Junior Photography Awards
The Junior Photography Awards is an annual competition exclusively open to residents of the United Arab Emirates aged 17 and under. The competition is free to enter and welcomes all forms of still photography captured using phones, DSLRs, or mirrorless cameras, provided the work is created at an amateur level. All photos must have been taken within the past three years.
The Junior Photography Awards will be divided into two age categories based on the entrant’s age at the time of submission:
Junior Lower (Ages 7-13 years)
Junior Upper (Ages 14-17 years)
Eligibility & Verification
Entrants must be UAE residents and must provide proof of residency.
Age verification is mandatory to ensure fair competition within the respective age categories.
Competition Details
Judging & Exhibition
A panel of professional photographers and industry experts judges entries. The top seven placed images from each category will be exhibited at the Xposure Festival, and additional equipment prizes will be awarded to the first and second-place winners.
Categories:
Junior Lower (Ages 7-13) – Open to still photography.
Junior Upper (Ages 14-17) – Open to all still photography.
Prizes & Benefits
Each category will have:
1 Winner
1 Runner-Up
5 Additional Nominated Entries (Nominees)
Winners & Runner-Ups from both categories will be featured in the Xposure Festival Exhibition.
Competition Entries
Deadline: 15 September 2025 at 23:00 GST (UTC +4)
Nominees Notification: Week commencing 20 October 2025
Rules & Submission Guidelines
Who May Enter?
This competition is FREE to enter and is open only to UAE residents aged 7-17 at the time of submission.
Age verification and proof of UAE residency are required upon submission.
How to Enter
Images must be submitted through our online awards platform.
Submitted images must be suitable for public display, printing, and publication in the Xposure Yearbook.
Images must be in JPG format with a preferred resolution of 300 dpi and a 3:2 aspect ratio.
Image filenames should contain only standard Western characters & numbers—special characters or symbols may prevent successful upload.
Photo Submission Requirements
Preferred image size: between 2,700 and 5,000 pixels on the longer dimension.
Minimum image size: 1,500 pixels on the longer dimension.
Accepted colour profiles: sRGB, Adobe-1998, or no colour management.
Max file size: Up to 7 MB (uncompressed).
Entry Limitations
Entrants may submit up to ten (10) images.
Each image must be uploaded individually.
All photographs must have been taken within the past three years.
Each entry must include a title, caption, and location where the photo was taken.
Photo Integrity & Ethics
Photos must be original and taken by the entrant.
Minimal editing is allowed (adjustments to levels, color, contrast, and brightness).
No staged or manipulated images that mislead the viewer.
No watermarks or text overlays—images with these will be disqualified.
If a photo includes sculptures, paintings, or artworks, entrants must submit a release form ensuring no copyright infringement.
Nominees will be required to submit High-Resolution TIFF and RAW files for verification.
Judging & Awards
Judging Process
Round One: Entries are judged based on artistic merit and overall impact.
Round Two: Shortlisted images are evaluated on composition, technical quality, and effectiveness in conveying the theme.
Shortlisting & Final Selection
25 highest-ranked images per category move to Round Two.
If multiple images tie for 25th place, all will advance.
A final tiebreak round is held if necessary, based on originality.
The Awards Committee reviews and finalizes the shortlist.
Awards Ceremony & Prize Collection
The Winner & Runner-Up from each Junior category will be invited to attend the Xposure Festival Awards Ceremony, where the final results will be announced.
Accommodation will be provided for finalists who reside over 50km away from the festival venue.
Trophies & prizes will only be issued at the Awards Ceremony—they cannot be collected at a later date.
Licenses & Releases
Publication & Exhibition
Winning images will be exhibited at Xposure Festival and published on the Xposure Awards website.
Entrant Licenses
Entrants retain full copyright but grant non-exclusive usage rights for high-resolution images for Xposure-related promotions, exhibitions, and publications.
Winning images will be published in the Xposure Yearbook and SGMB Public Archive.
Liability & Rights
The organizers assume no liability for lost, damaged, or misused entries.
The festival reserves the right to disqualify any entry that violates ethical, legal, or content guidelines.
If insufficient qualifying entries are received, the festival may reallocate or withhold prizes.
Final Notes
This competition is subject to UAE laws and regulations.
By entering, participants agree to:
Be bound by these Official Rules.
Allow the festival to use their name, image, and work for promotional purposes.
Accept that judges’ decisions are final.
