Answers for every stage of the season

The Photo Mode Awards is open worldwide to virtual photographers aged 18 and above, from complete beginners to seasoned professionals. All you need is an original photo captured through a game's photo mode or free camera mod. Entry is completely free.

Judges and members of the Photo Mode Awards team are not eligible to enter.

The 2027 competition opens on Tuesday 1 June 2027 and closes on Sunday 27 June 2027 at 11:59 PM AEST.

Entries submitted after the deadline will not be accepted under any circumstances.

Any game, old or new, that includes a photo mode capability through either:

• An official in-game photo mode accessible from the menu or a shortcut
• A mod that enables a free camera

Not sure if your game has a photo mode? Browse our Game Database: we score and catalogue hundreds of games by their photo mode capabilities, so you can quickly check if your game qualifies.

An official photo mode is a dedicated in-game feature accessible from the menu or a shortcut that lets players capture and edit screenshots without mods. It typically includes controls for camera position, depth of field, filters, and frame timing.

Not sure if a game has one? Browse our Game Database: every game is reviewed and scored for its photo mode quality.

Only if the game's official photo mode supports capturing cutscenes natively. In our Game Database these games carry the Cutscene Capture tag, and they are the only titles eligible for cutscene captures: games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Hellblade and A Plague Tale.

Mods are strictly prohibited for cinematic captures. Any cutscene submission from a game without this capability will be disqualified.

No account is needed. To enter, simply fill in our submission form, no registration required. Voting in People's Choice is also open to everyone: no account, no registration, no login.

To run the awards we do ask for some personal details when you enter: your name, email, country and a social handle, so we can contact you and credit your work. How we collect, use and protect them is set out in our Privacy Policy.

People's Curator is a once-a-year, community-driven pathway into the Photo Mode Awards. Submissions open across all six official categories at once.

The PMAs team reviews every entry and shortlists a Top 9 per category, then the community votes across all six categories at once, in a single 24-hour voting window.

The winning photographer from each category advances directly to PMAs judging as a confirmed finalist.

People's Curator now runs as a single event once a year, rather than the recurring monthly format used previously.

Submissions open on Friday 2 April 2027 and close on Sunday 25 April 2027. Voting is one 24-hour window on Wednesday 28 April 2027.

Yes. All People's Curator submissions must comply with full PMAs eligibility and submission rules. Non-compliant entries may be removed or disqualified at any stage.

If you win a People's Curator category, your entry automatically advances to PMAs judging for that category. You may not submit a second entry for that same category.

You can still enter all other categories normally.

No. Advancing through People's Curator means your photo goes directly to judging, but the final decision rests with the judging panel. It does not guarantee a win.

No. Each creator can only win one People's Curator category per year.

No, because we want people to showcase their creativity with new captures that meet the criteria of the categories.

If the same photo has previously reached the finalist stage in either the Photo Mode Awards or People's Curator, it is not eligible for resubmission. Any such entry will be discarded.

Creator of the Year honours an individual for their outstanding contributions to the virtual photography community.

From 2027, Creator of the Year is self-nomination only. Creators are no longer nominated by others: if you'd like to be considered, nominate yourself.

All nominations are reviewed by the PMAs team, and the Top 9 Creators are shortlisted based on their body of work, community impact, and the nomination rationale provided. The winner is decided by the community in People's Choice.

Judges, organisers, and previous consecutive-year winners are not eligible.

Nominations are open from Monday 3 May 2027 to Sunday 23 May 2027 on the nomination page.

Creator of the Year is self-nomination only: nobody else can nominate you. Our team picks a Top 9, then the community votes in People's Choice.

You may submit one (1) photo per category. There are six categories, so you can submit up to six photos in total, one per category.

Your photo must:

• Be captured using an official photo mode or free camera mod
• Be your own original work, no third-party images
• Contain no watermarks, signatures, logos, or branding of any kind
• Contain no pornography, nudity, or sexually explicit imagery, and no abusive, offensive, hateful, or discriminatory content
• Contain no heavy photo manipulation, such as adding or removing major elements from the scene
• Contain no AI-generated imagery: see Can I use AI tools like DLSS 5? for the full rules on neural rendering and AI editing tools

Judges review photos anonymously. Watermarks or signatures that identify you will result in immediate disqualification.

No. Your photo must contain no watermarks, signatures, logos, or branding of any kind, not even a small one in a corner. It's a recurring issue, so please check before you upload.

Judges review every photo anonymously, so anything that identifies you means immediate disqualification. Upload the clean version of your photo.

• Format: JPEG or PNG
• Maximum file size: 25MB (you will receive an error if exceeded)
• Crop it before you upload: the organisers are not allowed to alter the images we receive, so your photo is judged exactly as you send it

Ensure your image is properly exported and not heavily compressed.

Yes. Characters, NPCs, and fantasy figures are all permitted, particularly fitting for the People category, which celebrates personality, emotion, and connection within the game world.

No. Submissions should not contain visible HUD or UI elements. Use your game's photo mode to hide the interface before capturing.

Submissions with visible UI may be disqualified at the judges' discretion.

Each email address can enter each category once, so sending a new photo won't replace the one you entered. If you need to change an entry, contact us and we'll help.

There are six (6) official categories: People, Architecture, Action, Close Up, Nature, and Indie. Each is described in full on the Winners and Enter pages.

An indie game is typically developed by individuals or small teams without significant financial or technical backing from a major publisher. If you're unsure whether your game qualifies, contact us.

Every eligible indie title with a photo mode is in our Game Database, with its features and its PMAs Score. New games are added regularly. If you think we've missed one, let us know.

You may use editing software such as Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or similar tools, provided the original photographic integrity of the image is preserved. Any manipulation that alters the fundamental composition or content of the image is prohibited.

The PMAs reserve the right to request original files for verification.

DLSS 4 and DLSS 4.5 use AI mainly for upscaling, frame interpolation, and cleaning up noisy ray-traced lighting, all working from what the game engine actually rendered. These remain fully permitted.

DLSS 5 works differently: it takes a 2D screenshot of the frame plus motion vector data, runs that through a generative AI model, and pastes a newly generated image back on top of the game's render, inventing lighting and material detail based on patterns learned from real-world photos and video, not from the game's actual assets.

DLSS 5 is only eligible when it's an official feature built into the game by its own developer, not added afterward through a mod, ReShade add-on, or injector, regardless of how it's installed or how close the result looks to the real thing.

Yes, with one specific exception.

ReShade itself, and RenoDX's tone mapping, HDR, exposure, and colour grading tools, use deterministic math, not AI, and remain fully permitted.

The exception: RenoDX and other ReShade-based tools can also load a separate add-on that runs actual DLSS 5 neural rendering inside the ReShade environment, typically shown in the ReShade panel as DLSS 5 Neural Rendering, with an Enable DLSS Neural Rendering checkbox and active NR Intensity values. If that add-on is present and enabled for a capture, it's not eligible, unless the game is on the supported titles list and the effect was enabled through the game's own native settings menu, not the ReShade panel.

You retain full copyright of your images. By entering, you grant the Photo Mode Awards a limited, non-exclusive licence to publish and share your photos solely for the purpose of promoting the awards.

Your work will always be credited to you.

People's Choice is a community-driven voting event that runs once the main submission window closes. The public votes to honour the best game developers behind photo modes, and to crown the Creator of the Year. Voting categories include:

• Best Action Game Photo Mode
• Best Adventure Game Photo Mode
• Best RPG Game Photo Mode
• Best Simulation Game Photo Mode
• Best Indie Game Photo Mode
• Creator of the Year

Once the main submission window closes, community voting opens: from Tuesday 29 June 2027 to Sunday 11 July 2027. For each category, 9 shortlisted nominations are presented.

One vote is permitted per person, per category. No account is required to vote.

Any attempt to manipulate voting (bots, fake accounts, coordinated campaigns) will result in disqualification and removal of votes. Results are final.

All submissions are first reviewed by the PMAs team for rule compliance and shortlisted as finalists. A panel of leading gaming industry experts then evaluates each finalist across four criteria:

• Creativity: originality and artistic vision
• Composition: technical skill and framing
• Storytelling: the narrative or emotion the photo conveys
• Adherence to category: how well the photo fits the theme

Judging is fully anonymous: judges do not see who submitted each photo, and judges do not have access to each other's selections.

Each category has 1 Winner and 1 Runner-Up. That's 12 recipients in total across all six categories.

Your photos may advance as finalists in multiple categories. However, an individual can only win one prize.

If you have the top-ranked photo in more than one category, the prize for additional categories passes to the next-highest-ranked photographer.

All finalists, winners, and runners-up are revealed exclusively during the official Photo Mode Awards Show. Stay tuned to the website and social channels for viewing details.

Prize winners are contacted after the announcement, by email first, using the details provided during entry.

Winners and runners-up are announced during the official PMAs Awards Show on Sunday 15 August 2027.

People's Choice winners are announced during the official PMAs Awards Show on Sunday 15 August 2027.

Yes. All judging decisions are final. No appeals or further correspondence will be entered into.

Each category Winner and Runner-Up receives a prize bundle featuring a curated selection of top video game titles and rare, unique merchandise from game developers and publishers.

See the T&Cs page for the full prize breakdown for the current year.

Creator of the Year honours an individual for their outstanding contributions to the virtual photography community, decided through People's Choice public voting.

The winner receives an exceptional prize package including a featured article in the Photo Mode Awards annual eMagazine. Full details are available on the T&Cs page.

We contact winners by email, using the address given at the time of submission, followed by a direct message on the social account you provided.

We won't keep chasing: if a winner doesn't respond within a reasonable timeframe, the prize may be offered to the next eligible entrant, or reallocated to a future year's awards, at the organisers' discretion.

Make sure the email and social accounts you give when you enter are current and monitored.

Physical prizes are shipped worldwide; however, logistical challenges may arise for winners in certain regions. Some digital prizes may also have regional or platform restrictions.

The PMAs will work with affected winners individually to look for an alternative, but a replacement is not guaranteed. Prizes are also subject to availability and may run out.

Yes. Developers whose game won Best Photo Mode in its category can opt in to receive a physical PMAs trophy. To arrange this, contact us directly through our social channels or via our Contact page.

Please contact us and describe the issue in as much detail as possible, including the browser you're using, the device type, and a screenshot if relevant. Our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

The Photo Mode Awards is completely free to enter and run independently by a small passionate team. There are a few ways to help keep the awards going and growing:

• Photographers and fans: support us on Patreon. Patreon supporters help fund the platform, prizes, and the editorial content we produce throughout the year. Every contribution, no matter the size, makes a real difference.
• Developers and publishers: sponsor the awards or partner with us through our contact form.
• Brands: sponsorships and partnerships through our contact form.

Want to connect with other creators, share your work, and chat with the team directly? Join our Discord community.