…For Nikon, with our pledge to be “at the heart of the image”, this is a great opportunity to champion new forms of image making, adapting to and embracing these exciting changes in the way people express their passions and beliefs through imagery…
This year for the first time, all categories in photography and video will accept entries from any digital device, including smartphones. The video category will broaden its accepted length to six to 180 seconds, and will have an independent set of judges….
We believe in the power of the image to tell stories that can’t be told any other way. The Nikon Photo Contest is a celebration of that belief and an invitation to you to share your story with the world. As our contest continues to broaden, we would be honored to have you take part.
Nikon Corporation
President and Representative Director
Kazuo Ushida
http://www.nikon-photocontest.com/en/message/
Eligibility: The contest is open to all, professional and amateur, regardless of age, sex or nationality.
- Entrants under 18 years of age require the permission of a parent or guardian.
- By entering the contest, entrants under 18 years of age indicate that they have obtained the permission of a parent or guardian.
Awards and Prizes
Grand Prize
- One prize will be awarded in each of the photography and video categories.
- Each winner will receive a trophy, an award certificate, and Nikon products equivalent to 1,000,000 yen (9193.1200 US Dollar at the current exchanges rate), 500,000 yen (4587.6200 US Dollar at the current exchange rate) in cash and the opportunity to show his or her portfolio on the Nikon Photo Contest Website.*1
- The Grand Prize will be selected separately from the 1st place prize in each category.
1st place
- 1 award per category.
- The winners will receive a trophy, an award certificate, and Nikon products equivalent to 500,000 yen (4587.6200 US Dollar at the current exchange rate) and the opportunity to show their portfolios on the Nikon Photo Contest Website.*1
2nd place
- 5 awards per category.
- The winners will receive a trophy, an award certificate, and Nikon products equivalent to 200,000 yen (1840.2660 US Dollar at the current exchange rate).
3rd place
- 10 awards per category.
- The winners will receive a trophy, an award certificate, and Nikon products equivalent to 100,000 yen (920.3830 US Dollar at the current exchange rate).
Participants Award for Most Popular Entry
- 1 award.
- The winner will receive a trophy, an award certificate, and 500,000 yen (4587.6200 US Dollar at the current exchange rate).
Generation N
- For the most promising entrants under age 19 with a fresh take on the world.
- 10 awards*2. A new ‘Generation N’ Award will be presented to 10 chosen entrants aged 19 and under across all categories.
- The winners will receive an award certificate and Nikon products equivalent to 300,000 yen (2761.1490 US Dollar at the current exchange rate).
Note: Prizes are subject to change without notice and cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash.
*1 The winners of the Grand Prize and 1st place prize for each category will have an opportunity to exhibit additional work on the awards website. Winners are requested to submit, free of charge, a selection of other works for which they hold the copyright. Prizes will not be revoked if winners decline to exhibit additional work.
Winners will be contacted directly with additional details regarding the prizes.
*2 Entrants under age 19 (at the time of submission during 2014/09/15-12/15) will be eligible for this award from all categories. Winners will be requested to submit official confirmation of their date of birth. In the event that such documentation is not provided, winning status will be revoked.
Additional prizes to be awarded by Nikon Photo Contest 2014-2015 collaborating partners
- Dell Graphic Pro Award (Dell Japan Inc.)
1st-place winners in the video category (“Home” theme, open theme): Dell Graphic Pro (¥150,000 value [1380.7905 US Dollar at the current exchange rate]). Winners who reside outside of Japan will instead receive an equivalent cash award. - Western Digital Technologies Award (Western Digital Technologies, Inc.)
Grand Prize winner: a My Cloud EX 4 (24 TB model) with four 6 TB WD Red drives
1st-place winners in photography and video categories: a My Cloud EX 2 (8 TB model) with two 4 TB WD Red drives
2nd-place winners in photography and video categories: a 1 TB My Passport hard drive
3rd-place winners in photography and video categories: a WD TV media player hard drive
-
*Prizes to be awarded are subject to change without notice.
Entry Categories
Entrants can submit to both photography and video categories (maximum submission is 10 pieces of work in photography and 1 video).
- The number of categories you submit to is not limited, up to the number of work noted above.
- Entry is free of charge. Entrants are however expected to pay Internet connection fees and other costs associated with submitting their entries.
Photography
Category A: Theme “HOME,” single photo
Category B: Theme “HOME,” photo story (two to five images that present the theme)
Category C: Open theme, single photo
Category D: Open theme, photo story (two to five images)
Video
Category E: Theme “HOME,” 6 to 180 seconds in length
Category F: Open theme, 6 to 180 seconds in length
About the theme “HOME”
“Home. It’s a place. It’s a feeling. It’s where and how you live. It’s what you value, no matter where you are. We at Nikon recognize that home is at the heart of everything. This year’s contest asks you to show us what home means to you.“
You can also enter from your smartphone by downloading our submission app for android and iOS.
This year’s contest will be judged by a globally diverse panel of 17 judges, representing prominent current photographers, film directors, creative directors and imaging experts.
- They will be responsible for selecting 96 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from each category in addition to the overall Grand Prize.
After the first round of judging, all entries will be posted on the Nikon Photo Contest 2014-2015 website http://www.nikon-photocontest.com (planned timing: January, 2015).
- Awards will be decided after second round (February), and final round (April) of judging.
- Contest results are scheduled to be announced on the Nikon Photo Contest 2014-2015 website by end of June 2015.
Everyone who has entered the contest has a right to vote for the “Participants Award for Most Popular Entry.”
- All work that has passed the second round of judging will be subject to voting.
- Voting is scheduled to be in April 2015.
- Details will be announced on the contest website http://www.nikon-photocontest.com .
Entrants shall not make any claims regarding prints of their works produced for photo exhibitions.
Entrants shall bear all costs incurred by entering the contest. Winners are responsible for the payment of any taxes or fees levied on the prizes.
Although entrants retain the copyright and other equivalent rights to their entries, the organizer retains the rights listed below under “Organizer’s Rights.”
Organizer’s Rights
- The organizer reserves the right to publish entries to its public social networking service accounts throughout the submission period in order to publicize the contest. Such publication does not guarantee an award of any kind.
- The organizer reserves the right to publish all entries onto its website and social networking service accounts after the first round of judging. Some entries may be cropped for publication.
- With the objective of publicizing the contest, the organizer reserves in perpetuity the non-exclusive right to publish, reproduce, make public, display, print, distribute and screen winning entries on websites and public social networking service accounts, in photo exhibitions, and in facilities managed by the organizer, its affiliates, and overseas subsidiaries without further compensation to or the additional prior consent of the entries’ creators.
- The organizer will display the names of the winners and the titles of the winning entries on its websites and public social networking service accounts, at photo exhibitions, and in other locations where the works are shown. Entrants are requested to familiarize themselves with the contest privacy policy, which is to be found on this site.
- With the objective of accomplishing the goals outlined in the foregoing clause, the organizer may (a) display the winning entries in whole or in part on websites or public social networking service accounts under its administration, with or without the addition of graphical effects, sound effects or music and (b) employ the winning entries in whole or in part in the creation of posters, tickets and pamphlets promoting photo exhibitions and other events. The winners agree not to exercise rights to works so used.
- Upon agreement with the creator, the organizer reserves in perpetuity the non-exclusive right to publish, reproduce, make public, display, print, distribute and screen winning entries with labels identifying them as winners of the Nikon Photo Contest, without further compensation.
- The terms and conditions of entry shall be construed in accordance with the laws of Japan.
- Any disputes between entrants and the organizer shall be referred to the Tokyo District Court.
For further questions regarding the Nikon Photo Contest or this website, please contact the Nikon Photo Contest 2014–2015 Support Center at support@entry.nikon-photocontest.com .
The contest closes at 1:00 p.m. Japan standard time on 2014/12/15.
Good Luck!
PRESS RELEASE
15/09/14 – Amsterdam | The Netherlands
Nikon Photo Contest 2014-2015 Open for Entries
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 15 September 2014 – Nikon Europe is calling on aspirational photographers to once again share their passion and enter their work in the 35th annual Nikon Photo Contest. For the first time, all award categories in photography and video will accept entries from any digital device, including smart devices. Entries this year will be open to professional and amateur photographers of all backgrounds from September 15th until December 15th 2014.
Held annually since 1969, the prestigious Nikon Photo Contest (NPC) provides photographers with the opportunity to communicate and enrich global photographic culture for professionals and amateurs alike. Last year’s contest saw a record 99,339 entries from 153 countries around the world, and showcased everything from evocative landscapes to quirky portraiture.
Four new challenges have been added to the 2014-2015 contest:
• A new additional ‘Home’ theme has been introduced across all photography and video categories, open to the unique interpretation of each entrant depending on their personal understanding of the concept of ‘Home’
• Entries captured by any digital imaging device (including smart devices and camcorders) will now be accepted in each photography and video category
• Video entries between 6-180 seconds long will now be accepted in the video categories, in recognition of the hugely expressive and creative entries in this area
• A new ‘Generation N’ Award will be presented to 10 chosen entrants aged 19 and under across all categories
This year’s contest will be judged by a globally diverse panel of 17 judges, representing prominent current photographers, film directors, creative directors and imaging experts. They will be responsible for selecting 96 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from each category in addition to the overall Grand Prize.
The overall winner of the Grand Prize in the Photograph and Video categories will receive a trophy, a certificate for Nikon products valued at ¥1,000,000 and a ¥500,000 cash prize. First place winners in each themed category will receive a trophy, certificate and Nikon products valued at ¥500,000 in cash. For details of prizes for all categories, please visit www.nikon-photocontest.com/en/.
Winners will be announced in June 2015, with an exhibition of the winning entries to follow.
Takami Tsuchida, President, Nikon Europe, comments: “Each year, the Nikon Photo Contest judging panel is astounded and inspired by the hugely diverse range of entries from photographers around the world. It is very much about celebrating photography and the passion people have for this art, which is why we are opening it up to everyone. Together with our collaborating partner, Western Digital Technology, we’re calling on photographers to start thinking about what they could enter with this year, and are very much looking forward to seeing all the submissions.”
Chief judges announced
Stephen Mayes and John C Jay, both world-renowned creative directors with great and varied experience, have been invited to act as chief judges in the photography and video categories.
Stephen Mayes, who will serve as chief judge for the photography category, is currently Executive Director of the Tim Hetherington Trust¹. He has managed the work and careers of top-level photographers and artists in areas as diverse as art, fashion, photojournalism, and commercial photography for over 25 years.
In addition to serving as Secretary to the World Press Photo competition from 2004 to 2012, he has written successful business plans and reshaped operations for a number of imaging companies around the world. John C Jay, who will serve as chief judge for the video category, plays an active role as President and Executive Creative Director of a strategic and creative consultancy developing new companies, products, and services.
He has been named one of the Top Ten Most Influential Art Directors in the Past 50 Years by readers of Graphic Design USA, and he has been inducted into the prestigious Art Directors Club of New York’s² Hall of Fame.
¹Tim Hetherington was a British photojournalist. His work focused on the documentation of conflict, and one of his photos was selected as the World Press Photo of the Year in 2007. The Tim Hetherington Trust exists to preserve the legacy of Hetherington’s professional life, including the safe archiving of all physical materials, and the management of the intellectual and artistic use of his work.
²The oldest organization for art directors in the world (headquartered in New York, the ADC was founded in 1920). The Art Directors Club of New York recognizes excellence in art direction in fields such as advertising and graphic design with their international ADC Annual Awards.
For further information on the Nikon Photo Contest, categories and entry requirements please visit www.nikon-photocontest.com/en/ .
