Categories
The Tokyo International Foto Awards accepts submissions in the following categories:
Advertising: This category is for commercial images used to sell, market, promote or advertise a product, service, or person(s).
– Automotive—featuring motor vehicles of any kind (motorcycles, cars, trucks, etc.)
– Beauty—glamour-style portraiture, either artistic or commercial, emphasising someone’s or something’s beauty
– Fashion—featuring clothing, other fashion items/accessories, makeup or styling
– Food & Beverage—photographs featuring food and beverage
– Music—relating to music, musicians, records (album art), concerts and musical events
– Product—images that accurately and attractively represent products for commercial purposes
– Self-Promotion—images that promote the photographer’s personal brand, style, personality, etc.
– Travel/Tourism—images highlighting an area’s landscape, people, cultures, customs and history
Analog / Film: This category is for photography that uses non-digital methods of capturing images.
– Architecture—film based architectural photography (images of built exteriors and interiors, as well as bridges, other structures and cityscapes)
– Editorial/Journalism—images usually meant to accompany text, illustrate a story, article, or an idea within the context of a publication, and can cover a wide range of subjects
– Fine Art—film photography created in line with the vision of the photographer as artist expressing idea, message or an emotion
– Nature/Landscape—images that capture the elements of nature and the natural features of land, sky and water
– Portrait—photos where a person or a group of people are the main subject
Architecture: This category is for architectural photography, buildings or structures, interior or exterior, and any part thereof; dynamic images of architecture or architectural details.
– Abstract—a more ‘artistic’ take on architecture photography, usually featuring lines, shapes, or angles, or parts of a structure outside the context of the whole
– Bridges—images of bridges, arches, piers, or other similar structures or parts thereof
– Buildings—photographs featuring buildings and structures, or any aspects of a building’s architectural features
– Cityscapes—the physical aspects of a city or urban area
– Industrial—buildings and structures serving commerce and/or industry
– Interiors—Interior design or aspects or buildings or structural spaces
– Historic—buildings or architectural sites with historic significance or value
Book: Bodies of work published in book form, including exhibition catalogues, prototypes, proposals, independently published, self-published, traditional, limited edition, multi-author, single-author, intersectional, zine, handmade, re-issue, and more. Cover image plus 6 pages.
– Documentary—providing factual information on specific subjects or events
– Fine Art—where the intention is aesthetic, revealing the subjective, creative vision of the artist
– Nature—focusing on natural elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures
– People—portraiture and/or works focusing on the human element
– Other—book photography which falls outside the scope of the above categories
Editorial:This category is for images usually meant to accompany text, illustrate a story, article, or an idea within the context of a publication, and can cover a wide range of subjects.
– Conflict—photographs covering armed conflicts and their effects on people and places
– Environmental—including images of the natural environment or natural events (global warming, ecological footprint, etc.), taken for artistic, research, or monitoring purposes
– Fashion—featuring clothing, other fashion items/accessories, makeup or styling
– General News—images accurately representing news and current events
– Personality—portraiture photography, specifically capturing the unique personalities and characteristics of the subject
– Photo Essay(Series only)—images arranged to explore a theme, news feature, human-interest story, etc.
– Political—documentary or narrative photographs with a political theme
– Sports—editorial images documenting any sport or sporting event, professional or amateur
Events: This category is for photographs featuring occurrences and people at any special event or occasion.
– Music—relating to musical events and concerts
– Sport—featuring any competitive or recreational sport
– Wedding—featuring people and activities relating to wedding or engagement ceremonies, celebrations or traditions
– Other—event photography which falls outside the scope of the above categories
Fine Art: this category should feature images where the intention is aesthetic, revealing the subjective, creative vision of the artist, photos that express an idea, a message, or an emotion through the image and the technique used to create it.
– Abstract—non-objective, experimental, or conceptual photography depicting a visual image not immediately associated with the object world
– Collage—any image created by combining or pasting several images or parts of images together to create a new composition or interpretation of reality
– Landscape—photography featuring landscapes in an artistic way, often enhanced, showing scenes in nature through the creative eye and techniques of the photographer
– Minimalism—images using a minimum amount of components such as colour, shape, line and texture
– Nudes—photos depicting the nude human body with an emphasis on form, composition, emotional content, and other aesthetic qualities
– Portrait—artistic images of a person or group of people, capturing the personality of the subject by use of lighting, backdrops, poses, etc.
– Still Life—photos depicting inanimate subject matter, typically a small group of objects or with a single object in focus
– Special Effects—images showing how a subject or scene can be interpreted or captured by the artist using special effects or techniques (manual or digital included)
– Other—photography which falls outside the scope of the above categories.
Nature: This category is for photography that is devoted to displaying natural elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures.
– Aerial—photographs taken from an aircraft, with a drone, or other flying object, either by hand or remotely
– Astrophotography—photos of astronomical objects, celestial events, and areas of the night sky (landscapes with astronomical objects are included)
– Flowers—floral photography in any form
– Landscapes—photos that capture elements of nature and the natural features of land, sky and water. Photographs of artificial scenery, such as farm fields, orchards and gardens, can be entered here as well
– Macro—close-up photographs where the size of the subject is life-size or larger
– Panoramic—wide format images with horizontally elongated fields of view
– Pets—photos featuring domesticated animals, including animals kept on a farm, in a zoo, or anywhere outside their natural habitat
– Seasons—images with a focus on the natural seasons, and their effect on nature
– Sunrise / Sunset—photos showing the rich colors and dramatic lighting of the sunset
– Trees—photography of trees and forestry
– Underwater—photographs taken while under water, diving on the surface, scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, or from a submersible or remotely operated underwater vehicle
– Wildlife—photos documenting animals and other wildlife in their natural habitat (NOTE: animals NOT in their natural habitat, such as farm animals or those kept in a zoo, should be entered in the “Special/Pets” category)
People: This category is for photographs where people are the focus, whether a single person or a group, showing the human aspect of life in all its wonderful variet
– Children—portraits of children and youth
– Culture—images that tell a story about a people and their culture or traditions
– Family—photographs highlighting family and what it means
– Lifestyle—the art of ‘everyday’, photos showing real-life events or milestones, people and their way of life
– Portrait—artistic images capturing the personality of a person or group of people
– Self-Portrait—photos representing the artist taken by the artist
– Wedding—images of wedding or engagement celebrations, ceremonies, or traditions, and the people taking part
Portfolio: You may enter up to 20 images that represents your entire work or only a series in Advertising, Fine Arts, Wedding, Personal Work. The images should represent the best of your work, without any year limitations.
– Advertising—commercial images used to sell, market, promote or advertise a product, service, or person(s)
– Fine Art—images where the intention is aesthetic, revealing the subjective, creative vision of the artist, photos that express an idea, a message, or an emotion through the image and the technique used to create it
– Food—images featuring food
– Personal—the art of ‘everyday’, photos showing personal real-life events or milestones, people and their way of life
– Wedding—images of wedding or engagement celebrations, ceremonies, or traditions, and the people taking part
– Other—photography which falls outside the scope of the above categories
Special: This category is for the more “niche” genres of photography, and those using special techniques or technology to achieve the finished product.
– Aerial / Drone—photographs taken from an aircraft, with a drone, or other flying object, either by hand or remotely
– AI-Generated Images—for images created or generated solely by executing a command/commands to AI
– Digitally Enhanced—images that have been edited and/or enhanced using digital technology/editing software
– Macro Photography—close-up photographs where the size of the subject is life-size or larger
– Night Photography—images captured outdoors at night, between dusk and dawn
– Science / Technology—exploring the use of advanced equipment, techniques, and digital technologies to capture and enhance images, pushing the boundaries of traditional photographic processes
– Smartphone Photography—photos taken using a mobile phone/smartphone
– Street Photography—photos that capture the essence of the urban lifestyle, random moments, real life, chance encounters
*Please note the entry fee for the Portfolio Category is $50.
