One annual cycle. Six categories. Judged by working photographers who know what great work actually looks like.
Each category is judged independently by specialists in that field. A winner in Automotive is never compared to a winner in Portrait — different crafts, different criteria.
Cars, motorcycles, and vehicles. Static, dynamic, detail — any approach. The work must communicate the machine's character.
Single subject or environmental portraiture. The relationship between photographer and subject must be visible in the frame.
Natural or urban environments. Patience and timing over spectacle. The image must work as a standalone piece.
A single image that tells a complete story. Context matters. The moment must be real — no reconstruction.
Work produced for a client. Product, brand, or campaign. Judged on creative execution within the brief's constraints.
Open to photographers with fewer than 3 years of professional work. The most important category — it's where careers start.
Entries accepted online. Up to 5 images per category. JPEG at 3000px minimum on the long edge.
Technical quality and eligibility check. Entries that don't meet the minimum standard are returned with feedback.
Qualifying entries go to a panel of 3 judges per category. Scoring is blind — no names, no profiles.
Top 10 in each category are published on the IPC website. Finalists are notified directly.
Winners announced at the annual IPC ceremony. Gold, Silver, and Bronze awarded. All finalists receive a certificate.
Read this before submitting. We review thousands of images — clean, correctly-formatted entries get a fair review.
Send your entry details and image files via email. Include your IPC membership number if you're a member — entries are free for members.