be altered by the maker; artwork or computer graphics generated by the entrant may be incorporated, if the original photographic content predominates. Images may not be constructed entirely within a computer. Image's core content must be identifiable. Non-creative images are not eligible for this competition. Any subject matter is acceptable as long as the Altered Reality guidelines are apparent.
A conceptual photo is a photo of meanings, while a creative photo is a photo using applied elements, including collages and embroidery.
14. Fashion and Glamour
"Fashion and Glamour" is a territory of style, beauty and impeccable taste. Here, images are born that could decorate the cover of a magazine. In this nomination, we are waiting for shots where the model, light, costume and environment work as a single ensemble. Both studio productions and location filming are allowed. The main thing is charisma, a sense of style and the ability to create a "glossy" picture that attracts the eye.
15. Nude
The Nude nomination is open to works celebrating human anatomy as a source of inspiration. Both classic staged shots and experimental solutions (silhouettes, fragments, abstractions) are allowed. The key requirement is artistic value and respect for the mode.

Results will be sent by email to all participants with a link to the PDF salon catalogue, which can be downloaded from the web site.

Chairman Rashid Usmanov
[email protected]