1. The Organiser
The organiser of Exeter Cathedral Photography Competition 2026 is the Chapter of the Cathedral Church of St Peter in Exeter (Exeter Cathedral), Exeter, Devon, EX1 1HS.
2. Submission Window & Photo Capture Dates
- To ensure all entries capture the specific mid-summer light of the season, all photographs must be taken inside the Cathedral during the official submission window: between 1 August 2026 and 31 August 2026.
- Any photographs taken prior to 1 August 2026 or after 31 August 2026 will be disqualified.
- The Organiser reserves the right to inspect the digital metadata (EXIF data) of submitted files to verify the date and time of capture.
- Entrants may submit a maximum of two (2) photographs in total across all categories.
3. Strictly Interior Photos Only
- All submitted photographs must have been taken inside the interior of Exeter Cathedral.
- Photographs of the Cathedral’s exterior (including the Cathedral Green, West Front, exterior masonry, or surrounding grounds) will not be accepted and will be disqualified.
4. Eligibility & Age Categories
- Staff & Volunteer Eligibility: Current employees and official volunteers of Exeter Cathedral are not eligible to enter. Immediate family members of staff and volunteers may enter, provided all entries were taken during standard public opening hours without special access.
- Colour Photography: Open to ages 18 and over.
- Black & White Photography: Open to ages 18 and over.
- Junior Category – 11-18 Years Old (Colour or Black & White): Open to those aged 11 to 18 years old on the date of submission.
- Mandatory Parent/Guardian Submission: For any entrant between the ages of 11 and 18, the entry must be submitted on their behalf by a parent or legal guardian over the age of 18. By submitting, the parent or guardian warrants that they agree to these Terms and Conditions and grant full consent for the minor’s participation and the processing of their data.
5. Technical Specifications
- Entries must be provided in a digital format (JPEG or PNG).
- Initial photo submissions may be provided at a lower resolution version, however;
- Any winners or runners-up must be able to provide Exeter Cathedral with a version of their chosen photograph at a resolution that will be suitable for being printed on an A1 board. It is advised a file size at a minimum of 4MB and a maximum of 20MB to ensure high-quality printing for the physical exhibition.
- Submissions must include the Image Title, Photographer’s Name, Category and the Date the photo was taken.
- No commercial watermarks, signatures, copyright symbols or dates may be visible on the image itself.
6. Copyright, Permissions & Model Releases
- All entries must be the original work of the entrant, and the entrant (or submitting parent/guardian) must be the sole owner of the copyright.
- The photograph must not infringe the rights of any third party.
- It is the sole responsibility of the entrant to obtain written permission from any identifiable individuals in the photograph. If the photograph features anyone under 18, written consent must be obtained from their parent or legal guardian. The entrant may submit photographs which contain clearly unidentifiable individuals without their written consent. The Cathedral reserves the right to request proof of these consents.
7. Cathedral Conduct & Respectful Photography
- Drone photography is strictly prohibited.
- Photographers must respect the sacred space, active worship and privacy of visitors when taking photographs inside Exeter Cathedral.
- The use of tripods, monopods or flash photography may be restricted during services or high-traffic periods. Photographers must comply immediately with all directions given by Cathedral staff and stewards.
8. Acceptable Image Editing
- Basic digital adjustments (such as color correction, cropping, spot/scratch removal and exposure adjustment) are permitted.
- Images must not be heavily manipulated, composited or digitally altered to misrepresent the reality of the Cathedral interior. Generative AI elements are strictly prohibited.
9. Licensing & Usage Rights
- By entering, the entrant (and their parent/guardian) grants Exeter Cathedral a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, modify and display the photos.
- This licence is strictly for promotional, marketing, educational and archival purposes related to the Cathedral and the competition (including physical exhibitions, social media, website, newsletters and press releases).
- Exeter Cathedral will make reasonable efforts to credit the photographer alongside any publication of their image.
10. Judging & Prizes
- A panel of judges appointed by Exeter Cathedral will select three (3) Winners (one per category) and six (6) Runners-Up (two per category). The judges’ decision is final.
- Winners’ Prizes: One (1) £50 Exeter Independent Gift Card and one (1) £50 London Camera Exchange (Exeter store) gift card.
- Runners-Up: Featured on Exeter Cathedral’s digital channels and in the October 2026 exhibition.
- Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
- Winners will be notified during September 2026. If a winner does not respond within seven days of the first contact attempt, they forfeit the prize and an alternative winner will be selected.
11. Data Protection
- Any personal data relating to entrants will be processed securely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation (UK GDPR / Data Protection Act 2018).
- Personal data will only be used for the administration, judging and promotion of this competition and will not be shared with third parties without prior consent, except for when sharing essential data with London Camera Exchange and InExeter in order to process the winners’ gift cards.