CEWE Photo Award 2027

Check a photo against these file rules, free and in your browser.

• Open to natural persons aged 18 or over, except in the Young Talent Award, which is for entrants aged 16 to 25 at the time of submission (under-18s need their legal representatives' agreement). People involved in the competition, CEWE employees and their relatives cannot enter. hard

  “Natural persons who have reached the age of 18 are eligible to participate - except in the "Young Talent Award" category.”

• Every photograph must be taken with a lens-based camera (German conditions: "mit einer Kamera oder einem Smartphone"). Content generated solely by computer or AI is not permitted, and no AI-generated fills may be used in editing. Photographs created with AI or other processing aids whose use was concealed may be excluded (12.3). The FAQ adds: "No content may be removed or added, even during post-processing." hard

  “All photographs submitted must have been taken with a lens-based camera. Exclusively computer- or artificial intelligence-generated content is not permitted, and no artificially generated fills may be used in post-processing.”

• Edits are allowed if they do not significantly change the image as a whole or its meaning, and add or remove nothing the camera captured. The extent of the editing must be stated in the image description when you submit (FAQ: "Yes – to a moderate extent"). hard

  “Submitted photographs may contain edits as long as these do not lead to significant changes to the image as a whole or alter the meaning of the image, do not introduce new information into the image or remove information from the image that was captured by the camera. The extent of the editing must be made transparent in the image description upon submission by the participant.”

• Keep the original file (JPEG, RAW or TIF) of every photograph you enter: CEWE may ask for it at any time to check authenticity or the extent of editing, or for exhibition and print use, and may exclude a photograph whose original file is not available. No request date or reply deadline is stated. hard

  “Each photograph submitted must also exist in its original size and format (JPEG, RAW or TIF). CEWE may request these from the participant to verify authenticity (see Section 12.5) and for publication in exhibitions and/or print media (see Section 12.1).”

• You must be the author and hold unrestricted copyright and rights of use, and every recognisable person shown must agree to the uses in 12.1; you indemnify CEWE against third-party claims (13.2). hard

  “The participant holds the unrestricted copyright and rights of use to the photographs submitted. The motifs may not contradict the legal provisions of the country of origin, the legal provisions of the European Union or the personal rights of the persons depicted.”

• Photographs may be excluded if they stray significantly from the theme "Our world is beautiful", or carry frames, watermarks or vignettes (the German conditions add screenshots). hard

  “Submissions that deviate significantly from the thematic guidelines. Submissions that are alienated with frames, watermarks or vignettes.”

• Published and unpublished photographs may be entered, and so may photographs that have won awards in, or are entered in, other competitions. soft

  “Yes, both previously published and unpublished photographs can be submitted.”

What you grant

Copyright stays with the photographer: "CEWE shall at no time acquire the copyright to the photographs of the participants." Conditions 12.1: "By participating in the competition, the participating person grants CEWE and the companies affiliated with CEWE within the meaning of Section 15 of the German Stock Corporation Act (AktG) an irrevocable, spatially unlimited and perpetual right of use to use the submitted photographs for PR work. This is done exclusively in connection with this photo competition or future photo competitions - including subsequent communication in which the participant has taken part - and includes the possibility of publication, reproduction, reproduction and distribution for the purpose of non-commercial self-promotion and self-presentation of CEWE." The listed purposes include judging, presenting the winners and the ceremony, "Publication on all media channels of CEWE and the companies affiliated with CEWE - online and offline - for example websites, print, Out of Home, newsletters and in social networks", "The presentation in exhibitions and the auctioning of exhibits for a good cause", "Inclusion in publications, including publications by third parties in press reports" and "Publication in a CEWE PHOTOBOOK for the CEWE Photo Award, which may be passed on to third parties for the purpose of advertising the CEWE Photo Award." "Any further commercial use requires the separate consent of the participant."

Duration

perpetual right of use

Exclusivity

none

Attribution

Required

Copyright retained by photographer

Yes