5th GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025

The 5th GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition of Photography 2025 is announced, co-organized by the Global Chinese Photography Association (GCPA – Canada) and the DALI International Photography Exhibition (DIPE), with DAJIANG as the title sponsor. Additional support comes from SIPA China, Hahnemühle Artist Paper, and ARTPRO. This international competition invites submissions from photographers worldwide and operates under the recognition of the Global Photographic Union (GPU) and the Canadian Association for Photographic Art (CAPA) for six of its seven sections. The exhibition provides a platform for global exposure, particularly aiming to showcase diverse photographic expressions across updated categories, including traditional genres and a specific section for AI-generated creative works.

The competition structure features seven distinct sections: Colour Open, Monochrome Open, Nature, People-theme & Portrait, Landscape (General and Drone), Street & City life, and AI Creative. Entrants can submit up to four images per section. A significant highlight is the substantial prize pool, including Grand Awards with cash prizes totaling USD $15,000, alongside numerous GPU, CAPA, and GCPA medals and ribbons across the recognized sections. The submission deadline is set for May 27, 2025. Participation requires online entry, with an entry fee of USD $10. This positions the event uniquely among international photography contests and challenges.

For photographers seeking acceptances and distinctions under GPU and CAPA recognition, the GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 offers a clear pathway. The inclusion of an AI Creative section reflects evolving trends, though it stands outside the traditional recognition frameworks. Judging is scheduled for early June 2025 by a diverse international panel, with results announced mid-June.

The GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 Prizes

The 5th GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 features a significant prize structure, including substantial cash awards and medals recognized by international and national photographic bodies.

Grand Awards:

• GCPA-DAJIANG Cup Gold Award: USD $5,000 cash prize and Award Certificate.
• GCPA-DAJIANG Cup Silver Awards (3 winners): USD $2,000 cash prize each, and Award Certificates.
• GCPA-DAJIANG Cup Bronze Awards (5 winners): USD $800 cash prize each, and Award Certificates.

Medals & Ribbons (per section, where applicable):

• CAPA Recognition (Sections 1-6): 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze medal per section.
• GPU Recognition (Sections 1-6): 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze medal, plus 6 Ribbons per section.
• GCPA Awards (Sections 1-7): 1 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze medals, plus 10 Ribbons per section.
• Chairman’s Choice: 1 GCPA medal per section (Sections 1-7).
• Judge’s Choice: 3 GCPA medals per section (Sections 1-7).
• Merit Awards: 35 GCPA-DAJIANG merit award certificates distributed overall.

In total, 257 awards are planned. Awarded entries will also be featured during the DALI International Photography Exhibition.

The Categories of the GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025

The exhibition is divided into seven sections. Sections 1 through 6 are recognized by GPU and CAPA. Section 7 (AI Creative) is not recognized by these bodies. Entrants may submit up to four images per section, but each image can only be entered into one section.

• 1. Color Open: Open to any subject matter presented as a colour image.
• 2. Monochrome Open: Restricted to greyscale images (shades of grey including pure black and white).
• 3. Nature: Records natural history (excluding anthropology/archaeology). Images must convey truth, look natural, and adhere to ethical practices. Human elements are limited unless integral to the nature story.
• 4. People-theme & Portrait: Focuses on images where people are the principal subject, including portraiture capturing personality.
• 5. Landscape (General and Drone) (Colour Only): Includes landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, and aerial views from drones. Features natural or human-made environments.
• 6. Street & City life: Captures candid moments, urban environments, and the human element within city life.
• 7. AI Creative: This section is specifically for images created in whole or part using image generation software (AI images). Images must originate from the entrant but can incorporate AI tools. This section is not eligible for GPU/CAPA recognition.

Images accepted in previous GCPA salons cannot be re-entered into any section.

GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 Dates and Entry Fees

Key dates for the 5th GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 are scheduled as follows:

The entry fee is $10.00 (or CNY 70.00). This single fee allows an entrant to submit images to any number or all of the seven sections.
A group discount of 10% is available for groups of 5 or more entrants submitting together.

How to Enter:

Entry to the GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 is exclusively via the online entry form available on the official website:

1. Prepare Images: Ensure images are in JPEG format and use the sRGB colour space.
2. Size Images: Maximum dimensions are 1920 pixels horizontal width and 1080 pixels vertical height. The maximum file size is 4 MB per image. Smaller images are accepted but will appear smaller during projection.
3. Title Images: Each image requires a unique title related to its content, with a maximum length of 35 characters. Titles must not include file extensions (like .jpg) or personal identifiers. Using “untitled” or just numbers (unless part of the image content) is not permitted.
4. Submit Online: Use the online form to upload images to the chosen sections (max 4 per section).
5. Pay Fee: Complete the USD $10 entry fee payment as directed on the website. Ensure payment is confirmed for the entry to be valid.
6. Agree to Terms: During submission, entrants must explicitly agree to the exhibition’s Conditions of Entry.

About the Jury

The judging process for the 5th GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 will be conducted remotely online by a panel of experienced international judges using calibrated monitors. The judging panel is chaired by Mr. Yueheng Duan from Canada.

The Panel of Judges includes:

• Mr. Charles Jin (U.S.A.): Chairman of the Board, SIPA Press Agency; prominent photography collector.
• Mr. Li Hui Bao (China): Artistic Director, Dali International Photography Festival (DIPE); Chairman, Yunnan Photographers Association.
• Ms. Xin Xin Cecilia Liang (U.S.A.): APSA, MPSA, EFIAP, Hon.FPSNY, etc.; Director, Photographic Society of New York; Director, PSA Chinese Image Critique Group.
• Mr. Lung-Tsai Wang (Taiwan): GMPSA, GPSA, EFIAP, FRPS, etc.; Executive Vice-Chairman, PSA China.
• Mr. Harry Woo (Malaysia): APSA, GMPSA, FRPS, EFIAP, ESFIAP; President, Photographic Society of Malaysia.
• Ms. Jing Guo (China): EFIAP, EPSA, LRPS, GPU CR-3, etc.; Vice President, GPU; President, GPU China.
• Mr. Yip Xu (Australia): FAPS, EFIAP, EPSA; President, Australian Horizon Photographic Club.
• Ms. Danlei Ye (Canada): GMPSA/P, GPSA, ARPS, EFIAP/S.
• Mr. Hongjun Yue (China): FRPS, MPSA; Vice-President, Shenzhen Photographers Association.

Why Enter GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025?

Participation in the 5th GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 presents several distinct advantages for photographers. The substantial Grand Awards, offering significant cash prizes up to USD $5,000, represent a major draw. Beyond the top prizes, the extensive list of medals and ribbons from GPU, CAPA, and the organizing body GCPA provides ample opportunity for recognition across multiple sections. Achieving acceptances and awards in the GPU/CAPA recognized sections (1-6) contributes directly to earning prestigious international photographic distinctions.

The updated category list reflects contemporary photographic interests, while the inclusion of an AI Creative category acknowledges new technological frontiers. The partnership with DALI International Photography Exhibition (DIPE) potentially offers additional exhibition exposure. Furthermore, the remarkably low flat entry fee of USD $10 for all sections makes participation accessible compared to many other international events. These factors combined make it a noteworthy option when evaluating the best photo contests for potential return on investment, international exposure, and accreditation within the GPU and CAPA frameworks.

Rules and Copyright

This section summarising the rules and image rights for the GCPA-DAJIANG Cup International Exhibition 2025 is based on the information provided by the organisers. Potential entrants should consult the official contest website for the complete and binding rules before entering.

Rules

• Eligibility: Open to photographers worldwide. Membership in photographic organizations is not required.
• Image Creation: For sections 1-6, images must originate as photographs made by the entrant and cannot incorporate identifiable elements made by others (e.g., clip art, stock images). AI-generated images are explicitly disallowed in sections 1-6. Images created wholly or partly by AI software must be entered into Section 7 (AI Creative).
• Subject Matter Ethics: The welfare of living creatures is paramount. Baiting, harming, or unduly stressing subjects is prohibited. Drone usage must comply with local laws and avoid disturbance. Images showing live feeding to captive animals are not allowed.
• CAPA Standards: Content must align with CAPA values (artistic integrity, inclusivity). Gratuitous violence, explicit content, hate speech, or discriminatory material is forbidden.
• Entry Specifications: Max 4 images per section. Images must be JPEG, sRGB, max 1920×1080 pixels, max 4MB. Each image needs a unique title (max 35 chars, no identifiers/extensions).
• Identical Images: Identical or near-identical images cannot be entered in multiple sections or if accepted in previous GCPA salons. Colour and Monochrome versions of the same capture must share the same title if entered.
• Judging: Remote online judging. Target acceptance rate is 28-34%. Judges’ decisions are final. Entrants’ images are distributed across judging rounds.
• Non-Compliance: Organizers may request original/raw files to verify compliance (authorship, editing). Entries found violating rules may have acceptances voided. Entrants are responsible for adherence, even if using third-party submission agents.
• Data Protection: By entering, participants consent to their personal details (name, country, entry status) being processed, used for exhibition purposes, shared with recognizing bodies (GPU, CAPA), and published in status lists and results (catalogue, gallery).

Copyright and Image Usage

• Copyright: The entrant retains full copyright of their submitted images.
• Reproduction Rights: By entering, the entrant grants the organizers and sponsors (GCPA, DIPE, Dajiang, etc.) non-exclusive, free-of-charge rights to reproduce entered material (all or part) for publication and display in media related to the exhibition. This explicitly includes potential low-resolution posting on websites and inclusion in catalogues and promotional materials for current and future related events. Entries indicating images cannot be reproduced will be rejected. The exhibition assumes no liability for misuse of copyright by third parties.

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For more information and to enter the competition, visit: the oficial website.