BALTIC PHOTO CUP is international contest of art photography, organized by Baltic Photo Club from Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The contest is divided into the following sections:
• OPEN COLOR (Only Color)
• OPEN MONOCHROME (Only Monochrome)
• HUMAN AND WATER (Color and Monochrome)
• PORTRAIT (Color and Monochrome)
• NATURE (Color and Monochrome)

Closing date: July 25 2026
Judging date: August 8 2026
Notification date: August 13 2026
Delivery date: October 30 2026
Gallery publish date: October 30 2026

The entry fee for any number of sections and any number of images is 15 EUR
International Club of Art Portrait (ICAP) members: 10 EUR

PAYPAL ACCOUNT: [email protected]

Images from participants who have not paid the entry fee will not be considered.

The contest is open to anyone (amateur and professional photographers from all over the world); however, an entry may be rejected when the sponsoring organization or its agent, in its reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to the contest rules and conditions.
Entries must originate as photographs (image-captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally. By virtue of submitting an entry, the entrant certifies the image as his own (aliases are not permitted). The entrant permits the sponsors to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to the exhibition. This may include low resolution posting on a website. Note: Entrants who indicate that their images may not be reproduced or used 'will not be eligible for awards' or inclusion in audio-visuals of the exhibition 'and could be subject to disqualification' by the exhibition sponsors.
By submitting an entry, the entrant certifies legal Age, and own all rights to these images, including copyright or parents or guardians gives permission on his/her behalf if he/she is not of Legal Age. The exhibition assumes no liability of any misuse of copyright. Images may be altered, either electronically or otherwise, by the maker. All final image must be on photographic film, or on electronic file, or on photographic or electronic print material, mounting excepted.
No title or identification of the maker shall be visible anywhere on the face of an image, print mat or mount.

Photographs must be in JPEG format, with dimensions 1920x1080 pixels on the long side 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 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. Target Range will be max 30%.

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.

•Publishing works created using neural networks is prohibited.
•Sending the same photo to multiple categories is prohibited.
•Logos, watermarks, and titles on the image are prohibited.
•Photos must be taken with a professional camera in accordance with technical standards. Photos taken with tablets, phones, or similar devices are prohibited.
•EXIF is required.
•In case of disputes, the competition organizers may request a RAW file.
•The works of a participant who has violated the rules will be removed from the competition. The awarded prize will be canceled, regardless of whether the results have been officially announced.

• RYSZARD LOMNICKI (Ireland) Certified Judge (CJ IAAP), GM IAAP
• ANASTASIA BARMINA (Russia) Certified Judge (CJ IAAP), S IAAP, EFIAP
• ALEKSANDAR TOMOVSKI (North Macedonia) Certified Judge (CJ IAAP), M IAAP, AFIAP, MNPUM

The judges of the event will present the following awards:
Best Author - Crystal
6 x IAAP Gold medals [1 per section];
6 x Art Portrait Gold medals [1 per section];
6 x BALTIC Glass Gold medals [1 per section];
2 x IIG Gold medals [1 per section OPEN COLOR, OPEN MONOCHROME]
3 x IIG HM Ribbons [1 per section HUMAN AND WATER, PORTRAIT, NATURE GENERAL];
10 x IAAP Honorable Mention E-Certificate [2 per section];
10 x Art Portrait Diploma E-Certificate [2 per section];
10 x BALTIC Diploma E-Certificate [2 per section];
3 x Special award from judges [1 per section HUMAN AND WATER, PORTRAIT, NATURE GENERAL]

All entries shall conform to the stricter of these definitions for acceptances to be validated by all the international organizations granting recognition or patronage.

OPEN COLOR (Only Color)
IAAP Definition of Color
A Color image is defined by the presence of more than a single color or hue. If an image is treated with two or more colors in any manner or any amount (spot coloring, duotone, etc), it is a color image.
All genres of photography are accepted in this section, with emphasis on color.

OPEN MONOCHROME (Only Monochrome)
IAAP Definition of Monochrome
Black and white photography is an image that displays a range of shades from black to white, encompassing various tones of gray. Such an image focuses on the nuances of light, shadow, and contrast without incorporating any colors. If the entire image is toned in a single hue, it remains within the black and white category. However, if it is modified by partial toning or the addition of any color, it becomes a color work and no longer qualifies as a black and white photograph.

HUMAN AND WATER (Color and Monochrome)
ICAP Definition Human and Water
In this section, photos with a mandatory image of a person/people (woman, man, children) and water are accepted. Water must be in a liquid state. Photos with water in a solid or gaseous state are not accepted. Reportage, studio, and staged photos are allowed.

PORTRAIT (Color and Monochrome)
ICAP Definition Portrait
This section accepts photos whose main subject is a person/people: a woman, a man, or a child. Portraits of people of all skin colors, races, and religions, as well as the full spectrum of human emotions. It is recommended that the subject of the photo occupies 2/3 of the frame. This theme allows for studio portraits, genre portraits, staged portraits, images that convey national characteristics, as well as reportage and street portraits that reveal the uniqueness and individuality of the person.

NATURE (Color and Monochrome)
PSA/FIAP Nature Division Definition
Content Guidelines 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, human-created 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, anesthetic, 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 center, it would be construed that the photographer ensured that it’s properly accredited and conforms to best practices.

Notification cards will be sent by email.

email: [email protected]
website: //theiaap.com/e/balticcup
software provided by IAAP: [email protected]