IPF PORTRAIT PRIZE 2025
Credits - Arvind Patwal
IPF PORTRAIT PRIZE 2025 FINALISTS
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Mona Singh - Javed Khan - Vivek Kalla - Sajeev J K - Maya Mohan - Ashish Patel - Jan Mohammad - Diptadeep Addy - Arka Chowdhury - Happy Mukherjee - Mohit Khetrapal - Abhishek Basak - Sangram Biswas - Priyanshu Singh - Suresh Naganathan - Sannidh Raychaudhuri - Ratheesh Sundaram -Saurabh Anand Chatterjee - Shyjith Onden Cheriyath - Sathiyaseelan Subramanian
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- currently closed for submissions -
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The Indian Photo Festival - Portrait Prize 2025 is an annual portrait photography competition open to photographers from across the Indian subcontinent. Portraiture has always held a special place in the history of photography - from timeless studio portraits to contemporary explorations of identity and culture. What makes portraiture so powerful is its unique ability to go beyond the surface, capturing not just a likeness, but the essence of a person, a moment in time, or even the spirit of an entire community.
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Through this award, the festival seeks to discover and celebrate compelling portraits that tell unforgettable stories and showcase extraordinary talent. The competition provides a platform for both emerging and established photographers to share their vision with a wider audience, while also contributing to the dialogue around identity, diversity, and representation in photography today.
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WHY ENTER THE IPF PORTRAIT PRIZE?​
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WIN - INR 2,00,000 worth cash and camera gears.
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EXHIBIT - Exhibit your work at India's longest running international photo festival - Indian Photo Festival from 20 Nov 2025 to 04 Jan 2026.
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INTERNATIONAL TOUR - Show your images to a larger audience as part of the international exhibition tour around the world.
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PUBLISH - Get your images published in leading photography magazines and news portals. (Bored Panda - Better Photography Magazine - Firstpost - 121 Clicks - Free York)
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PRESS COVERAGE - Receive press coverage from publications and media outlets around the world.
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​PRIZES
FIRST PRIZE
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INR 1,00,000 in CASH
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SECOND PRIZE
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INR 50,000 worth accessories from
Srishti Digilife & Harlowe​
THIRD PRIZE
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INR 25,000 worth accessories from
Srishti Digilife
EXHIBITION​
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20 finalists will be exhibited at the Indian Photo Festival - Hyderabad from 20 Nov 2025 - 04 Jan 2026
SPONSORS
JUDGE
Kiran Karnani
Global Chief Marketing Officer - Harlowe
Kiran Karnani is a marketing executive known for her leadership at the intersection of creativity, community, and culture. She currently serves as Global Chief Marketing Officer for Harlowe, a woman-owned brand of innovative lighting solutions for content creators, bringing a humanistic approach to brand building through authentic storytelling and connection across the premium creative sector. Previously, she was Vice President of Marketing for Leica Camera USA, where she built the region’s social media presence and founded the Leica Women Foto Project, an initiative dedicated to elevating the feminine gaze through grants, exhibitions, and programming.
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Throughout her career, Kiran has curated events and community activations at platforms such as Photoville and Fotografiska New York, and partnered with organizations including APA, Adobe, Peak Design, and the International Center of Photography. She has also served on juries for prestigious photography awards and has been featured on industry podcasts. Recognized as a Global Icon and Guest Exhibitor for Retro Kolkata Magazine’s World Photo Carnival 2024, Kiran continues to mentor emerging leaders as a member of Chief, the private network for senior executive women.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
This is an Agreement between the Applicant and Light Craft Foundation. By submitting an image applicants agree to the following Terms and Conditions:
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The 'Indian Photo Festival' Portrait Prize is open to any, 18 years of age or older, from the Indian subcontinent (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives).
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The entry should be appropriate with the category of portrait; you can also submit group portraits and self-portraits.
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Digital files must be no longer than 2000 Pixels in either height or width and saved as Jpeg (.jpg), in RGB format and not exceed 4 MB per file, at 150dpi.
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No identifying mark is allowed anywhere on the entry.
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Digitally manipulated and AI images are not allowed.
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Only Five entries per applicant is allowed and the last date for submission is Oct 26th 2025.
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An entry fee of INR 499 applies for each image.
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The copyrights of the images remains with the photographer. All entrants understand that any image submitted to the competition may be used for publicity and promotional purposes in any media related to the competition, at no charge; the photographer will be credited for the use of their work.
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The entrant must be the sole author of the photograph and the photograph must be an original work and the entrant is responsible for taking all steps necessary to protect the rights of persons depicted, including but not limited to obtaining their permission. Also the entrant should be responsible for any legal issues related to the entries submitted and agree to pay any costs occurred due to the same.
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The results will be announced during the opening of the Indian Photo Festival - HYDERABAD on Nov 20th 2025 @ 6:00 PM.
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The finalists and the winners will be exhibited during the Indian Photo Festival - HYDERABAD from 20 Nov 2025 - 04 Jan 2026 and may tour different cities in India and overseas and by submitting an entry, you are agreeing to have prints of your photographs shown in these exhibitions at no charge.
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Winners residing outside India are responsible for any taxes, duties, or customs charges applicable to the accessories included in their prize.
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Light Craft Foundation reserves the right to suspend or postpone or amend the competition.
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Light Craft Foundation reserves the right to exclude entries and withhold selection for violating any of its terms and conditions
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Refund policy - The entry fee for the Award is not refundable.
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For any questions, please reach out to us via email at info@indianphotofest.com or send a WhatsApp message to +91 98495 58107.