LCE Photographer of the Year 2027

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

• Open to photographers of any skill level aged 18 or over. Employees or agents of London Camera Exchange, their immediate families and anyone directly connected with the competition cannot enter; proof of eligibility may be required. hard

  “LCE Photographer of the Year 2027 is free to enter and is open to photographers of any skill level who are aged 18 or over.”

• Anyone in the world may enter, but only UK residents can receive prizes: you must be resident in the UK when you enter and still eligible when prizes are granted. A winner from outside the UK gets the same exposure but no prize and nothing in its place (FAQs). soft

  “To receive prizes, entrants must be resident in the United Kingdom at the time of entry and must remain eligible once the prizes are granted.”

• AI-generated imagery is disqualified: images must start from photographs the entrant captured, including every element of a composite. Editing is otherwise unrestricted (FAQs), though the Promoter may publish further guidance on AI-assisted editing tools that entrants must follow. The AI Imagery Policy (dated January 2026) counts as AI imagery anything made substantially with generative tools or "Altered in a manner that introduces synthetic content not captured by a camera", and allows standard post-processing such as exposure and colour adjustment, cropping and dust removal. It may use metadata checks, forensic assessment, AI-detection tools (as supporting evidence only) and reverse image searches. hard

  “AI-generated imagery is not permitted and will be disqualified. Images must originate from photographs captured by the entrant. The Promoter may publish additional guidance concerning the permitted use of AI-assisted editing tools, and entrants must comply with any such guidance in force at the time of entry.”

• If shortlisted, you must be able to supply the original image as a high-resolution JPEG or RAW file, with available metadata; LCE may ask for it to check authenticity or authorship. Not providing an original may affect eligibility. No request date is stated. hard

  “If shortlisted, entrants must be able to supply the original image as a high-resolution JPEG or RAW file.”

• Every image must be the entrant's own work and must not use material that infringes anyone's copyright; copyright stays with the photographer. Anyone found to have entered another person's image is disqualified. hard

  “All images entered must be the entrant’s own work. An entry must not incorporate material that infringes the copyright or other intellectual property rights of another person. Copyright in each image entered remains with the photographer.”

• One entry per category, and the same photograph (including an edited version of it) may go into only one category; entering it twice may disqualify both entries (FAQs). Any device may be used: cameras, smartphones, tablets; film scans are accepted. hard

  “Entrants may submit a maximum of one entry per category.”

• Photographs that won or were recognised in other competitions may be entered, but not one that was a winner or runner-up in an earlier LCE Photographer of the Year. There is no limit on when or where the photograph was taken. hard

  “Photographs that have previously won or been recognised in other photography competitions may be entered. However, an image cannot be entered if it has previously been a winner or runner-up in an earlier edition of LCE Photographer of the Year.”

What you grant

Copyright stays with the photographer: "Copyright remains with the photographer." Terms 6.3: "By entering the competition and submitting a photograph, the entrant grants the Promoter, its competition partners and sponsors a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to reproduce, publish, display and communicate the photograph for purposes connected with the competition. This includes promoting the competition in print and online; inclusion in printed or digital competition books, calendars or other competition-related materials; display at exhibitions; use in press, promotional and marketing materials and on social media; and promotion of future editions of the competition."

Duration

No term is stated in the Terms & Conditions

Exclusivity

none

Attribution

Required

Copyright retained by photographer

Yes