The Contest is open to any individual who is an amateur or professional photographer or an artist creating digital images, , eighteen (18) years of age or older, regardless of where they reside or are domiciled. Excluded from the Contest are Judges currently serving in the contest, employees, agents and representatives of the Organizer, companies affiliated with the Organizer, suppliers of prizes, services or materials related to the Contest.

• Open to professional and amateur photographers
• 18 years old and older
• Territory: Worldwide
• Regular fee: $ 25 USD/single photo

Entry fees. In order to participate in the Contest, the Participant must pay an entry fee of $25USD / image. The entry fee is in US currency and is non-refundable. The entry fee indicated above is the one in effect for the 2026 edition of the Contest. The Organizer reserves the right to increase the entry fee for any subsequent edition of the Contest.

Payment methods. Accepted payment methods are credit card (Visa or Mastercard) or PayPal. The Participant agrees that the Organizer may use third-party payment providers to process the payment of the entry fee in connection with the Contest. The third-party payment providers will handle the Participant’s financial information in accordance with their privacy policy. You agree that in no event will the Organizer be liable for the actions or inaction of the third-party payment providers processing the entry fee in connection with the Contest, including but not limited to system downtime or payment service failures.

Submission of images. The Participant may submit unlimited

• Portraiture

• Contemporary Photography

• Mixed Media & Composite

• Digital Illustration & AI-Assisted Creative Work

The Participant must upload and submit their images at the time of registration for the Contest, through their account. Once the Participant’s photos have been submitted, an email confirming receipt of the images will be sent to the Participant within one business day, to the email address registered in their account. The images submitted must comply with these participation rules. Sending the email confirming receipt of the Participant’s images does not constitute confirmation that the images submitted comply with these participation rules.

Deadline. The deadlines for submitting a images/photo to the Organizer depend on the major category with which the photo is associated. The deadlines for submitting a photo for each major category are listed below.

Entries must be submitted in the deadline date of midnight Canada eastern time

Each photo submitted in the context of the Contest must comply with the conditions set out below:

1. The photo must not contain a watermark, logo, signature or any other form of identification;
2. Adding background texture effects is allowed in all subcategories;
3. The photo must have a title; the same name must be used on the photo and on the form (choose a name that represents the storytelling of your photos);
4. The photo can be submitted with or without a frame;
5. The colour profile of the photo is: Adobe RGB1998 or other;
6. The photo can be in colour or in black and white;
7. The format of the photo is: jpg;
8. The compression of the photo is: 10-12;
9. The maximum size of photos submitted per major category is less than:10 Mb;
10. You can submit your images Vertical or Horizontal minimum sizes 1000 pixels. Send your questions to info@umencia.com ;
11. The photo must have been taken by the Participant;
12. The photo must not infringe on the rights of third parties or damage the reputation of any person or constitute defamation;
13. The photo must not contain obscene or immoral material.
14. The photo must not infringe on the rights of third parties or damage the reputation of any person or constitute defamation;
15. The Participant must ensure that the tools or software used to create the image do not infringe on any copyrights or intellectual property rights;

If a photo does not comply with one or more of the above conditions, the Organizer may contact the Participant to inform them of the photo’s non-compliance and allow the Participant to submit a new photo within the time period indicated by the Organizer. If it is impossible or unreasonable for the Organizer to contact the Participant or if the Participant does not submit a new photo within the time limit indicated, the photo initially submitted by the Participant will automatically be excluded from the Contest.

Judges. Winners will be selected by a panel of 5-10 judges chosen by the Organizer. The judges are professionals in the photography industry. The judges will determine the winners in accordance with the criteria set forth in these participation rules.

Criteria. All photos will be judged in both vertical and horizontal modes as submitted by the Participant. Each photo submitted will be judged according to the following criteria:

1. Technique (shape, line, texture)
2. Creativity (artistic addition)
3. Composition (framing, balance, depth)
4. Light (sensitivity, aperture)
5. Story (tell the story you want to project)

Score.

Accepted (digital certificate / ribbons of the participant)

Honorable Mention (digital certificate / ribbons of the participant)

Merit (digital certificate / ribbons of the participant, possibilities of medal and/or trophy)

Excellence (digital certificate / ribbons of the participant, possibilities of medal and/or trophy)

Platinum (digital certificate / ribbons of the participant, possibilities of medal and/or trophy)

Once the judges have evaluated all the photos submitted by the Contest Participants, the following bonuses will be awarded:

1. The judges will select one favourite photo per major category, awarding a 5-point bonus for that photo;
2. For each trophy won by a Participant, as detailed in Annex A, a bonus of 10 points per trophy will be awarded to the Participant.

Winners. Winners will be determined by the judges based on the criteria and scoring system outlined above. The judges reserve the right to name more than one winner per major category. The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify a winner in the event that the reputation of the Organizer and the Contest may be damaged, without refund of the entry fee.

Nominations and announcement. At the end of a reference period associated with a major category, the Organizer will proceed to nominate potential winners by category of winners indicated in these participation rules. The name and photo of each nominated Participant will be posted on the Organizer’s website. The announcement of the winners and the awarding of prizes will take place at an award ceremony. The award ceremony will be held at the end of the Contest, on a date to be determined by the Organizer. The ceremony will be held in hybrid mode (i.e., virtual and in-person at a location determined by the Organizer). The cost of attending the award ceremony is the responsibility of the Participant. All Contest Participants will be invited to the award ceremony.

Participation. Any Participant who has respected these participation rules and the terms of use of the website will receive a digital or printed participation ribbon.

Winner Categories and Prizes. The categories of winners and the prizes to which the winners are entitled are set out in Annex A of these participation rules.

Prize Delivery. Monetary prizes will be delivered electronically via PayPal in US currency .

Acceptance of the Prize. All prizes must be accepted as awarded and cannot be substituted or exchanged in whole or in part for cash.

Taxes, Customs, and Shipping. All prizes such as trophies and medals that need to be shipped will be the responsibility of the Participant. The Participant will be required to pay all fees (taxes, customs, shipping) before shipping. Certificates, ribbons and seals will be sent by email.

Refusal of the Prize. A Participant’s refusal to accept a prize in accordance with the terms and conditions of these participation rules releases the Organizer from any obligation related to this prize towards this Participant.

Participant’s Rights. The Participant remains the exclusive owner of the copyrights in the photos he has submitted in the Contest.

License. By submitting their photos to the Organizer in the context of the Contest, the Participant grants the Organizer a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license, with the right to grant sublicenses, allowing the Organizer to:

1. Administer the Contest, including sharing the Participant’s photos with the judges to determine the winners;
2. Reproduce the Participant’s photos on its social media, website, promotional materials and publications concerning the Organizer, regardless of their format;
3. Present the Participant’s photos in public, for example in an exhibition;
4. Reproduce the Participant’s photos in a souvenir book and commercialize such a souvenir book; and
5. Reproduce the Participant’s photos in the context of a quarterly review by the Organizer on its website and platforms.

Moral Rights. Although the Organizer is committed to the integrity of the Participant’s photos submitted for the Contest, the Participant acknowledges and accepts that certain characteristics of their photos may be altered or modified at the time of reproduction of the photos. For example, variations in colour may occur when the photos are printed in the Organizer’s souvenir book. The format of the photos could also be modified to adapt it to the material in which the photos will be reproduced.

Credit. The Organizer agrees to mention the name and credit of the Participant when using the Participant’s photos in accordance with the license contained in these participation rules. The Organizer will use its best efforts to notify any third party to whom it grants a sublicense in the photos of the nature and extent of this credit. Any accidental or unintentional failure to comply with this paragraph will not be considered a material breach of the Organizer’s obligations under these participation rules if the Organizer proves that it has given the third party notice of such obligations. The Organizer will use its best efforts to correct and rectify the situation.

Third-Party Rights. By submitting their photos to the Organizer for the Contest, the Participant represents and warrants to the Organizer that the photos are free of any third-party rights, including copyrights in pre-existing materials such as 3D models, textures, or other digital assets. Participants must ensure compliance with copyright laws and obtain any necessary authorizations or waivers from third parties. This includes providing adequate attribution when required by the license of any borrowed asset. Additionally, Participants must comply with the software licenses and AI models licenses used in the creation of their photos. The Organizer reserves the right to request written proof of any such third-party authorization, waiver, or evidence of compliance with licensing terms. Failure of a Participant to provide any such proof within the time period provided by the Organizer will result in automatic disqualification from the Contest, without refund of the entry fee.

Originality and Authenticity: Participants must ensure that the photos they submit are original creations and have not been replicated or closely imitated from other works. The Participant agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Organizer, its licensees, and any third party to whom the Organizer grants a sublicense, as well as their respective officers, employees, partners, consultants, agents, suppliers, and representatives, from any and all liability, damages, costs, and expenses arising from or related to any claim of copyright infringement or other intellectual property rights violations related to the submitted photos.

In the event of a violation of any of these sections, any prizes won by the Participant will be forfeited. The Organizer may exclude the Participant from all future contests and may pursue all remedies to enforce its rights. In addition, the Organizer reserves the right to assess a penalty of $5,000.00 CAD for each breach of these obligations.

Personality Rights: If the submitted images contain recognizable persons, the Participant must ensure that they have obtained proper consent from those individuals. Proof of such consent may be requested by the Organizer.

Data Privacy: The privacy of the Participant and the protection of the Participant’s personal information submitted in connection with the Contest is important to the Organizer. The Organizer is committed to respecting the privacy of any Participant and will treat personal information provided by a Participant in connection with the Contest in accordance with its privacy policy, which can be found at https://umencia.com/privacy-policy-2/?lang=en.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE ORGANIZER, ITS LICENSEES, AS WELL AS ANY THIRD PARTY WITH WHOM THE ORGANIZER ASSOCIATES ITSELF FROM TIME TO TIME OR TO WHOM THE ORGANIZER GRANTS A SUBLICENSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE PARTICIPATION RULES, AS WELL AS THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, PARTNERS, CONSULTANTS, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, AND REPRESENTATIVES, BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES RESULTING, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM THE MALFUNCTION OF ANY COMPUTER COMPONENT, SOFTWARE, OR COMMUNICATION LINE IN CONNECTION WITH ANY FAILED, INCOMPLETE, INCOMPREHENSIBLE, OR ERASED TRANSMISSION THROUGH ANY COMPUTER OR NETWORK, AND WHICH MAY LIMIT THE POSSIBILITY OR PREVENT ANY PERSON FROM PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, AS WELL AS THE COMPUTER SUPPLIERS OF THE ORGANIZER IN RELATION TO THE CONTEST, THE DOWNLOADING OF ANY WEB PAGE, SOFTWARE, OR FORM, AND THE TRANSMISSION OF ANY INFORMATION RELATED TO THE CONTEST OR THE PARTICIPATION OR ATTEMPTED PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, USE OF DATA, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE DAMAGES, EVEN IF THE ORGANIZER AND ANY THIRD PARTY WITH WHOM THE ORGANIZER ASSOCIATES ITSELF FROM TIME TO TIME OR TO WHOM THE ORGANIZER GRANTS A SUBLICENSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE PARTICIPATION RULES, AS WELL AS THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, PARTNERS, CONSULTANTS, AGENTS, SUPPLIERS, AND REPRESENTATIVES, HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

IN SOME CASES, APPLICABLE LAWS MAY NOT PERMIT THE ABOVE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY, IN WHICH CASE THIS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY WILL APPLY ONLY TO THE FULL EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

Authorization. By entering the Contest, the Participant authorizes the Organizer and any third party to whom the Organizer grants a sublicense to use, if required, their name, photograph (Participant’s profile picture/portrait) submitted in the context of the Contest, image, likeness, biographical information, prize statement, country and city of residence, and voice, without any form of compensation, at the Organizer’s discretion and without limitation as to the period of use, in any media and on a worldwide basis, for publicity purposes or for any other purpose deemed appropriate.

Modification. The Organizer reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend this Contest in whole or in part in the event of an incident, error or human intervention that corrupts or affects the administration or operation of the Contest. The Organizer will notify each Participant in writing, at the email address associated with the Participant’s account, of any such incident and of the measures that the Organizer intends to put in place, including the refund of the entry fee in the event that the Contest is cancelled or materially altered such that the Participant wishes to withdraw their entry.

Indemnification. The Participant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Organizer, its licensees, and any third party with whom the Organizer associates itself from time to time or to whom the Organizer grants a sublicense in accordance with these participation rules, as well as their respective officers, employees, partners, consultants, agents, suppliers and representatives, from any and all liability that they may incur as a result, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, of any false or misleading statements, warranties or representations made by the Participant or as a result of any breach by the Participant of these participation rules or the terms of use of the website.

Indivisibility. If any provision of these participation rules should be declared illegal or invalid in any jurisdiction, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the legality or validity of the remaining provisions of these participation rules in that jurisdiction and these participation rules as a whole shall remain valid and fully enforceable in any other jurisdiction.

Waiver. No failure or delay by the Organizer to exercise any right under these participation rules will be deemed a waiver of such right and will not preclude any subsequent exercise of such right. No waiver of any default will constitute a waiver of any subsequent default.

Gender. In these participation rules, the neutral masculine gender is used without discrimination for the sole purpose of lightening the text.

Governing law and jurisdiction. These participation rules are subject to the provincial and federal laws applicable in the Province of Quebec and shall be interpreted, enforced and applied in accordance with such laws. The Participant and the Organizer agree that the courts of the judicial district of Montreal shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising from these participation rules.

Communication with the Organizer. For any questions or requests relating to these participation rules, the Participant may contact the Organizer at the address below:

Umencia Art Photo Inc.

Address:
418 chemin des Frenes
Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
Canada, J2Y 1J1

Phone:           514-400-7424

Email:             service@umencia.com

Annex A
INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

Who: The Participant who has accumulated the highest number of points across all categories, either in Portraiture and/or Contemporary and/or Mixed Media Artist

Photo Points
Platinum Collection point
Trophy Point

Grand Prize in Cash: $500

Secondary Prizes and Mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

Annex A

PORTRAITURE

WINNER MAIN CATEGORY (PORTRAIT – ANIMAL AND WEDDING) * TROPHY

Who: The Participant who has accumulated the highest number of points in (Portrait – Animal and Wedding)

Prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNERS BY SUBCATEGORY (PORTRAIT) * Trophy

Boudoir & Artistic Nude: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Child portraiture: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Couples & Maternity:1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Family / group portrait: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Men’s Portraiture: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Women’s Portraiture: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY (ANIMAL PORTRAITURE) * Trophy

Animals: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY (WEDDING) * Trophy

Wedding portrait :1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Wedding Group Portrait: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

* First, second and third places per subcategory are determined according to the scoring system listed in the participation rules:

• 1st place: The Participant having accumulated the highest number of points in a given subcategory;
• 2nd place: The Participant with the 2nd highest number of points in a given subcategory;
• 3rd place: The Participant with the 3rd highest number of points in a given subcategory.

Annex A
CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY

WINNER MAIN CATEGORY – TROPHY
( ADVERTISING & ILLUSTRATION – MACRO & CLOSE-UP – ARCHITECTURE – NATURE/LANDSCAPE – PHOTOJOURNALISM – OPEN/MISCELLANEOUS – SPORTS )

Who: The Participant who has accumulated the highest number of points in Advertising and illustration, Macro & close-up, Architecture, Nature/landscape, Photojournalism, Miscellaneous and Sports

Prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY  ADVERTISING & ILLUSTRATION * Trophy

Advertising and illustration: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY (MACRO & CLOSE UP) * Trophy

Macro & close-up: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY (ARCHITECTURE) * Trophy

Architecture: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY (NATURE & LANDSCAPE) * Trophy

Nature/landscape: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY (PHOTOJOURNALISM) * Trophy

Photojournalism: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY (OPEN/MISCELLANEOUS) * Trophy

Miscellaneous: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNER BY SUBCATEGORY (SPORTS) * Trophy

Sports: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Additional prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

* First, second and third places per subcategory are determined according to the scoring system listed in the participation rules:

• 1st place: The Participant having accumulated the highest number of points in a given subcategory;
• 2nd place: The Participant with the 2nd highest number of points in a given subcategory;
• 3rd place: The Participant with the 3rd highest number of points in a given subcategory.

Annex A
AWARD MIXED MEDIA & COMPOSITE ARTIST

 WINNER MAIN CATEGORY (FINE ART – PHOTO COMPOSITES AND RETOUCHING  ARTIST) * TROPHY

Who: The Participant who has accumulated the highest number of points in Fine Arts, Photo composites and Retouching artist

Prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNERS BY SUBCATEGORY (FINE ART ARTIST) * Trophy

Illustration: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Experimental / special effects: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Impressionist: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNERS BY SUBCATEGORY (COMPOSITE) * Trophy

Photo composites: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

WINNERS BY SUBCATEGORY (RETOUCHING & RESTORATION ARTIST) * Trophy 

Retouching artist: 1st Trophy | 2nd silver medal | 3rd bronze medal

Prizes and mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal

______

 * First, second and third places per subcategory are determined according to the scoring system listed in the participation rules:

• 1st place: The Participant having accumulated the highest number of points in a given subcategory;
• 2nd place: The Participant with the 2nd highest number of points in a given subcategory;
• 3rd place: The Participant with the 3rd highest number of points in a given subcategory.

ANNEX A – AWARD:

DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION & AI-ASSISTED CREATIVE WORK OF THE YEAR

Who: The Participant who has accumulated the highest number of points in the Digital Image category.

Image Points
Platinum Collection Point
Trophy Point

Grand Prize in Cash: $500

Secondary Prizes and Mentions: Trophy | Social media publication | Digital Ribbon | Digital Certificate | Digital Seal