1. Theme:
Determined by participants, who must submit a series of five photographs on one subject of their own choosing (other entries will not be accepted).
2. Medium:
Any photography equipment (digital camera, traditional camera, cell phone, etc.) may be used.
3. Work specifications:
(1) Photographs: May be color or black-and-white. Printed dimensions may be 8x10", 8x12", or A4. (21x29.7 cm). If the image of a work is square, it must be within the short dimension of one these sizes. The participant may decide whether to leave a white margin around their work, and this will not affect participation qualifications or judging results. However, if an entered work wins a prize, each single photograph must be submitted as a digital file at least 3000x3600 pixels or 8 MP (JPG or TIFF) in size.
(2) Registration form Appendix 1: Please fill out this document carefully, and print it out on A4 paper.
(3) Work Description Appendix 2: Please accurately fill in each column and attach a sequential schematic diagram of your works to ensure clear identification of all your works.
(4) Contest agreement Appendix 3: Please sign or affix your seal after printing out the agreement on A4 paper. A legal agent must sign/affix their seal if the applicant is under 20 years of age.
4. Submission Method:
Please place all of the foregoing (1) Photographs, (2) Original copy of the registration form, and (3) Original copy of the Work Description in an envelope and select any of the following methods of submission:
■ Submission in person: May be submitted at the 1st floor service counter of any Shin-Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taiwan. (Query store information here: http://www.skm.com.tw)
■ Submission by post: Post to 7F, 19 Songgao Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City 110. Indicate “Shin-Kong Mitsukoshi International Photography Contest Group" on the envelope. (The date of receipt shall be the postmark date. Applications dated later than 11/15/2020 will not be accepted.)
※ Please pack your work carefully to avoid damage. There are no restrictions on packing materials, but the package as a whole may not exceed 30×40 cm in size. Avoid damage during the transport process due to improper taping or over-sized packages.
5. Public announcement of prizewinners:
Prizewinners will be announced on the official Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Cultural and Educational Foundation website before December 30, 2020. Prizewinners will also be notified by e-mail or telephone.

Submitted works will be judged based on: image quality (60%), creativity (20%) and composition (20%).

■ Image quality
The role of photography equipment and functions of peripheral devices has continuously evolved along with rapid developments in science and technology. Likewise, this competition has also advanced with the times and technology trends. Novel and diverse media challenge the creator’s interpretation of the art of photography, and in turn new interpretations change the viewer’s perspective on appreciating the art of photography. What does not change is the artist’s expression of the essence of photography, including technical understanding of the tools of photography, observation of the environment, source lighting, timing, composition and the interaction between the photographer and the photographed. Only after careful consideration and evaluation from different points of view can the photographer faithfully capture the moment. This is why image quality is weighted 60% of the total score.

■ Creativity and Composition
Since this contest is themed around “Five photographs tell a visual story” the artist must come up with ideas of how to tell a story through five photographs. Creativity, composition, visual energy, the logic and relationship among the five photographs, as well as the overall subject matter are all criteria considered for this portion of the score.

■ Post-processing
The ever increasing sophistication of technology provides the photographer with a diverse array of new techniques to realize the visual creativity of their photographs. Different aspects of the media can be used to achieve a variety of effects. The artist may consider the degree of post processing required for the photograph according to the type of image being created. Fine tuning of the image to enhance the aesthetic quality of the image, to bring out details and layers, or to express the story that the artist has in mind – all of these may add to the score of your work, however over-processing a photo may lose the original essence of the image. Though technology brings powerful functions and convenience, these new features further test the artist’s visual creativity and creative expression.

If any of the following conditions apply to a submitted work, it will be deemed as having not complied with the contest requirements, and will not be eligible for judging:
1. This year’s Registration Form per Appendix 1 hasn’t been used; using registration forms from past years of this contest will also be deemed as eligible.
2. Work Description per Appendix 2 hasn’t been submitted.
3. An original signed copy of the Consent Letter per Appendix 3 hasn’t been submitted.
4. Relevant documents don’t meet the requirements of the General Regulations of Contribution (e.g print format, no signature or seal of a legal representative).
5. The output size of photos does not meet requirements (sizes such as 4x6, 3x5).
6. A watermark or any text, symbol, or modification is added on the front or back of a photo for entrant identification.

1. Those who wish to register to participate in the contest should carefully read these rules and statements. By submitting works to participate in the contest you agree to comply with the rules of the contest and agree to allow the organizer, in accordance with the law, to collect, process and use your personal information.
2. All entered works must have been personally photographed by the participant, and must be entered under the participant's real ID information; no anonymous submissions will be accepted. The participant must possess all rights to the entered work, and the organizer may revoke the qualifications of any work that does not comply with regulations.
3. The participant shall be responsible for confirming that all written information is truthful and correct, and that the entered work does not infringe upon the trademark, patent, or copyright of a third party, or violate other laws and regulations. If an application is untruthful or violates the contest rules, and the facts have been verified, the participant agrees that the organizer may revoke his or her prizewinning qualifications, and any awards (including prize money, prices, certificate of merit, etc.) have already been accepted must be immediately returned. The participant shall be willing to bear all responsibility in such cases, and the organizer shall not be involved.
4. An entered work must have been completed no earlier than three years prior to the contest (2017/10/1-2020/11/15); the work may not have received any domestic or foreign competitive award, nor may it have been publicly issued or displayed, including in print publication and exhibition. However, this restriction shall not apply if the work has been posted on the individual's personal website, blog, or on a Facebook page.
5. There is no restriction on sets of works registered by each entrant; if multiple works are awarded, the organizer will select the best one though the Award of the Year can be attained along with other awards.
6. Participants must respect the final decisions of the judging committee engaged by the organizer, and may not demand the cancellation of award qualifications.
7. Regardless of whether they win an award, entered works that have been submitted successfully will not be returned (including those works not complying with requirements); please be aware of this condition. Participants who wish to preserve their original works are asked to preserve the works ahead of time or reconsider participation.
8. If entered works suffer any damage prior to delivery to the organizer, the organizer shall not accept any responsibility.
9. The organizer shall contact the prizewinners by e-mail and telephone after the announcement of the prizewinner list. After confirming their identity, the prizewinners must submit a high-resolution digital file on disk of the prizewinning work within a certain period of time, and those who fail to do so shall be deemed to have given up their prize-winning right.
10. Entrants agree to authorize gratis copyright of the prize-winning work to the organizer, which will be irrevocable, with permanent effect, and applicable worldwide, i.e. the right to reproduce, distribute the prize-winning work or make derivatives thereof (including record of the creator’s name) on any media at the present or in the future, e.g. use it in series events of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi International Photo Joint Exhibition for the purpose of event promotion, display the prize winner’s work publicly, use it in graphic productions of this event and publish it on websites, etc. Prize winners that don’t consent to the above conditions will be deemed as waiving their prize-winning right. Entrants cannot take any action or make any statement violating rules of this contest once entered.
11. Prizewinners must bring personal identification (foreign nationals must bring their passport and alien residence certificate)
12. In accordance with Articles 2 and 3 of the Standards of Withholding Rates for Various Incomes," a 10% award income tax must be paid when the award value exceeds NT$20,000; if prize winners are not individuals residing in the ROC (i.e., natives and foreign nationals who have not resided in the ROC for over 183 days), regardless of the amount received by the prize winners, they can only receive their prize after a 20% award income tax has been deducted from the award income. In case of cash awards, tax will be deducted from the amount of such award before being remitted to a designated account (foreign currency account will be limited to USD, and exchange rate will be based on the actual exchange rate on the day of remittance) .
13. With regard to any matters not dealt with in the foregoing paragraphs, when the English and Chinese versions of relevant regulations or explanations are inconsistent, the Chinese shall take precedence. The organizer reserves the right to explain, revise, and add to these contest rules, statements, and explanation of awards.