The copyrights to all images and projects are held by their respective owners. cpoy.org publishes these images with the photographer’s permission. Any other usage must be approved by the photographer.
A picture of a scheduled political, social or cultural event for which advance planning was possible. Examples: demonstrations, staged promotional or political events and other daily news.
Robert Gourley - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A candid picture of a "found situation" containing strong human interest, a fresh view of the ordinary or humor. In all cases the dignity of the subject must be respected.
Alex Kormann - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A sports-related picture with strong human interest or pictorial quality that celebrates the role athletics play in the lives of athletes and fans. Examples: The joy of victory or agony of defeat, fan reaction and interaction, athlete portraits.
A picture that showcases a photographer's distinctive perspective on the world. May express beauty, tension, harmony, chaos and other abstract concepts through composition, tonal and color relationships or may be an abstraction or non-traditional photograph. This category is open to images created with the use of software capture filters (such as those used by Hipstamatic, CameraBag or Instagram) or non-traditional analog processes and equipment, but not to digital alteration of content through the use of post capture editing software.
A food, product, still life, fashion or concept picture demonstrating tight control of lighting, esthetics and purpose. Each entry must have a title. Digital alteration through post capture editing software or software capture filters is allowable in this category.
A photographic essay, story or series that showcases a photographer's distinctive perspective on the world and in which that vision creates cohesion and voice in the multiple image presentation. This category is open to images created with the use of software capture filters (such as those utilized by Hipstamatic and Instagram) or non-traditional analog processes and equipment. However, it is NOT open to the digital alteration of content through the use of post capture editing software (12 photos maximum per entry).
A narrative picture story or thematic essay photographed in your home country that either reports on significant events, celebrates life, portrays sport or explores environmental, social, economic or political topics. 8 photos maximum per story.
Jan Helge Petri - University of Applied Sciences and Arts Hannover
A narrative picture story or thematic essay photographed in a foreign country that reports on significant events, celebrates life, portrays sport or explores environmental, social, economic or political topics. 8 photos maximum per story.
A long-form photographic essay or extended narrative story which portrays important contemporary concerns or social issues. To encourage long-term projects, images from previous year's work may be included, provided none of them have previously won a CPOY award. At least half of the photographs in the entry must have been taken between =date('F j, Y',strtotime(DOCUMENTARYSTART))?> and =DATE('F j, Y',strtotime(DOCUMENTARYEND))?>. 12 photos maximum per entry.
A body of work that showcases a photographer's vision and demonstrates versatility, expertise and depth. Minimum Requirements: Must include at least one entry from a multiple picture category (9-12) and entries from at least two other still image categories (1- 12). 50 images maximum. Multimedia stories (15-18) may not be included.
A website or collection of stories utilizing multiple mediums (still photography, video, audio, etc.). This category is open to work produced in a class or workshop setting with input and supervision by faculty or collaboration with other students, but outside professional help is not allowed. Judges will evaluate projects based on the strength of individual story components, editing, user interface, and overall effectiveness.
Marie Bentzon, Laura Bisgaard Krogh, and Olivia Loftlund
A single standalone story or essay created by a group of students, which uses more than one form of reporting (still image, video, audio) and where the media choice and its utilization enrich and enhance the understanding of the subject. No more than one story per entry. This category is for groups of 2 to 5 students, and all photography, audio, video and multimedia production must be solely the work of eligible students. May be a single component of category 15, Online Multimedia Storytelling, but it may not be entered in any other category. Each entry should have a short run time (flexible up to about 8 minutes).
A single standalone story or essay created by one student, which uses more than one form of reporting (still image, video, audio) and where the media choice and its utilization enrich and enhance the understanding of the subject. No more than one story per entry. All photography, audio, video and multimedia production must be the work of a single student. May be a single component of category 15, Online Multimedia Storytelling, but it may not be entered in any other category. Each entry should have a short run time (flexible up to about 8 minutes).
A single, short documentary film with extended run time of roughly 8 to 30 minutes that uses more than one form of reporting (still image, video, audio) in pursuit of enriching and enhancing the understanding of the subject. This is not open to a collection of stories or multi-chaptered websites. Documentary storytelling is grounded in truth, and docu-dramas, re-enactments, or television news reports are not allowed. This category is open to individuals or to groups of up to 5 students, but the content, production, and presentation must be done without the input or guidance of outside professionals. May be a single component of category 15, Online Multimedia Storytelling, but it may not be entered in any other category.