THEME #04Winners2019SEP
PORTRAIT
WINNERS LIST
THEME SUMMARY
Since the beginning of photography, portraits have been one of the most important genres in photography. The word, portrait, often alludes to human portraits. However, in the recent years, that may not be the case anymore. Maybe, they don’t need to be human figures. In this competition, we want to reevaluate what portraits can be. Free yourself from the conventional ideas of portraiture and explore this genre as it feels right for you. And of course, it may still be the standard human portraits as well!
[Submission Period] from September 1 to October 31
JUDGE
Yoshihisa Tanaka
（Art Director, Graphic Designer, Nerhol）
Yoshihisa Tanaka graduated from Musashino Art University with a major in Scenography, Display and Fashion Design, and became an independent artist in 2008. In addition to art museums, he has also worked on exhibition V.I. plans for commercial galleries as well as the binding and design of artist collections. Artists whose collections he has been responsible for include Viviane Sassen, Daren Almond, Scheltens&Abbenes, Honma Takashi, Hanayo, Rinko Kawauchi, Terri Weifenbach, Nao Tsuda, Naoki Ishikawa, SANNESANNES, herman de vries, Taisuke Koyama, Shigekazu Onuma, Yoshinori Niwa, Mai Yamashita+Naoto Kobayashi, Norimichi Hirakawa, among others. His major honors include being a recipient of the 2013 JAGDA Award, the JAGDA New Designer Award, the BACON PRIZE 2013, the 2012 PromaxBDA DESIGN GLOBAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS / SILVER (United States), and the 2010 red dot award (Germany). He is also active in the artist unit “Nerhol” alongside the sculptor Ryuta Iida.
www.nerhol.com
NOTE
Applicants under the age of 18 must obtain consent from a parent or guardian before applying. If an applicant is under 18, it will be assumed that consent has been obtained.
PRIZE
| Grand Prix (1 award) | Exhibition of your work at Asama International Photo Festival 2026 PHOTO MIYOTA |
|---|---|
| Second Prize (2 awards) | Exhibition of your work at Asama International Photo Festival 2026 PHOTO MIYOTA |
| Third Prize (3 awards) | Exhibition of your work at Asama International Photo Festival 2026 PHOTO MIYOTA |
| Shortlist | Featured on the IMA next website. |
GUIDELINES
IMA next is a photo competition that aims to support emerging photographers to succeed in the art photography world.
| How to apply | IMA next is a photo competition that aims to support emerging photographers to succeed in the art photography world. How to apply – One entry allows you to upload 6 photos, however in that case, all your photographs in the entry will be judged as 1 series. If you would like to submit multiple series, please make another entry. There is no limit to the number of entries per theme. – Please read theTerms of Use before applying. By submitting your application, we will assume that you agree to the Terms of Use. |
|---|---|
| Who can apply? | – Applicants under the age of 18 must obtain the consent of a parent or guardian before applying. If an applicant under 18 applies, it will be deemed that they have obtained such consent. – Otherwise, anyone is welcome! We have no restriction in terms of your nationality, age, gender or experience (Professional/Amateur). |
| Submission period | July 3, 2026 – July 12 |
| Image requirements | – All submissions need to be still photographs, no moving images will be accepted. All sorts of post-production processes are allowed. – DVD/Blue-Ray submissions will be rejected. – If the submitted work is deemed non-photographic, it may not be judged. – One entry can include up to six files, each up to 10 MB in size. – Any work that violates the rights of a third party (copyright, trademark right, portrait rights) cannot be submitted. If the work includes anything created by a third party (art work, films, photographs, music…etc.) and if it may concern any other rights, there is a need for you to have gotten permission from all party involved before you enter. ーAfter the winners are decided, they may be asked to submit high-resolution image data for printing large works to be exhibited at Asama International Photo Festival 2026 PHOTO MIYOTA. ーYou may submit 6 photos per entry; however, the number of works that can be exhibited may vary depending on the exhibition location. |
