2021 Project Of The Year Award

Anyone with a little luck on their side can create a single incredible image (I should know more than anyone!) but to consistently create incredible images for their clients over the course of a day or more at an individual project site is one of the most valuable skills any photographer can have. The Project of the Year award is our biggest award and the top prizes will go to the photographers who are able to not only create a single amazing image, but create a stunning set of images of a given subject or genre. As architecture and interior photographers are hired to create not just one image, but many images of individual projects, the winner will demonstrate an ability to consistently create images of the highest quality.

For this award, photographers will be asked to submit 5-8 images of a single project or subject which will be judged on criteria such as technical ability, composition, consistency of editing, color, and lighting, and overall impression: how well does the set communicate the story of a project?

Photographs can be of either the same subject (e.g. one house or building) or of a thematic idea that is explored throughout the set (for example, how people live in a particular community, modernism around the world, etc). Both commercial and personal projects are welcome to be entered.

Prizes

First prize: $2500 USD and the first annual APALMANAC Project of the Year trophy. Architect-designed and custom made, this trophy is a show stopper and just a little cooler than the collection of soccer trophies in your bedroom from 1992. Your name will be laser etched into the solid walnut trophy and be an incredible addition to a home office or studio.

Second prize: $500 and the runner-up APALMANAC Project of the Year trophy. Just as cool, but a little smaller and less baller.

A shortlist of the top ten projects will be published on APALMANAC. For each shortlisted entry, there will be judges’ comments and explanations of their choices.

Judging Criteria

The judging criteria include, but may not be limited to:

Content: Does the series clearly and beautifully communicate the subject? If an architectural project is the subject, does the viewer understand the design intent of the space? Are we able to discern a sense of place and environment from the images?

If the project contains multiple locations, has the photographer succeeded in tying them together in a way that doesn’t leave the project feeling disjointed and incomplete?

Consistency: Are the images consistent in terms of quality? Are there any clearly inferior images that weaken the entire set, or is the series solid throughout? Not only is quality important, but the judges will look at the consistency in terms of color, styling, exposure, and intent, as well.

Overall impression: Is there an emotional reaction to the images, do they inspire, or fall flat? Are they capable of standing on their own without explanation?

Submission Deadline

The submission deadline is December 31st, 11:59pm, 2021.

Entries are now closed.

Entry instructions:

Please upload up to eight images in JPEG format, no larger than 3mb each. Images must be at least 1600px on the longest side, and no more than 4000px on the longest side. Non-JPEG images and images smaller than 1600px will not be accepted, as we would like a large enough file to be able to accurately judge the content of your photographs.