Adviser Photography Contest

Congratulations to the advisers recognized in the spring 2026 contest. Read more here.

The JEA Adviser Photography Contest provides an opportunity to recognize outstanding photojournalism amongst student media advisers. Any JEA member may submit ONE image related to the current contest’s theme. The photograph must be taken by the entrant. A full caption should be included with a brief discussion about how the photo relates to the theme.

Fall 2026 theme: TBA

Submission deadline

Fall 2026 contest will open Aug. 3. All entries must be submitted through the NSMC portal by 1 p.m. CDT Sept. 22.

Judging criteria

Imaginative subject matter; technical quality and excellence; photo composition; visual impact; simplicity; cropping; and lighting.

The photograph must be taken by the entrant, who must be a current JEA member. A full caption should be included with a brief discussion about how the photo relates to the theme. Quality of the caption may also be considered as part of judging.

Image requirements

• Entrants should visit Preparing Photo Entries for complete and detailed instructions.
• Photos must be no more than 5000 pixels in the long direction and saved as RGB (or grayscale), JPEG files. (For example: In Adobe Photoshop, adjust the photo’s size under Image > Image Size.) The system will reject any images that do not fit these requirements.
• A caption must be included in the image’s Description field. Photographer’s name must be included in the Author field. (For example: In Adobe Photoshop, go to File > File Info.)
• Photographers should use the Save As … function, not Export. Exported images exported do not contain the required metadata and will be rejected by the contest system.
• Do not submit images in which the content has been significantly digitally altered. Do not submit images created using artificial intelligence tools.

Award recognition

Entries will be reviewed by a panel of qualified judges and top entries will be awarded Superior, Excellent or Honorable Mention.

How to submit

Starting Aug. 3, log in here to enter the contest

(Make sure “Fall 2026 Adviser Photography Contest” is selected from the dropdown menu at the top of the dashboard.)

• Toggle to “Member Log in” and log in using your JEA membership account. Email JEA HQ if you experience any issues with your JEA membership.
• After logging in, make sure “Fall 2026 Adviser Photography Contest” is selected from the dropdown menu at the top of the dashboard.
• Scroll down to “Contests – Register for a Contest” and click “Register” under ADV-1 Adviser Photography.
• Next, click on “ADV-1 Adviser Photography” and find the blue upload button next to your name. Click there to upload your image submission. Note the image requirements listed above.

Past contest themes

• Spring 2026: Take a Break
• Fall 2025: Let’s Go
• Spring 2025: That’s a Wrap