Conditions of participation in the “European Hunting Photo of the Year 2025” photo competition

Participation in the “European Hunting Photo of the Year 2025” photo competition and its implementation are governed by the following provisions:

1. organizer, participation

(1) The photo competition is organized by the JAGD & HUND trade fair – a trade fair of Messe Dortmund GmbH.

(2) Participants take part in the photo competition by submitting their images (up to five) as digital image files via upload on the competition website. By uploading the image(s), participants agree to the conditions of participation and the data protection conditions (see point 7 of the conditions of participation).

(3) Participation must take place within the period between 12.09.2025 and 15.12.2025. The electronically logged receipt of the upload serves to verify compliance with the deadline.

2. participants

(1) Both amateur and professional photographers may participate. Photographers who are members of the photo competition jury are excluded from the competition.

(2) In order to participate in the photo competition, it is essential that all personal details are truthful. Otherwise, exclusion may occur in accordance with point 5.

(3) Participation is only permitted for individuals aged 18 and over.

3. further participation requirements, procedure and content

(1) Each participant may submit up to five images. The image must be submitted as an upload on the competition website.

(2) The photos should be assigned to the above-mentioned competition categories and must be named as follows: .

(3) The file size of an image may not exceed 10 megabytes.

(4) Only images in JPG and JPEG file format are permitted.

(5) Each submitted photograph must also be submitted to the participant in its original size and format (JPEG, RAW or TIF). This may be requested by the entrant for verification of authenticity and for publication in exhibitions and/or print media.

(6) The submitted images must be original photographs of the participants and must not have been created using artificial intelligence.

(7) The entrant holds the unrestricted copyright and rights of use to the photographs submitted. The motifs may not contradict the legal provisions of the country of origin, the legal provisions of the European Union or the personal rights of the persons depicted.

(8) In the case of recognizable persons who have been photographed, their written permission to participate must be obtained.

(9) The photos submitted must have been taken between 01.01.2025 and 15.12.2025.

(10) Only photos that have not yet been submitted to another competition are eligible.

4. determination of the winners / prizes

(1) An international jury of experts will select the winning images from all submitted photos in the categories

– Game & Landscape

– New perspectives

– Fresh on the table

– Hunting culture & tradition

(2) Criteria are

– Creativity and originality

– Composition and image composition

– Technical quality

– Emotional expression and atmosphere

– Compliance with the competition category

– Aesthetics and lighting

(3) Vouchers, non-cash prizes or prize money will be awarded as prizes.

(4) The winners will be notified by e-mail.

5. exclusion criteria

(1) Messe Dortmund GmbH reserves the right, at its own discretion, to exclude submitted photographs from the competition and to delete them if there are justified reasons for doing so. This may include the following cases in particular:

– Submissions that deviate significantly from the thematic guidelines.

– Submissions that are defaced with frames, watermarks or vignettes.

– Submission of “hunter photos”

– Submissions that violate the law, glorify violence, are pornographic, racist or otherwise offensive, are contrary to public decency or are intended to manipulate the competition.

– Submissions that were created with the aforementioned tools (e.g. artificial intelligence and other processing) and the use of these tools was concealed by the participant.

6 General provisions, granting of rights of use, legal guarantee and indemnification

(1) By participating in the photo competition, each participant warrants that the information provided is true to the best of his/her knowledge and belief. The participant is solely responsible for the accuracy of the information provided.

(2) Upon submission, each participating person irrevocably and free of charge grants Messe Dortmund GmbH the transferable right to the submitted images to use, reproduce, distribute, exploit and publish the documents in the context of the implementation, review and documentation of the photo competition and any follow-up campaigns in all currently known and future types of use, as well as to grant the granted rights of use and exploitation in whole or in part to third parties or to transfer them to third parties.

(3) Every participant who takes part in the photo competition guarantees that

– he is the owner of all rights of all contributors and participants in the submitted images that are required for the granting of rights to Messe Dortmund GmbH.

– the images submitted by him/her to Messe Dortmund do not infringe the rights of third parties, in particular the personal rights of third parties.

– no other rights of third parties prevent the granting of rights to Messe Dortmund GmbH or the publication and use of the submitted images.

(4) By participating in the photo competition, each participant indemnifies Messe Dortmund GmbH against all third-party claims, including the costs of legal advice, legal prosecution and legal defense, which arise as a result of third parties asserting claims against Messe Dortmund GmbH which are caused by the participant and which contradict the above rights guarantee.

7. data protection

(1) In order to participate in the photo competition, it is essential to submit data upon entry and to accept the applicable privacy policy (https://www.jagdundhund.de/datenschutz). All participants are free to withdraw from participation at any time. The submitted data will then be deleted.

(2) The data entered will be stored exclusively for the purpose of conducting the competition and the associated public relations work.

8 Legal recourse is excluded. German law applies.