The TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers International Photography Contest “Through the Straits” concerning straits in international waters will be organized by the TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers and conducted with the support of the Istanbul Photography and Cinema Amateurs Association (IFSAK).

This contest has been approved by the Turkish Federation of Photographic Arts (TFSF), the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), and the Istanbul Photography and Cinema Amateurs Association (IFSAK). TFSF Approval No.: 2026/G085, FIAP Approval No.: 2026/556 IFSAK Approval No: 2026/001

CONTEST NAME:
TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers “Through the Straits” International Photography Contest.

THEME:
As the TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers, we are launching the “Through the Straits” International Photography Contest with the aim of making visible, through the art of photography, the strategic importance of all straits in international waters from a maritime perspective, the technical realities of marine engineering, and the strong relationship between the sea and the city.
The contest, which is intended to become an annual tradition, will bring together not only aesthetically strong photographs, but also works that provide an accurate and effective narrative from the perspectives of maritime affairs and marine engineering. Ships of different types and sizes passing through the Straits, their interaction with the city, night passages, and technical details will be documented through the photographers’ lenses.

The works will be evaluated by a jury planned to consist of photographers, marine engineers, pilot captains, and academics, with the aim of creating a visual maritime memory of the Straits spanning the years.

The winning works and works selected for exhibition are intended to reach wider audiences not only through the exhibition in Istanbul, but also at universities, maritime fairs, shipyards, museums, open-air venues, and digital platforms.

With this contest, we aim to make the Straits visible not merely as a unique cityscape, but as a living stage of world trade, maritime transportation, and engineering. Every ship passing through the Straits is a living story of engineering and maritime life. This contest will transform these stories into the visual memory of the future.

The contest will be held in a single category, Color Digital, under the theme “Through the Straits”.

Final submission date: 05 December 2026 / 23:59 (TSI)
Selection Committee meeting: 15 December 2026
Announcement of results: 20 December 2026

Exhibition and Award Ceremony: The exhibition and award ceremony will be held at a venue to be determined by the Organizing Institution and announced together with the results.

The contest results will be announced on 20 December 2026 on the websites of the TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers, www.gmo.org.tr, and IFSAK, www.ifsak.org.tr.

Participation in this contest is free of charge.

CONDITIONS:
a. PHOTOGRAPHS CREATED WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ARE NOT PERMITTED IN THIS CONTEST! Participants are reminded that all parts of the submitted works must have been photographed by the person holding the copyright. Those who fail to comply with this rule will be subject to a lifetime sanction by FIAP (International Federation of Photographic Art) and TFSF (Turkish Federation of Photographic Arts).

b. Each participant may receive no more than one award within the same category.

c. Each participant may enter a maximum of 4 (four) works in each category. Each work will be evaluated individually.

d. Participants are responsible for taking all administrative and technical measures required for the processing and transfer of personal data in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Law. Where photographs depicting natural persons are processed, the persons concerned must be informed under the Law and, where explicit consent is required, such consent must be obtained. It is deemed that persons appearing in photographs submitted to the contest have given permission for their photographs to be taken and submitted to a contest and for the photographs to be published in visual, online, and printed media. The participant is responsible for photographs that are not transferred in accordance with the Law.

e. There is no restrictive condition regarding the processing or manipulation of photographs submitted to the contest by means of any software (e.g. Photoshop).
f. The contest is open to all amateur and professional photographers worldwide, except members of the Selection Committee, the Salon Chair, and their first-degree relatives.

g. The participant accepts, declares, and undertakes that the work submitted to the contest belongs entirely to them and that all necessary permissions have been obtained. Any participant who makes an intervention or alteration to a submitted photograph with the intention of presenting a work that is not theirs as their own or misleading the evaluation committee shall be deemed to have violated the rules.
h. Participants who are subject to an ongoing restriction imposed by TFSF or who are included on the FIAP Red List may not participate in this contest. Before the jury evaluation, the Organizing Institution will identify participants on the TFSF restricted list or FIAP Red List and eliminate their entries.

i. Sanctions specified in the “ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS TO THE TFSF NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST ORGANIZATION MASTER DIRECTIVE AND RULE VIOLATION IMPLEMENTATION DIRECTIVE TFSF YG 02-D” shall be applied to persons who violate the rules. Any award, title, or other benefit obtained by a participant found to have violated the rules shall be withdrawn. The award shall be cancelled and the position left vacant. The matter shall be reported to FIAP. This shall not mean that the ranking of other participants will be changed and shall not give rise to any claim by participants who have or have not received other awards. If an award has already been given, the participant must return it to the Organizing Institution within 7 (seven) business days from the date on which the violation is identified.

j. By participating in an IFSAK- and FIAP-patronaged contest, whether or not the participant is a member of IFSAK or FIAP, the participant is deemed to have accepted in advance that the photographs submitted may, if necessary, be examined to determine their compliance with IFSAK and FIAP rules and definitions; IFSAK and FIAP may conduct such investigations using all available means and technical resources. If the participant fails to provide the necessary information requested, fails to provide the original camera file, or fails to cooperate with IFSAK and FIAP in resolving the issue, the participant may be banned by IFSAK and FIAP on the grounds of a rule violation and their name may be disclosed.

k. Participants are advised to keep the EXIF information of photographs uploaded to the contest system intact in order to facilitate any possible investigations. Otherwise, the Organizing Institution and IFSAK shall not be responsible for problems arising in the system.

l. A digital album/show containing the awarded and exhibition-selected works will be made available for digital download at www.gmo.org.tr for 6 months following the announcement of the results.

m. The Organizing Institution may request high-resolution digital files of photographs that have received awards, been selected for exhibition, or been purchased.

n. The Organizing Institution may decide to cancel or postpone all or part of the contest under circumstances it deems appropriate. The Organizing Institution reserves the right to determine the procedures and rules to be applied in the event of cancellation or postponement. Where necessary to resolve problems and uncertainties, the Organizing Institution is authorized to make any changes, including changes to the rules of the regulations, the schedule, evaluation, and awards, provided that IFSAK is notified in writing and its approval is obtained no later than one week before the Final Submission Date. In such cases, IFSAK will inform the FIAP approval authority and obtain its approval on behalf of the Organizing Institution.

OTHER PROVISIONS
a. The photographs will be presented to the Selection Committee in a completely darkenable room, using a projector with a resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels on a screen with a diagonal length of at least 1 m and at most 2.5 m, or on a 42/55-inch LCD monitor with Ultra HD 4K resolution of 3840 × 2160 pixels. The photographs will be coded and presented without any information identifying the participant.

b. The Organizing Institution will exercise due care regarding email correspondence and the dispatch of awards and digital catalogues; however, it cannot be held responsible for any damage that may occur during the dispatch of awards and catalogues. Participants accept that the addresses provided during registration for the contest are their legal residential addresses for all such deliveries.

c. The Organizing Institution accepts no responsibility whatsoever for matters arising from participants providing incorrect addresses.

d. For matters not specified in these rules or in the event of possible disputes, the decisions of the Organizing Institution and the Selection Committee, the “Turkish Federation of Photographic Arts (TFSF) National / International Photography Contest Organization Master Directive,” and the decisions of the IFSAK Board of Directors shall apply.

e. These rules enter into force when the participant submits their photographs to the contest. Participants shall have no right to object to the provisions of these rules thereafter.

SUBMISSION / UPLOAD OF WORKS:
a. As the contest will be conducted through an online photography system, no alternative method of submission (email, courier, hand delivery, etc.) will be accepted.
b. Participants must register through https://throughthestraits.com by following the instructions provided in order to participate in the contest.
c. Each participant applying to the contest must tick a box on the website confirming acceptance of the following text: “I confirm that I have read and expressly accepted the sections entitled > in FIAP Document 040/2023 and > in FIAP Document 038/2023. I am aware of the conditions for participation in FIAP-patronaged contests set out in paragraphs II.2 and II.3 of FIAP Document 040/2023 concerning >, the sanctions for violations of FIAP rules, and the Red List.”
d. If system- or user-related errors occur while photographs are being submitted online, the problem will be resolved as soon as possible if reported to [email protected]. This address is to be used only by participants experiencing problems with photo uploads; sending photographs to this address does not constitute participation in the contest and such submissions will under no circumstances be accepted.
e. Photographs uploaded for the contest must have a minimum long edge of 1980 pixels. Photographs must be in JPEG, RGB format, 300 dpi, with a maximum file size of 4 MB.
f. Each image uploaded to the website must have a title of no more than 35 characters. The jury will never know the title of the work or the name of the photographer. Giving photographs a title is mandatory. The characters ç, ı, ğ, ö, ş, ü must not be used in titles. English letters and underscores (__) may be used.
g. Photographs will be uploaded online via https://throughthestraits.com.
h. IFSAK shall not be responsible for any problems that may arise during the uploading, modification, deletion, or categorization of photographs.
i. Photographs must not contain dates, participant names, signatures, logos, or similar information.
j. By registering in the system and uploading their photographs, participants are deemed to have accepted the contest conditions. These rules enter into force when the participant submits their contest photographs. By participating, contestants are deemed to have read and accepted these rules. Contestants shall have no right to object to these provisions thereafter.

COPYRIGHT (USAGE) RIGHTS:
a. For photographs receiving an award (prize, special award, honourable mention, or exhibition acceptance) or subject to purchase, the rights of publication, use, and exhibition shall belong jointly to the authors and the Organizing Institution. The right of use of the work may not be sold or transferred to a third party or institution. These works will be kept in the archive of the Organizing Institution.
b. The participant accepts that, from the date on which the contest results are announced, they grant the Organizing Institution permission and consent to exercise, without territorial or substantive limitation and in accordance with Article 21 (adaptation), Article 22 (reproduction), Article 23 (distribution), Article 24 (representation), and Article 25 (communication to the public by means of devices enabling the transmission of signs, sounds and/or images) of Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works, as well as other applicable legislation, the rights of reproduction, adaptation, representation, communication to the public, and publication of photographs that have received an award, been selected for exhibition, or been purchased, for the promotion and publications of the Organizing Institution and its affiliated entities through the internet and visual and printed media, provided that the participant’s name and the title of the work are used (where collages or similar graphic arrangements are made using the photograph, the name of the author/participant may not be used). During this period, the right of use of the works shall belong jointly to the author (participant) and the Organizing Institution.
c. For works used in this manner, the author (participant) irrevocably accepts, declares, and undertakes that the awards and exhibition amounts specified in these rules also constitute the copyright/usage fee; that the permission granted may not subsequently be withdrawn; that they will not prevent the work from being used in the manner described above; that they have no and will have no further claim or receivable against the Organizing Institution or its sponsors in connection with such permission or consent; and that they will make no financial or moral claim.
d. The participant accepts, declares, and undertakes that all photographs submitted/uploaded for the contest belong entirely to them, were taken by them, and that all necessary permissions have been obtained. The participant bears all legal responsibility for any copyright infringement that may arise from the use, in whole or in part, of images belonging to others.
e. The Author (participant) declares, accepts, and warrants that the work is their own original work, that no third party has any rights in the work, that they have not previously transferred the rights in the work, and that the author (participant) shall be legally responsible in the event of any contrary claim by a third party.
f. It is deemed that the necessary permissions have been obtained for photographing and submitting to a contest any architectural structure, work of art, human face, or similar element used as an object in the photographs, and for publishing the photographs online and in printed media. The participant bears all responsibility for any disputes arising from such uses.
g. Award-winning, exhibition-selected, and purchased photographs will be published for promotional purposes and in accordance with the purpose of the contest on www.gmo.org.tr and on the TFSF website at https://sonuc.tfsfonayliyarismalar.org/, as well as on the social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) of the Organizing Institution and IFSAK. In addition, award-winning photographs may be used in the TFSF publication E-Almanac 2026, in publications of the Organizing Institution, on social media accounts and websites, and on posters, billboards, and street advertising boards.

• Faruk İBRAHİMOVİC – EFIAP – BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
• Gülay TANSU – EFIAP/s – TURKEY
• Mehmet Naci DEMİRKOL – EFIAP – TURKEY
• Selinay MERT – Board Member, TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers – TURKEY
• Serkan TURAÇ – EFIAP/b – TURKEY

1st Prize:
• FIAP Gold Medal
• TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers Gold Medal
• TFSF Gold Medal

2nd Prize:
• FIAP Silver Medal
• TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers Silver Medal
• TFSF Silver Medal

3rd Prize:
• FIAP Bronze Medal
• TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers Bronze Medal
• TFSF Bronze Medal

FIAP Honourable Mentions (6)
TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers Honourable Mentions (2)
TFSF Honourable Mentions (6)

SPECIAL AWARDS:
TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers “Ships Passing Through the Bosphorus” Special Award: TRY 25,000.
IFSAK “Ships Passing Through the Bosphorus” Special Award
TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers “Ships Passing Through the Dardanelles” Special Award: TRY 25,000.
IFSAK “Ships Passing Through the Dardanelles” Special Award

EXHIBITION (ACCEPTANCE):
A maximum of 25% of the submitted works will be selected for exhibition (accepted).
Awards and certificates will be sent by regular mail. FIAP, TMMOB Chamber of Marine Engineers, Istanbul Photography and Cinema Amateurs Association (IFSAK), and Turkish Federation of Photographic Arts (TFSF) shall not be responsible for loss or damage occurring during shipment.

Awards and acceptances obtained in this contest may be used for FIAP distinction applications. No TFSF Representative will be present during the contest judging.

ORGANIZER CONTACT:
Ayçın Özsakabaşı
Email: [email protected]

SALON CHAIR CONTACT:
Nur Esra Kardeş (IFSAK Board Member and International Relations Coordinator)
Tel: +90 212 292 42 01
Email: [email protected]
Address: İstiklal Cad. Ayhan Işık Sok. No:32/2 Beyoğlu-Istanbul-Türkiye