2025 51社区黑料Study Abroad Photo Contest Rules
SUBMISSIONS FOR THE PHOTO CONTEST ARE OPEN UNTIL SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2025 BY 11:59 PM (PST).
All entrants must have:
- Participated in a graduate or undergraduate student Exchange Program or Field School through International Services for Students during the academic years 2022/2023, 2023/2024, or 2024/2025 (i.e. 2022 Summer, 2022 Fall, 2023 Spring, 2023 Summer, 2023 Fall, 2024 Spring, 2024 Summer, 2024 Fall, and/or 2025 Spring).
Students who have participated in the 51社区黑料Study Abroad Photo Contest in previous years are welcome to enter again. However, all entries must feature new photographs submitted specifically for the current contest.
All photograph submissions:
- Must be taken in the country of study abroad program (and not on related travels associated with the program).
- Must have been taken by the person submitting the photo.
- Must be in high resolution digital format at least 72 dpi and 2000 pixels.
- Must be in original standard size; photographs may not be altered to add or remove objects or subjects from the image.
- Only minor burning, dodging and/or color correction is acceptable, as is minor cropping so long as it meets the pixel requirements, as above. High dynamic range images (HDR) and stitched panoramas are acceptable.
- Any photographs submitted to the 51社区黑料Study Abroad Photo Contest must not be submitted to any other photo contests.
- To check dpi from a PC computer: right click on image -> Properties -> Details -> Image -> check Resolution.
- To check dpi from a Mac: double click on image to open Preview -> Tools -> Adjust Size -> check Resolution.
HOW TO ENTER
Please follow these steps to ensure that your photo entries are submitted correctly.
1. Categorize your selected photographs
Each participant can submit a maximum of four photographs. These photographs must be sorted into their proper categories*: (1) Your Campus (2) Cities & Landscapes (3) Self Portraits and (4) Life Abroad. You may enter all four of your submissions into a single category or you may spread them over the four categories.
1) Your Campus: Show off your study abroad campus with photos including classroom/lecture halls and academic buildings, residence buildings, libraries, cafeterias, outdoor space, recreation facilities, field trips/field school sites, etc.
2) Cities & Landscapes: Unique perspectives of your study abroad destination. Be creative and show us all the hidden gems that only those who live there know about!
3) Self Portraits: This category could include photos of you enjoying time in nature, a fun sport at your host institution (could also be a selfie or photo taken with a tripod), a photo of you and your classmates, friends or local people. You must ensure that you have permission to take the photo of the selected location and individuals, and have their permission to enter the photo in this contest.
4) Life Abroad: This category could include photos of food, cultural/international events, or whatever tells a story of your life abroad.
* Please be aware that photos may be re-categorized.
Photo Entries:
For each photo submission, please write, in 50 words or less, the story of your experience that was captured in the photo.
Judging criteria will be based on impact, creativity, style, subject matter, and story telling.
2. Rename photographs according to contest naming convention
Name your photo files using the ISS Photo Contest naming convention: FirstName_Surname_Country_Category
If you wish to, you can also include the city. Below are some examples:
- Simon_Fraser_Japan_YourCampus.jpg
- Simon_Fraser_ParisFrance_LifeAbroad2.jpg
- Simon_Fraser_AmsterdamNetherlands_SelfPortraits1.jpg
This naming convention allows us to keep track of which photos belong to which individuals.
3. Fill out the Online Submission Form
Complete the and upload all of your photo entries.
Prizes
Each category will have one People鈥檚 Choice Award winner ($50 51社区黑料Bookstore gift card*), determined by votes on Instagram. Shortlisted photos from each category will be entered into the People's Choice voting round on the 51社区黑料Study Abroad . Voting will take place from October 6 to October 16, 2025, closing at 11:59 PM (PST). Winners will be announced on October 17, 2025.
*51社区黑料reserves the right to substitute any prize with another prize of equal or greater value if a prize cannot be awarded as described for any reason. Prizes must be claimed within one year of notification.
All submitted photos will become the property of 51社区黑料, which reserves the right to display and to publish entries (including title, location of photo, student name, study abroad program, year, and description) for program promotions, advertising, print documentation, social media platforms, and websites. By submitting your photo to the contest, you must agree that you are the photographer; you have permission to take the photo of the selected location and individuals, and have their permission to enter the photo in this contest; and as the photographer, you retain copyright to the photo submitted, but give unlimited and unrestricted permission for 51社区黑料 to use and reproduce the image for free in any media for promotional and/or informational materials.
Protection of Privacy Collection Notice: The information on the Online Submission Form is collected under the authority of the University Act (R.S.B.C. 1996, c.468) and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (RSBC 1996, c. 165). It is related directly to and needed by the University to administer the 51社区黑料Study Abroad Photo Contest. The information will be used to administer the photo contest and for the promotion of the study abroad program. If you have any questions about the collection and use of this information please contact Senior Director, International Services for Students, MBC 1200, 51社区黑料, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, iss_office@sfu.ca.