1. IFP’s 50 Hour Photography Challenge is scheduled to begin from Sep 22, 2023, 8pm IST and end on Sep 24, 2022 10pm IST.

2. You need to submit 2 photo stories with five photos each. The photos need to be on the given theme with a supporting write-up of a maximum of 100 words per picture. It needs to have the necessary element as well.

3. Participants need to submit their photographs and writeups by the upload link provided via registered email ID and mobile number (SMS/Whatsapp).

4. The upload link will be sent as soon as the challenge begins and will be closed at the end of the challenge.

5. Along with uploading the Photographs, the participants are required to sign and submit the Creator's agreement online which shall be sent along with the theme mail. Check out the agreement here.

6. The pictures must be shot within the period of  the challenge and the participants need to provide proof of the same as and when needed. 

7. Allowed aspect ratios are 2:3, 3:2 and 1:1. Each photo story must only be in single aspect ratio. However, series can have different aspect ratios.

8. All kinds of Tonal adjustments, Colour adjustments, Photo-manipulation and Special effects are allowed. In cases where photo-manipulation is being used, the base photo should have been clicked in 50 Hours time period only.

9. Photographs can be edited using any mobile or desktop-based software. Participants can use any gears and cameras they prefer and there’s no limit on the number of gears to be used including DSLR, GoPro, Drone, Mobile Phone or SLR.

10. All photographs must be submitted in a single PPT according to the photo-series with their individual write-ups. Photographs must be in JPEG format with an sRGB color model. Maximum size of PPT should not exceed 1GB.
- Download Sample PPT for 5 Photo Story category - Click here to Download

11. Your submissions files should be renamed as  with your Creator ID. For e.g.- If your Creator ID is PH1234, your files should be named as PH1234.ppt (PPT) and PH1234.pdf (Creator’s Agreement)

12. Evaluation Criteria: (All pictures submitted will be judged as single entity as a Photo Story).
   - Creativity
   - Storytelling
   - Use of Light
   - Treatment of the theme
   - Composition. 

13. All participants, if they are selected amongst the nominees, must be able to supply a high-resolution image suitable for printing in exhibitions, should the image be required.

14. Participants are requested to get updates regarding the challenge on IFP’s official social media handles on Facebook & Instagram.

15. For a photo in which a person is recognizable, you must be prepared to provide a model release from the subject or, in the case of a minor, the subject’s parent or guardian's signature, to IFP in the creator’s agreement.

16. Photos that contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent, or other objectionable or inappropriate content, as determined by IFP in its sole discretion, are ineligible for all categories of this contest.

17. You are ideally expected to keep 48 hours for photo capture and editing and 2 hours for upload. We understand that some participants face genuine challenges during the upload due to technical issues. For participants who are genuinely unable to upload their photo series in the 50 hour period due to technical reasons, an extension of 4 hours will be provided. However, to keep the challenge fair, the participants who upload the photo series past the 50 hour deadline will face the deduction as below from their total jury scores.
   - 0 to 1 hours - 5%
   - 1 to 2 hours - 7.5%
   - 2 to 4 hours - 10%

Q. Is there a registration fee?
A. The registration fee is Rs. 750 (USD 10). Fees should be paid online to confirm your participation. You will receive an email with your Creator ID upon confirmation.

Q. I am not from India. Can I participate?
A. Indeed. IFP welcomes participation from all over the world. 

Q. What are the evaluation criteria?
A. Your photographs will be evaluated on the following criteria:
    - Creativity
    - Storytelling
    - Use of Light
    - Treatment of the theme
    - Composition

Q. What is a photo story?
A. A photo story is the intentional assemblage of photos in a way that tells a story. The story is told through the photos and not words.

Q. Do I need to use live situations?
A. You can contruct a scenario if need be, based on the given theme and genre.

Q. Can I participate in multiple challenges with IFP?
A. Yes, with the same email ID and password, you can participate in other IFP challenges. You will receive a separate Creator ID for each challenge that you register for.

Q. What should my photographs be about?
A. IFP provides a theme at the beginning of the 50 Hour challenge. The participant has to shoot the photo stories adhering to the theme. However, creatively there are no limitations on the photographer, but competition – constraints.

Q. Where are these photographs published?
A. The winning photographs shot at the challenge will be put up in an exclusive photography exhibition at the IFP festival. 

Q. Can I have a team?
A. This is an individual participation challenge. The participant will receive an e-certificate from IFP.

Q. Can we publish our photographs independently after the Challenge?
A. You can use your photographs in any way you want. But keep in mind that the photograph should bear the watermark of ‘Shot for IFP’. The watermark will be sent to you with the theme email.

Q. Can I sponsor this challenge?
A. Please mail us at ritam@ifp.world

Q. Can we include our company logo in the photograph?
A. Yes, you can. Provided it is occupying only 5% of the photograph and placed at any one of the corners.

Q. What is the Creator's Agreement?
A. Each participant has to sign the creator's agreement, which is legally binding. The agreement will help protect your rights as a creator and our rights as a platform. This agreement will be provided to you at the beginning of the challenge through email along with the theme. Any participant not submitting the same will be disqualified.

Q. Can I photograph someone else’s work?
A. When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up or the center subject of your photograph.

Q. How do you judge so many entries?
A. Each photo story is sent to different pre-juries for evaluation. The cumulative score from the pre-juries is used to prepare a list of merit. The top photo stories are sent to the final jury for viewing and ranking.

Q. Is the judging process transparent?
A. Being one of the leading festivals in the continent, we at IFP strive hard to make sure that justice is done to each and every photograph submitted. To make sure we do not miss out on any entries, the IFP team also watches these entries simultaneously and raises an issue internally if any flaws or biases are found in the process. We do not entertain any requests for paid awards, neither have in the past and nor will in the future, to keep the spirit of competition alive.

Q. Should my photo revolve around or be based on the compulsory element?
A. No. Compulsory element can be placed subtly in your photo story, but it should not necessarily be the central part of it. For e.g. - Compulsory element is a comic book so you can include it by showing how it is lying around somewhere in the frame.

Q. Should all of my photos have the compulsory element?
A. No. You can include the compulsory element in any one of your photos. However it is compulsory for it to be present in both the photo series.

Q. What is the maximum number of pictures I can submit?
A. You need to submit 2 different photo stories with five photos each. 10 (5 photos per story) is the maximum number of photos that you can submit.

Q. What should my photographs be about?
A. IFP provides a theme at the beginning of the 50-hour challenge. The participant has to shoot the photographs adhering to the theme and include the compulsory element in it.

Q. Do I need a 'Location Release/Model Release/release to any piece of art captured in the photograph' to shoot on public property?
A. No, you only need a location release for a privately held property and a Model release wherever needed. But we strongly recommend taking permits wherever compulsory in the case of public property.