The 2025 Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition

Deadline:
Entry:
Free to Enter
Age Limit:
No Age Restrictions
Experience:
Any Experience
Open to Entries:
Worldwide
Other Requirements:
Submissions will be accepted in the form of photographic essays only
Competition Details

Tell Your Mountain Story: Submit to Our Photo Essay Competition. We seek powerful visual narratives that capture the essence of mountain life. Whether your story explores culture, adventure, wildlife, or environmental concerns, we want to see your compelling photo essays. Our jury will select sequences of technically and aesthetically stunning images that stand alone while collectively weaving a captivating story. Amateur and professional photographers are invited to share their unique mountain perspectives.

Submissions will be accepted in the form of photographic essays only.

Images can depict any mountain story consisting of culture, adventure, wildlife, sport, environment or natural history.

Winners Are:
Judged
Winners Announced:

Prize & Judging Details

$3,000 CAD Grand Prize

The winning essay will be displayed as part of the 2025 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival exhibitions.

Finalists may also be displayed during the Festival.


Usage Rights, Copyright & Moral Rights
Usage License

To the extent that the Entrant may now or in the future
be entitled to any so-called moral, author’s or similar
rights in the images pursuant to the Copyright Act
(Canada) or otherwise, the Entrant hereby allows Banff
Centre and third parties to reproduce, display and
archive the images, for use by the Mountain Photo
Essay Competition and related exhibitions.





Disclaimer: Although we make every effort to provide accurate information, we advise a thorough review of the competitions rules and details to ensure your understanding and acceptance before proceeding with your entry.

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Report Rating Guide

Our goal is to help photographers make informed choices and to support organizers in building trust. This report details our assessment of this competition’s adherence to our Photo Competition Standards, highlighting its strengths and areas for potential enhancement.

★☆☆☆☆ 1.0 Stars ->: Significant Issues

★★☆☆☆ 2.5 Stars ->: Basic Compliance

★★★☆☆ 3.5 Stars ->: Meets Expectations Well

★★★★★ 5.0 Stars: Exemplary Standard

Key Principles of Fair Usage.

  • Respect for copyright: Organizers should acknowledge and respect the photographer’s ownership of their work.
  • Limited use: Usage rights should be limited to purposes directly related to the marketing/promotion of the competition, photos and photographers.
  • Specific Usage: Detailed information regarding where the images will be used for the promotion of the competition, this should include websites, social media, partners website, media outlets, books & calendars etc.
  • Moral Rights: Photographers should be credited whenever their images are used. This includes publication and Media not owned by the organiser. Editing and manipulation of the images should be kept to a minimum.
  • License Duration: The usage license should be limited in time with a maximum of 5 years, but ideally less.
  • Compensation: Photographers should be compensated for commercial use of their images beyond promotional purposes. This can be detailed in the terms or by a separate agreement.

In essence, fair usage in a photo competition balances the organiser’s need to promote the competition, its winning entries and photographers, with the photographer’s right to control their work and receive any appropriate compensation.

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