Women’s Photography Circle Photo Contest – Official Rules

Eligibility

  • Open to women photographers ages 18 or older

  • Must be a resident of the United States

  • Amateur and professional photographers are welcome

  • Employees, judges, and immediate family members of Women’s Photography Circle are not eligible to win

Categories

  • The contest includes four (4) categories

  • Each category will have three (3) winners

  • Images may only be entered into one category per entry

Entry Period

  • Entries must be submitted by 4/10/2026 at 7PM CST

  • Late or incomplete entries will not be accepted

Entry Guidelines

  • All submitted images must be 100% the entrant’s own work

  • Images may be taken at any time unless otherwise specified

  • Winning images from a previous Women’s Photography Circle Photo Contest are not eligible

  • Images may have been shared or published elsewhere, provided they have not won a prior WPC contest

  • Images must be submitted without watermarks, logos, or signatures

  • By entering, you confirm you hold full copyright to the image

  • Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary model or property permissions for recognizable people or private property featured in their images

Editing & AI Guidelines

To keep the contest fair and focused on photography, the following guidelines apply:

Allowed Edits

Basic adjustments including exposure, contrast, white balance, and color correction
Cropping and straightening
Sharpening and noise reduction

Minor retouching such as:
• Dust spot and sensor spot removal
• Removal of small distractions

Use of standard editing tools in Lightroom or Photoshop, including generative tools only for minor clean-up (e.g., dust spots or small distractions)

Portrait Category Exception
Composites are allowed in the Portrait category only, provided all photographic elements used in the composite were captured by the submitting photographer. Use of stock imagery, AI-generated elements, or third-party photographic elements is not permitted.

Not Allowed

AI-generated images or images created using text-to-image tools
Adding, replacing, or generating major elements using AI
Significant compositing or manipulation that alters the reality of the original photograph (outside of the Portrait category exception above)
Images that misrepresent the original scene beyond traditional photographic editing

Women’s Photography Circle reserves the right to request original RAW files or equivalent to verify authenticity.

Wildlife Ethics

Women’s Photography Circle is committed to ethical photography practices.

Images must be created without disturbing, harassing, baiting, or stressing wildlife.

No nest disturbance, habitat destruction, or unsafe proximity to wildlife.

Only wild animals photographed in their natural environment are permitted. Zoo animals, game farm animals, captive wildlife, and animals photographed in controlled or enclosed environments are not allowed.

All images must comply with local, state, and federal laws, as well as park or refuge regulations.

Entrants may be asked to provide context or original files if ethical concerns arise.

Respect for wildlife, habitats, and natural spaces is a core value of our community.

Entry Limits

  • Each image must be entered separately

  • Entry fees are non-refundable

Judging

  • Entries will be judged based on creativity, composition, impact, and overall execution

  • Judging will be conducted by Women’s Photography Circle judges and/or guest judges

  • Judges’ decisions are final

  • Due to the volume of entries, individual feedback is not guaranteed

Prizes

  • Three winners per category will be selected

  • Prizes include photography-related items and workshop gift cards

  • Prizes are non-transferable and may not be exchanged for cash

  • Women’s Photography Circle reserves the right to substitute prizes of equal value if necessary

  • Winners are responsible for any applicable taxes associated with prizes

  • Gift cards and workshop credits are subject to the terms and expiration dates set by the provider; no extensions or replacements will be offered for expired gift cards or credits
  • Winners will be announced publicly and notified via the email address provided at entry. If a winner does not respond within 3 days, the prize may be forfeited.

Use of Images

  • Entrants retain full copyright to their images

  • By entering, you grant Women’s Photography Circle a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use submitted images for:

    • Contest promotion

    • Educational purposes

    • Website, social media, and marketing related to the contest

  • Photographer credit will always be given when images are used

Contest Modifications

Women’s Photography Circle reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the contest if circumstances beyond our control affect the fairness, integrity, or proper administration of the contest.

Disqualification

Entries may be disqualified if they:

  • Contain watermarks, logos, or signatures

  • Use AI-generated or heavily AI-manipulated content

  • Violate wildlife ethics or applicable laws

  • Infringe on copyright or intellectual property rights

  • Fail to follow submission guidelines

Agreement

By submitting an entry, participants agree to:

  • These official rules

  • The decisions of the judges

  • Release Women’s Photography Circle from any liability related to participation in the contest