Authenticity 2.0: Submit Images to the Depositphotos Photography Contest Today
This summer, Depositphotos is launching their first photography contest! The theme of the contest is Authenticity 2.0, which explores what authenticity means to photographers as they document candid moments in their everyday life. We’re looking to support independent professionals around the world in their artistic pursuits and can’t wait to see your submissions.
The contest will run on Instagram until the 31 of August. We ask that you fill out a form to confirm your participation and include the required tag and hashtag for up to 5 image submissions. Below you will find all the rules for participating and submitting images, the form you must fill out, the contest deadline, information on the judges, and our prizes.
Do you already have a particular photo in mind? Share your vision of what authenticity is and get a chance to win a mirrorless camera. Whether you’re an amateur or a professional photographer, let’s celebrate candid moments in everyday life together.
Here’s everything you need to know about the theme, deadline, rules, judges, and prizes of the Depositphotos contest
Contest theme: Authenticity 2.0
We are looking to define authenticity through visuals of candid moments in everyday life. Participants explore the notion of authenticity through the eyes of a photographer, showcasing their own signature style or aesthetic. The contest has no categories, just a central theme that focuses on authentic photography.
Here’s an inspiring photo collection that will help you get a better understanding of the contest theme.
The inspiration behind our theme
Just a couple of months ago, when making plans for the upcoming year, who could ever think that our lives would change so drastically? Our calendars were booked with meetings, work trips, and just great ideas of how to spend a weekend or a holiday. However, we had to adjust to a different agenda. This summer, we all were meant to ditch the hustle-culture and opt for slow living. We had to come back to the understanding of what real life means indeed. And it is exactly what you make of it.
Funny or sad, calm or fast-paced—life is different and unique for each and every one of us. It consists of candid moments that make our everyday lives authentic. These events, both small and big, often stay with us forever. They become valuable memories and important parts of our digital archives. Have you been exploring those moments in the past few months? We’d love to see your past or new submissions and your thoughts on what authenticity means to you as a photographer.
The Depositphotos contest deadline
The photography contest will be open for participation until the end of summer. The deadline to submit your works is August 31 inclusive.
Who can enter the contest
Independent photographers of all levels and areas of expertise (both professionals and amateurs) are welcome to participate in the Depositphotos contest. Participation in the competition is completely free.
The images you’re submitting can be taken with any device, both a camera and a smartphone.
How to submit photos to the contest
1. Subscribe to @depositphotos_contest on Instagram
2. Tag your image submissions on Instagram with @depositphotos_contest and add the hashtag #authenticity_is in the captions of your post
3. Include a short description of your image submission as a continuation of the hashtag #authenticity_is
4. Have a public account so we could see your submissions in the feed with the contest tag
5. Fill out a form to confirm your participation
When you’ll be submitting the images, make sure you don’t miss any point in this checklist.
Quick access to the form
To enter the Depositphotos contest you also need to fill in a form, providing your contact details (name, surname, your email address) and links to the images you’re submitting. Once you’ve posted and tagged your images on Instagram, you can quickly access the form here.
How many photos can be submitted per entrant
One contest entrant can submit no more than 5 photos. The form includes 5 slots for 5 image uploads. If you don’t submit 5 images at once, you can fill out the form again if you choose to submit the remaining images at a later date.
Requirements
As we welcome both professional and amateur photographers to participate in the Depositphotos contest, the requirements are quite simple:
- You can take images with any device, both a camera and a smartphone.
- All photos must be original work taken by the entrants.
- The photos you’re submitting should not be published previously anywhere except for your Instagram account.
- Entries will not be accepted unless submitted via the official contest channel on Instagram with the proper tag and hashtag.
- Minimal post-production is allowed. You can do basic photo editing such as contrast, exposure, and brightness adjustments. The photos should not be drastically altered or retouched with desktop apps like Photoshop. No added text is allowed as well.
- Submissions will not be accepted once the deadline lapses.
Full details on the rules of participation are here.
Judging criteria for the Depositphotos Contest
- Adherence to theme
- Uniqueness of concept
- Creative composition and framing
- Technical excellence/execution
- Overall artistic impression
Judges of the Depositphotos contest
The five judges of the Depositphotos contest are international award-winning photographers.
1. Daro Sulakauri, @darosulakauri
Daro Sulakauri is a photo journalist based in Tbilisi, Georgia, who chronicles the social and political issues in Caucasus. She documented a hidden narrative of the Chechen conflict in an outpost of refugees which she won Young Photographers in Caucasus award from Magnum Photos in 2009. Her works were awarded by the John and Mary Phillips Scholarship and ICP Director’s Fund, LensCulture, EU prize for journalism, and Human Right House in London. Daro is listed as 30 under 30 Women Photographers and PDN’s 30 emerging photographers to watch.
Daro’s works have been exhibited worldwide and can be seen in publications such as National Geographic (USA), New York Times, GEO Magazine, Der Spiegel, Forbes, Mother Jones, Sunday Times, New York Times Lens, The Economist, Bloomberg, MSF (Doctors Without Borders) and die Zeit, and other international online and print publications.
2. Kate Kondratieva, @kate_kondratieva
Kate Kondratieva is a portrait photographer. Her portfolio showcases 7 years of professional experience and includes photoshoots with many Ukrainian and Russian publications, as well as for commercial and private projects. Most often, in the lens of her camera are people of creative professions such as artists, musicians, actors, directors.
Kate was one of the photographers who came up with the idea to hold photoshoots online on FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Zoom and tell stories of people from different corners of the world. With her recent project, Kate proved that art has no borders, and the world’s leading media such as Reuters and The New York Times supported the brilliant idea.
3. Rosa Roth, @thesmartview
Rosa Roth is a founder and editor of The Smart View, an independent magazine for mobile photography. After being trained as a graphic designer she studied Fine Art Photography at the University of Fine Arts in Hamburg, Germany, where she concentrated her final years of study on researching in the field of mobile photography. In 2014, she founded The Smart View as part of her thesis. The award-winning magazine got worldwide attention and has been mentioned several times under the top 10 of international independent magazines.
4. Eldar Khamitov, @eldalieee
Eldar Khamitov (aka Eldalieee) is an American street photographer based in New York City. Focus of Eldar’s work is narrative through candid images of people in the streets of New York City and all over the world. His primary goal is to capture the mood of each scene or character and create a story that has a timeless quality.
Eldar is a founder of a Timeless Streets Collective of international photographers that features the best work of fellow artists through social media thus connecting talents around the world. His inspirations in photography are Vivian Maier, Harry Gruyaert, Diane Arbus, and Danny Lyon.
5. Mikael Theimer, @mikaeltheimer
Born in Paris, Mikaël Theimer is a photographer in a quest for purpose, humanity, and freedom. Inspired by the popular blog Humans of New York, he co-created Portraits of Montreal, a Facebook page that quickly reached 70 000 likes, and was turned into a book in 2017. Next year, Mikaël published his first independent book, Montréal Safari, a collection of 1500 photos depicting Montreal’s vibrant life. In 2019, the Place des Arts produced and showcased his exhibit Bodies and Souls, at the margins of performing arts. In 2020, during the Covid-19 lockdown, he shot a series of portraits in 30 countries around the world, using video call platforms.
Mikaël regularly works with non-profits, of which some projects led him to Haïti and Cuba, and to Ghana, Togo, and Burkina Faso. He also lends his eyes to Montreal’s cultural organizations such as the Museum of Fine Art, the Place des Arts and the National Archives and Library.
Depositphotos Contest Prizes
The prizes for the Depositphotos contest winners are three mirrorless cameras to invest into the future creative pursuits of photographers. Cameras are just a tool for your art but they could be the stepping stone to your next project or simply a great way to explore the world through a new lens.
*Pictures shown are for illustration purpose only and are not intended to provide specific colours, shades, design or be an exact representation of the prize.
Other perks for our contest winners are:
- International exposure through Depositphotos social media accounts
- Features in the Depositphotos blog
- Personalized certificates will be available for download
When and how the winners will be announced
For the duration of the contest, we will be selecting images from runner-ups and will post them on our Instagram feed. In September, the judging rounds will take place. The final winners will be announced on the contest Instagram account on October 1, 2020.
The contest is already open for entries. Participate today and get a chance to win a mirrorless camera for your future projects.
If you have any questions about the contest please message us on Instagram.
![Final Runners Up to the Depositphotos Photography Contest [Week 7 and 8]](https://depositphotos-blog.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/2020/09/Final-Runners-Up-to-the-Depositphotos-Photography-Contest-Week-7-and-8-scaled.jpg)
