Terms & Conditions

We, 5 Media, are organising the “Sustainability Champions Photo Contest”. This contest is about celebrating champions of sustainability: those who are helping to protect the planet by leading, educating, innovating, driving forward solutions to environmental challenges or inspiring others.

To participate in the contest, all you need to do is take a great portrait of your chosen champion, and tell us what makes them a Sustainability Champion.

There are 2 categories you may participate in; the Jury Category and the Community Category. Please see below for the prizes under each category.

The contest will run from April 6th to June 20th:

Entries open on April 6th.
Entries close on May 3rd.
Finalists announced on May 24th.
Winners announced on June 20th.

Prizes

The Jury Prize winner will receive:

A cash prize of € 2.500*
A profile interview featuring the winning portrait, distributed on our website and across our digital channels
A feature in the next publication of international print magazine, Let’s Explore Mag
The opportunity to be a jury member for our next photo contest
The opportunity to pitch for a commissioned article
A 1:1 coaching session / portfolio review from one of our jury members

The Community Prize winner will receive:

A cash prize of € 2.500*
A profile interview featuring the winning portrait, distributed on our website and across our digital channels
A feature in the next publication of international print magazine, Let’s Explore Mag
The opportunity to host a takeover of 5’s Instagram account, sharing behind the scenes of the shoot that produced the winning entry, answering questions about life as a photographer or another topic you would like to share with our community
A 1:1 coaching session / portfolio review from one of our jury members

*Please note that the cash prize may be subject to local tax, depending on the recipients’ country rules and regulations.

Age Requirements and Consent

Free to enter and open to everyone
For anyone under the age of 18, parental / guardian consent must be obtained
All relevant subject consent must have been obtained for the use of the photographs for publication by 5 Media on fivemedia.com, the 5 Media newsletter and social media channels

Entry Criteria

All submitted photographs must have been taken by the person submitting the portrait to the contest
The photograph must be a portrait of an individual/single person. ‘Portrait’ may be interpreted in its widest sense, of ‘photography concerned with portraying people with an emphasis on their identity as individuals’
All photographs must have been taken by the entrant between 1st January 2018 and the closing date of the contest. Photographers must, if required, show proof of the date on which the photograph was taken
Photographs can be submitted in black, white or colour
Images can be shot using any camera model (film or digital) or electronic device, and images may be portrait, landscape or square in format
The entry must feature one portrait and a portrait can only be entered once
Multiple entries of different portraits are accepted
The portrait caption should include the name of your chosen champion and what makes them a Sustainability Champion
All captions must be written in English
All entries must be in line with Instagram’s Community Guidelines

Contest Process

The Jury Prize process takes place as below:

The Visual Director of 5 Media will select the Jury Prize shortlist from all the entries
The Jury Prize shortlist will be presented to the jury members
The jury members will collectively select five portraits as finalists for the Jury Prize. The finalists will be announced and displayed on the 5 Media website.
The jury members will collectively select the winner of the Jury Prize.
The winner of the Jury Prize will be contacted directly and displayed on the 5 Media website.

The Community Prize process takes place as below:

The Visual Director of 5 Media will select the Community Prize shortlist from all the entries
10 shortlisted entries will be displayed on the 5 Media website, for the community to vote for the finalists. The 5 entries with the highest votes will be announced as the finalists
The 5 finalist entries will be displayed on the 5 Media website, for the community to vote for the winner
The Community Prize entry with the highest number of votes will be announced as the winner. The winner will be contacted directly and displayed on the 5 Media website.

Criteria for Prizes

The shortlist and winners for both the Jury & Community Prize will be chosen based on this criteria:

1. Impact
This is the sense the viewer gets the first time they see the photo, best summed up as “I wish I’d taken that picture.” Compelling images evoke laughter, sadness, anger, pride, wonder, or some other intense emotion. Does the photo have inspirational power? Does it surprise or touch the viewer?

2. Technique
This covers composition, lighting, focus, colour balance. Does the image stand out? Is it skillfully executed? Sharpness, exposure, processing and correct colour are some of the aspects that speak to the quality of the image. These elements should come together to create an effective image.

3. Subject
The image shows a true sustainability champion and is backed by a compelling story. The image conveys something about the person, such as a feel for their character, their work or their story.

Intellectual Property Rights

All rights for submissions will remain with the photographer, the licensee and/or copyright owner/s.
Each entrant will be deemed to warrant that they own the entire copyright for the work or that they have permission from the licensee and/or copyright owner/s for the uses.
The photographer or their representatives agree that the photographs submitted may be exhibited digitally as part of the 5 Sustainability Champions Photo Contest online exhibition.
The photographer or their representatives agree unconditionally that 5 Media may publish any submitted photographs for the purposes of marketing and promotion in direct connection with the Sustainability Champions Photo Contest on fivemedia.com, the 5 Media newsletter and social media. The submitted photographs will not be used for any commercial purposes.
To be shortlisted, you will be asked to complete a short form and explicitly consent to these terms of the contest. The form will be sent to you via Instagram Direct Message, if your portrait is chosen for the shortlist by 5 Media’s Visual Director.