U.S. Embassy Announces Photo Contest through American Spaces for 2021

Dushanbe, Tajikistan, December 31, 2020 – The U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe, in cooperation with the eight American Spaces in Tajikistan, announces the launch of a year-long photo contest for 2021.  Amateur photographers are invited to join photography clubs of the American Spaces to participate, which will be held virtually. American Spaces are located in Dushanbe, Khujand, Bokhtar, Kulob, Khorugh, Isfara, Panjakent, and Gharm.

Members of each photography club will vote to choose the four “best” photos of each week, taking into account the following factors:

1. How well the photo satisfies basic elements – clear, colorful, well-framed, balanced, effective use of light;
2. How well the photo captures the beauty of Tajikistan;
3. How well the photo includes composition elements:  Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines, Diagonals, Framing, Contrast, Vividness (closeness to subject), Patterns, Symmetry;
4. If the photo includes people, how well it shows:  Emotion, Action, and Engagement (interaction).

Then, followers of the American Space will vote for the favorite photo through a poll published on Twitter. The photo that gets the most votes will be posted on the US Embassy’s social media pages. Once every four weeks, the Embassy will publish photos of the winners of previous weeks and ask followers to vote on them.

The photographer who submits the winning photo of the month will be rewarded with a digital camera. At the end of twelve months, the overall winner of the competition will receive a professional DSLR camera. Every six and twelve months, the American Spaces will print the best photographs and display them at the Spaces. At the end of twelve months, the twelve winning photographers will be invited to Dushanbe to present their photographs at an exhibition at the American Space in Dushanbe.

American Spaces will cover the costs associated with printing and framing a certain number of winning photos. They will also cover the transportation and accommodation costs of the winners to Dushanbe.

Only amateur photographers from the age of 13 can take part in the competition. Photographers must submit their creative work (use of other people’s materials is not allowed).  The submitted photograph cannot be significantly retouched: nothing in the photograph (people, animals, scenery, objects, etc.) may be altered, removed, or rearranged.  Cropping is permitted, as is darkening, lightening, or color alteration of the image.

Types of photos to be accepted for the competition include: Tourist Sites, Landscapes, Parks, Sculptures, Statues, Monuments, Village Life, Interesting Colors, Rust, Buzkashi, Sports, Bridges, Bus Stops, Mosaics, Works of Art, Signs, Nature (flora and fauna), Guides, Hotels, and their Guests, Old Buildings or Structures, and Extreme Roads.

• Photography tips (PDF 14 MB)
• Description and Rules (PDF 193 KB)
• Registration Form (MS Word 21 KB)
• Statement of Eligibility, License, and Release (MS Word 27 KB)
• Master Schedule (MS Excel 19 KB)