BERLIN is international contest of art photography, organized by Stefania Padovani from Berlin, Germany.

The contest is divided into the following sections:
• open color
• Woman
• Light & Shadows
• Minimalism
• open Monochrome
• Nature
• Photojournalism
• Portrait
• Architecture
• Creative
• World in Focus
• People

Closing date: December 6, 2026
Judging date: December 19, 2026
Notification date: December 27, 2026
Delivery date: January 10, 2027
Gallery publish date: January 10, 2027

The entry fee depends on the number of sections the participant enters. The fees are as follows:
• 1-3 sections = 6 EUR
• 4-6 sections = 10 EUR
• 7-9 sections = 15 EUR
• 10-12 sections = 20 EUR

The entry fee can be paid in the following ways:
• through our website: https://theiaap.com/e/berlin
• PAYPAL ACCOUNT: [email protected]

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

• Bogdan Negoita; EFIAP, EAAFR, GPU CR2, GPU Hermes, Es. CPE (Romania)
• Artur Jastrzębski; NFIAP, AFRP (Poland)
• Carlos Cabral; (Portugal)

The judges of the event will present the following awards:
12 x IAAP Gold E-Certificate, 12 x IAAP Silver E-Certificate, 12 x IAAP Bronze E-Certificate, 36 x IAAP Honorable Mention E-Certificate
12 x Bildraum Gold E-Certificate, 12 x Bildraum Silver E-Certificate, 12 x Bildraum Bronze E-Certificate, 36 x Bildraum Honorable Mention E-Certificate
12 x SALON Gold E-Certificate, 12 x SALON Silver E-Certificate, 12 x SALON Bronze E-Certificate, 36 x SALON Honorable Mention E-Certificate
Total 216 awards. The organizer reserves the right to adjust the number of awards based on the total number of entrants.

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

[General conditions]
● Every image is the work of the author, made from the author's own photographs.
● A section accepts both colour and monochrome work unless its name or the rules of the event say otherwise.
● Unless the definition restricts it, post-processing is free, but the subject must remain recognisable as the stated theme.
● Where a section is also entered as a FIAP or PSA division, the FIAP or PSA definition prevails over the text given here.
● Whether an image meets the theme is decided by the judges. An image outside the theme may be rejected before judging or left unscored, and the rules of the event say which of the two happens.
● An organizer may narrow a definition and must then publish the narrowing. An organizer may not widen one while keeping the standard section name.
● Images generated wholly or partly by generative artificial intelligence are not photographs and are not eligible in any section defined here.


[IAAP · 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.


[IAAP · Nature]
A nature photograph records all aspects of the natural world, both animate and inanimate. The primary subject of a nature photograph should be animals and elements of nature, though human and human-made elements are allowed as long as they do not dominate the scene. The image must convey the truth of the scene and be presented honestly, without unethical practices to manipulate the subject or setting. High technical standards are expected, and the photograph should look natural. Human activity or objects are permissible only if they are a necessary part of the nature story being told.


[IAAP · Photojournalism]
A photojournalism photograph is an image that captures a moment or event in a way that tells a factual story, intended to inform and convey truth to the public. It should document real events, people, and places without staging or manipulation, ensuring the authenticity of the scene. The primary aim is to provide an accurate and unbiased representation of the subject matter, often related to news, social issues, cultural events, or significant moments in history. Ethical standards are crucial in photojournalism, prohibiting any alterations that could mislead the viewer or distort the reality of the captured moment.


[Standard section definitions]

[Portrait]
Portrait photography focuses on a person or a small group, with particular attention to the face, gaze, expression or character. The people portrayed must be the main subject and shown as individuals, rather than simply as figures within a scene. Posed and candid portraits are equally welcome, including self-portraits and head-and-shoulders, three-quarter or full-length views. Environmental portraits are also accepted when the surroundings help convey the subject's character. Images in which people are incidental to a landscape, street scene or architectural study do not qualify. Neither do crowds without an identifiable subject or abstract studies that do not portray an individual.


[Woman]
This section focuses on a woman or girl as the main subject of the photograph. Her presence must define the image and dominate the composition, rather than share equal importance with other subjects. Accepted approaches include portraits, character studies, figure studies within the limits stated by the event, and documentary images of women at work, at home or in public life. The theme is defined by the subject, not the photographic approach: colour and monochrome, studio and candid work are equally welcome. Images centred on a male subject, or mixed groups in which no female subject dominates, do not qualify. When an event offers both Woman and Man sections, an image may be entered in only one of them.


[People]
The People section explores people and the situations, activities and surroundings that shape their lives. One or more people must be the subject of the photograph. Individuals, groups and crowds are accepted, whether shown at work, at rest, travelling or in their everyday surroundings. Both candid and directed photographs are welcome. The section is broader than Portrait because it considers people within a situation, rather than only as portrait subjects. Portraits are accepted when the event does not offer a separate Portrait section. Images without a visible person, or in which a person serves only to show the scale of a landscape or building, do not qualify.


[Architecture]
Architectural photography focuses on a built structure or part of one, showing its form, construction, surface, geometry or function. Both interiors and exteriors are accepted, regardless of the structure's age or condition. Subjects may include complete buildings, individual features, bridges, towers, engineering works, construction sites and ruins. Architectural details and abstract images derived from built forms are also welcome. A broad city view without a dominant structure belongs in Cityscape. A street scene centred on people belongs in Street Photography. Neither falls within the Architecture section.


[Shadows]
In this section, shadows must be a central subject of the photograph, not simply a result of the lighting. They may create a graphic pattern, contribute to a story, describe a shaded form or suggest a subject that is outside the frame. Silhouettes and strong contrasts between light and shade are also accepted. The definition includes sections named Light and Shadow, where both are explored together. Simply including shadows in an otherwise unrelated image is not enough. When the event offers a separate Silhouettes section, silhouette images belong there instead.


[Minimalism]
Minimalist photography creates a strong image from very few elements. Simplicity, open areas and negative space are central to the composition. A single shape, a line or a small area of colour against an uncluttered background may provide the subject. The essential requirement is deliberate visual reduction, whether found in the scene or achieved through framing. Accepted approaches include a single subject against a plain background, high-key or low-key treatments, and the graphic simplification of a larger scene. Busy or crowded compositions do not qualify. An ordinary record of a scene, without this reduction to essentials, is not enough.


[Creative]
Creative photography presents an imaginative image rather than a straightforward record of a scene. The photograph must be visibly altered, constructed or combined so that its departure from reality is clear. Accepted approaches include montage, composites, multiple exposures, digital manipulation, texture overlays, strong toning, intentional camera movement, infrared and alternative photographic processes. Conceptual or surreal scenes staged for the camera are also welcome. Every element of the finished image must originate in a photograph taken by the author. Straight, unaltered photographs do not qualify, and applying a preset or filter alone is not enough. Images generated wholly or partly by generative artificial intelligence are not photographs and are not eligible.


[World in Focus]
World in Focus shows the world and its life as the photographer finds it. The subject may be a place, its people, their culture, an event or the surroundings in which they live. The theme is as broad as a general open section, but each image must relate to a real subject. Documentary and reportage photographs, landscapes, urban scenes with or without people, and cultural or environmental subjects are all accepted. Montages and other constructed images do not qualify. Studio arrangements without a connection to a real place or event are also excluded.

Stefania Padovani
Berlin, Germany

email: [email protected]
website: