Photo Competition 2026 - Details & requirements

Thank you for your interest in participating in the photo competition "Snapshots of Explorations" for Bachelor, Master and doctoral students at our faculty! For the second time, we are looking for exciting and aesthetically pleasing photos that creatively and/or innovatively

• depict your field of study at the Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy / Postgraduate Center,
• were taken as part of your studies,
• or have a thematic connection to your studies.

Please describe the study-related aspect in the short description of your photo (max. 500 characters)!

Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral students as well as participants in the continuing education programmes "Cooperative Urban and Regional Development" and ÖRISK are eligible to submit entries.

Special Awards Diversity

In addition to the main prizes, two special awards will also be presented this year - this time on the topic of diversity for photos that reflect the topic of diversity (social diversity and in terms of gender or identities, but also geological, biological, scientific/disciplinary diversity) in a creative way.

We are looking forward to your Snapshots of Exploration!

Requirements for valid submission & competition rules

• Submit your picture using the online form by 15 March 2026 at the latest including title and short description (max 500 characters). Please explain the reference to your field of study in the short description. If your picture is related to the Special Award category "Diversity", please also explain this reference in your short description. Please select in the form whether or not you are applying for a Special Award on the topic of diversity. 
• All Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral students who are enrolled at the University of Vienna in a study programme of SPL28 - Earth Sciences, Meteorology-Geophysics and Astronomy, SPL29 - Geography or DSPL45 - VISESS (as well as doctoral students of other DSPLs, that are part of an FGGA working group) during the submission period (winter semester 2025/26 and/or summer semester 2026) are welcome to participate. The submitted photo may also have been taken before the winter term 2025/26. Participants of the university courses "Risk Prevention and Disaster Management (OeRISK)" and "Cooperative Urban and Regional Development" as well as the associated certificate courses at the Postgraduate Centre of the University of Vienna who are enrolled in the course within the submission period (January to March 2026) are also invited to submit their photos.
• Please note that the images need a high resolution. The minimum width is 2835 pixels (if available, preferably higher), ideally in landscape format. The focus should be in the centre of the image, as the images can be cropped for presentation (website, poster, ...).
• Please upload a preview with a maximum of 2 MB using the form on the next page and then send the high-resolution image file via FileSender ACONET to snapshots.fgga@univie.ac.at  (please send link actively, no automatism! Alternatively please send via wetransfer indicating your u:account e-mail)
  Please name the two photo files according to the following examples to avoid confusion:
  
  • Surname_First name_short title_preview.jpg/tiff
  • Surname_First name_short title_high resolution.jpg/tiff
• A maximum of two photos per person can be submitted (please fill in another form for the second photo).
• Only photos that have been taken by the submitter him*herself will be accepted (the submitter must be the photographer; see below for the special rules regarding artificial intelligence).
• If other persons are depicted recognisably (i.e. not from behind or in large groups), written consent of the persons depicted is also required (informally, but please with signature) that they also agree to the data processing and, if applicable, publication of the data by the University of Vienna and by the participating student representatives (on websites, in printed materials and in social media). (In the case of minors, the written consent from their legal guardians should generally be obtained before the photo is taken).
• Use of artificial intelligence: All photographs submitted must have been taken with a camera or mobile phone camera. The submission of artificially generated images is not permitted, and no "generative fill" functions are permitted in post-processing. The use of intelligent tools or AI-supported enhancement tools is possible within the framework of the competition rules as long as these tools do not lead to significant changes to the image as a whole, do not introduce any (central) new information into the image or remove information from the image that was recorded by the camera. For example, it is permitted to adjust colours or contrast or to use the sharpening filter as long as these do not significantly change the original photo (e.g. delete information or add new information). AI-supported tools (e.g. Adobe Super Resolution and Topaz Photo AI), on the other hand, are not permitted in post-processing, as they use artificial intelligence to add new information to enlarge and sharpen images.
• Please note that intentional fraud will lead to disqualification from the competition without exception.
• With the submission you accept that the University of Vienna and the participating student representatives reserve the right to publish the images and abstracts on websites of the University of Vienna and the student's representatives, on the Bluesky-, LinkedIn and Instagram-Channels of the University of Vienna and its staff members as well as in printed materials (folders, calendars, posters, postcards, etc.) (right of use). The author of the image (copyright holder) will be mentioned below the image or (in social media, newsletters or the u:wiki), published on the landing page.

Many thanks for your "Snapshots of Exploration"!