FAQ

The Aura Awards is an international photography contest dedicated to celebrating excellence in Family Photography, including categories like Newborn, Maternity, Children, Family, Sitter, Siblings, Cakesmash and AI-Infused. It provides photographers with a platform to showcase their work, gain professional feedback, and compete for prestigious prizes.

The contest is divided into four rounds, each lasting three months. During each round, photographers can submit their images for judging in one or more of the eight categories. Submissions are reviewed by a professional jury, and winners are determined based on accumulated points.

The rounds for 2025 are as follows:

• Round 1: January 1 – March 31
• Round 2: April 1 – June 30
• Round 3: July 1 – September 30
• Round 4: October 1 – December 31

You can submit your photos to the following categories:

• Newborn: Celebrating the first precious days of life. Submissions focus on babies up to 6 weeks old, capturing their delicate beauty and innocence.

• Maternity: Highlighting the beauty and strength of pregnancy. Submissions include single subjects, partners, or children, showcasing grace, connection, and the journey of motherhood.

• Children: Capturing the innocence and joy of childhood. Submissions can feature single children or siblings in playful or fine art styles, celebrating their unique charm.

• Family: Showcasing the love and bonds between family members. Submissions feature groups of three or more, including parents, children, and even pets, in heartfelt compositions.

• AI-Infused: Combining photography with AI for innovative creations. Submissions blend original photography with AI-generated elements like wardrobe, props, or environments, maintaining authentic poses and faces.

• Siblings: Highlighting the bond between newborns and their siblings. Submissions include two or more siblings, with a focus on newborns, capturing warmth and connection in family-focused compositions.

• Cakesmash: Capturing joyful milestones with sitters up to 2 years old. Submissions must include a cake or bathtub, showcasing smiles, laughter, and fun in vibrant, creative setups.

• Sitter: Sitter photography celebrates the joyful stage when babies can sit independently, highlighting their growing curiosity and personality. This category includes single sitters or same-age twins up to 1.5 years old, with creative, vibrant, or minimalist compositions.

• Purchase Submission Credits from your account.
• Upload your images during the active submission period of a round.
• Assign a category to each photo and finalize your submission.

Submission Credits are virtual credits used to enter photos into the contest.

• Credits are purchased through your account.
• Each submission costs one credit.
• If a photo does not meet the contest’s quality standards, the credit is refunded to your balance.

Each photo is evaluated by our professional jury based on five criteria:

1. Light: Quality, mood, and impact.
2. Pose: Naturalness and expression.
3. Idea: Creativity and storytelling.
4. Colors: Harmony and impact.
5. Emotion: Connection and authenticity.

Yes! The Aura Awards offers detailed feedback for every accepted submission. You’ll receive scores for each of the five judging criteria, providing valuable insights into your strengths and areas for improvement. Judged and badged submissions can be found in your profile account, where you can view the detailed ratings for each criterion. Additionally, you can download your badged submission to save and share it on your website or social media platforms.

If your submission does not meet our quality standards, it will be rejected, and the credit used for that submission will automatically be refunded to your account balance.

Photos may be enhanced using post-processing and AI, provided they adhere to the artistic standards of the category. In the AI-Infused category, creativity and innovation with AI are encouraged. However, all original body parts must remain intact. We recommend using AI to enhance elements such as wardrobe, styling, materials, colors, and environments, while preserving the authenticity of the subject.

Each submission costs 1 Credit, which is deducted as one Submission Credit. You only pay for photos that are approved for judging.

Round Prizes:

• Grand Winner: €1,000 for 1st place overall, €600 for 2nd place overall, €400 for 3rd place overall
• Badge, certificate, and magazine feature
• Category Winners (Top 3 in 8 categories): 1st Place: €250, 2nd Place: €150, 3rd Place: €100
• Badges and recognition

Annual Prizes:

• Photographer of the Year (1st Place): €2,000, 2nd Place: €1,000, 3rd Place: €500
• Badge and certificate
• Free certificates will also be awarded to all top winners!
• Trophy, lifetime gallery feature, and promotion

Cash prizes in the AURA Photo Awards are unlocked as the Barometer progresses through its stages, with higher rewards becoming available at each milestone. Discover how the Barometer works and track the current stage here.

Badges are digital honors displayed on your submission, celebrating your achievements:

• Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum: Round-specific badges awarded based on the jury points earned.
• Category Badges: Awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each category during every round.
• Photographer of the Round: Recognizing the top 1st, 2nd, and 3rd placed photographers across all submissions in a round.
• Photographer of the Year: Celebrating the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd placed photographers for their outstanding performance throughout the entire year.

Yes, you can submit photos to as many categories as you’d like. Each submission requires one credit.

Absolutely! You can participate in all four rounds. Your round-specific points reset at the beginning of each round, but your cumulative points are carried over to determine the Photographer of the Year.

• Round Points: Earned within a single round to determine round winners.
• Global Points: Accumulated across all rounds to determine annual awards like Photographer of the Year.

No problem! Each round is independent, so you can join the contest in any of the four rounds.

Winners are announced at the end of each round. You’ll receive notifications through your account, and winners will be featured on our website, magazine, and social media.

• Focus on quality and submit your best work.
• Study the five judging criteria and refine your submissions accordingly.
• Use the feedback provided for accepted photos to improve for future rounds.

Aura Awards offer unique advantages:

• Risk-Free Participation: Credits are refunded for rejected entries.
• Detailed Feedback: No other contest provides transparent scores across six criteria.
• High Standards: Compete against the best photographers in a professional environment.
• Prestigious Prizes: Over €10,000 in rewards, global recognition, and professional features.