13 Nov 8th CYCLOPS Photography Competition
The Non-Profit Organization CYCLOPS, based in Drama, whose founding objectives include the promotion of photographic art, calls for a photography competition focused on the theme “The Stone”.
The 8th CYCLOPS NPO Photography Competition focuses on “the stone” as its main theme, since it is a fundamental element of the planet’s natural environment, as well as an element of intangible cultural heritage, closely linked to many human activities. It is highlighted that stones were even objects of worship in ancient times. Yet natural elements such as stones and rocks are often overlooked and ignored.
This year’s version of the competition welcomes photographers of all levels to embark on a creative journey from now until the end of July 2025. The theme is deliberately abstract, in line with the objectives of the CYCLOPS Photography and Image Committee, as we believe that abstract themes allow for flexibility in approach and wider creativity. The primary source of inspiration for the theme is the Greek landscape—though not exclusively—with its magnificent mountains and the sea. From wild, rocky natural sites where stone reigns supreme, to an Aegean cliff, to polished pebbles, to the beauty of a lichen-covered rock or the water-sculpted stones of mountain streams, and even to traditional works of art crafted by human hands, this year’s theme offers abundant opportunities for creative interpretation.
The stone, as an element of planet earth, with its variety of geometric shapes, colors, textures, sizes, and natural formations, can be approached at any hour of the day or night, whether in its aquatic or terrestrial setting. The whole Greece, from north to south, and across all its islands, offers a vast field for photography and creation. From small to monumental formations, any of them can serve as inspiration for the competition’s theme. The list is endless. Set your creativity free and enjoy the process. Step outside and explore!
General Terms of Participation
Participation in the competition is free of charge and open to all individuals who have reached the age of 18. Excluded from participation are members of the Board of Directors and the Committees of the CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization, the Organizing and the Jury Committees, as well as their first-degree relatives.
Participation in the competition automatically entails the unconditional acceptance by the contestants of all the terms of the call, and any failure to comply strictly with these terms shall constitute grounds for exclusion.
Photographers must be the original creators of the photographic material submitted upon their entry to the competition
Special Terms of Participation
Each participant may submit up to three (3) photos to the competition. The photos must be original and taken after the call date of the competition (14.09.2024), and up to the results announcement,they must not have been published in any electronic or print media, nor submitted to any other photography competition. Entries must be submitted digitally. Submissions will be accepted until July 31, 2025, and three monetary prizes will be awarded.
Each participant’s photos must be submitted in digital form (.jpg format) within a folder bearing the participant’s full name. The folder must be sent digitally by email to: [email protected] no later than Thursday, 31 July 2025. Upon submission of the photos to the above email address, the participant will receive confirmation for the receipt and valid entry. This confirmation message by the Organizing Committee is not linked to the automatic confirmation of receipt that you may receive when using online applications providing services for the transfer of large files quickly and free of charge.
Each participant is required to submit, apart from the photographs, an accompanying Word file containing:
- the participant’s full name and father’s name
- contact details (telephone number, address, email)
- the title or a caption of the photograph (optional)
The file name of each photo must bear the participant’s name in Greek characters with correct accentuation (i.e.Μαρία_Σαρήογλου).
Photos may be in color or black and white, with a resolution in which the larger dimension of the image is at least 3,000 pixels, while the smaller dimension must be proportional.
Minor editing is permitted in terms of brightness and contrast, conversion of a color photograph to black and white, cropping of the original, and, in general, all adjustments that could equivalently be made in the darkroom.
Editing(in composition), merging of photographs, addition of digital frames and signatures (watermarks), removal or addition of features to the image, partial desaturation (of a section or feature of the image), and any form of local editing are not permitted. Failure to comply with the above shall constitute grounds for exclusion. All submitted photographs will be presented digitally on the website of the CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization.
Criteria and Evaluation
The submitted photographs will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
- Relevance to the theme
- Composition
- Genuity
- Use of color
- Artistic quality
The Secretariat of the CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization is authorized to receive the entries on behalf of the Jury Committee and guarantees the integrity of the competition. The photographs are forwarded to the Jury Committee bearing their registration number, without any reference to the participant’s name.
In the event that more than one photograph by the same creator is selected for an award, only the one with the highest score will be chosen. Only one photograph per participating photographer may receive an award.
Jury Committee
The three photographs that receive the highest scores from the Jury Committee will be announced and awarded by the CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization in a special ceremony to be held in September 2025, during which the winners will receive their monetary prizes.
The CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization will reward the creators of the three photographs that receive the highest scores with three separate monetary prizes, which will be:
- 1st prize: €3.000
- 2nd prize: €2.000
- 3rdprize: €1.000
Intellectual Property Rights and Personal Data
By submitting an entry, the participant expressly declares and accepts that:
- He/She is the creator and holder of intellectual property rights of the photographic material. The photographs must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of third parties.
- In the event of ambiguity or dispute regarding the intellectual property rights of the photographic material, the CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization reserves the right to request the winners to provide the original file of the photograph, or any other evidence it deems necessary, in order to establish ownership of the photograph, should an issue be raised by another participant or a third party regarding the ownership of a photograph. If the requested material is not provided, CYCLOPS undertakes to delete the photograph without incurring any liability for it, and the dispute shall then be settled between the interested parties. If photographs belonging to third parties are published or used in violation of copyright law, the responsibility lies solely with the participant. It is expressly stated that the members of the CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization or any entity representing it or the organizers of the exhibition shall bear no responsibility whatsoever.
- Entries will not be accepted if: they include content protected by copyright; depict or promote illegal activities as acceptable; are derogatory toward members of a particular race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion, or incite hatred against specific social groups; are offensive, intimidating, or insulting to other individuals; depict animal abuse; contain excessive use of obscene language; disclose private information in any way; are pornographic; depict violence; include weapons; promote the unlawful use of drugs; portray any company in a negative manner; contain personal or commercial consultations or advertisements; include material from television or radio broadcasts; or contain sensitive information concerning an individual’s mental or physical health.
- The photographs must not violate any provisions of the law, nor may they be offensive, immoral in content, or irrelevant to the designated theme.
- For any depicted and identifiable individual, consent must have been granted by the persons portrayed to the photographer, who shall bear sole responsibility. If a photograph includes a person under the age of 18, the parent or guardian must provide written consent for the publication of the photograph. Please follow this link (cyclops-amke.gr) under the section “Photography Competitions” to download a blank parental consent form, which must accompany the file of the corresponding photograph. An email from the parent/guardian including the subject of the photograph and the consent text included in the parental consent form is also acceptable.
- He/ She grants to the CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization the right to use (publish, exhibit, print) their photographs for any purpose other than commercial exploitation, provided that the publication of the photographs by CYCLOPS, in print or electronic form and on any media (CYCLOPS website, social media, newsletters, presentations), will be accompanied by the mention of the photographer’s name. He/ She also accepts that the caption accompanying the photograph may be subject to editorial or syntactic modification, and finally
- He/Sheaccepts the printing of the photographs (at no personal cost) and their exhibition to the public on one or more occasions.
CYCLOPS Non-Profit Organization reserves the right, at any time, to revoke the competition, extend it, or modify its dates, without the participants having any claim arising due to this reason. Submission of an entry to the competition constitutes unconditional and automatic acceptance of all the terms set forth herein.
End of the Competition
The official deadline for the submission of entries is Thursday, 31 July 2025.
Entries [in digital form (.jpg)] may be submitted until July 31, 2025 by email to: [email protected]
The winners will be notified by email by August 31, 2025.
Information
For any relevant information, you may contact the Organizing Committee of the Competition via the following email address:
bearing the subject line: To the Organizing Committee of the 8th Photography Competition.