Local Testimony, The Annual Exhibition for Press and Documentary Photography – Guiding Regulations
Please note: This document is written in the masculine form, but is intended for both women and men.

Introduction
"Local Testimony," the annual exhibition for press and documentary photography, is presented yearly at MUZA – Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv. The exhibition features the best works by Israeli, Palestinian, and foreign photographers active in our region, as selected by an independent judging panel and exhibition curator/s, who change every two years. The exhibition reflects the events of the past year and captures human moments of social, cultural, and historical value across various walks of life.

Special Notice
Please note: Changes have been made this year to the competition submission method. Only single images are to be submitted for the different competition categories. Series must be submitted separately. Detailed explanation follows below.

Eligibility
Press and documentary photographers, Israeli and Palestinian photo artists, and foreign photographers active in Israel for at least three years, are eligible, provided they are:
A. Photographers holding a press card (GPO) or a Union of Journalists in Israel card. B. Photographers who do not hold a press card, but whose photographs have been published in professional printed and online media during the past year, may participate in all competition categories except for the "News" category. C. Photo artists who have exhibited in a solo exhibition or group exhibitions in museums and contemporary art galleries during the last four years may participate in all competition categories except for the "News" category.
Only photographs taken in Israel and/or the Palestinian Authority, or photographs documenting events that occurred outside these territories but have a clear connection to Israel, will be accepted for the competition. For example, documentation of an Israeli delegation, humanitarian or otherwise, abroad.
Exclusive photographs from public or private spokesperson bodies of events that were closed to other press photographers will not be accepted for the competition, unless the photographs were taken within an agreed framework (pool) for all photographers.

Rules of Participation
Registration for the competition is conducted solely by uploading photographs to the "Local Testimony" website. Uploading a photograph to the website constitutes confirmation that the registering photographer has read these regulations and expresses consent to all the conditions stipulated therein.
The photographs submitted for judging must only be those taken between the dates 1.9.2024 – 31.8.2025.
Photographs submitted to "Local Testimony" may not be submitted to any other local photography competition.
A photograph may be submitted only once. The same photograph shall not be submitted to different categories, and a photograph that appears as part of a series shall not be submitted separately as a single image.
Submitted photographs must be original and the photographer's own work. By uploading the photographs to the website, the photographer declares that he is the copyright holder.
Participants in the competition will not receive financial compensation for their participation and the display of their works within the framework of the exhibition and the "Local Testimony" website, or for any use of the photographs for public relations, advertising, and promotion of that year's exhibition only.

Submission to the Competition
Single Images (Please note the new submission rules):
You may submit up to 10 images for each of the following competition categories:

• News – Major current affairs events covered prominently in the media. This category is open only to photographers holding a press card (GPO) or a Union of Journalists in Israel card.

• Religion and Belief – Lifestyles, beliefs, customs, rituals, and ceremonies.

• Society and Community – Struggles and daily lives of the various communities living in the local reality.

• Urbanism and Culture – Street photography, architecture, art, design.

• Sport – Professional, competitive, and amateur sports, athletes, and fans.

• Nature and Environment – Landscape, flora, and fauna photography, alongside issues of ecology and environmental preservation.
   

Short Series (Please note the new submission rules):
A. A sequence of images from the same event or story, whose documentary value exceeds that of a single image and which took place during the competition year. B. Up to 4 series may be submitted, each containing only 4 – 6 photographs. C. It is possible to submit series related to any of the competition categories or series that combine categories, provided that a sequence or story is created that carries special documentary significance. D. There is no press card restriction when submitting series.

Long Exposure
A. A series of photographs presenting a story with documentary depth, spanning more than one year, whose value exceeds that of a sequence of images from the same event, and which offers a unique and personal visual language. B. The series must include between 10 to 15 photographs. At least 3 of the photographs must be from the past year..

Video
A. Video works and short films produced in 2024 – 2025, according to the competition categories. B. The length of the submitted work may not exceed 7 minutes, with a minimum resolution of 1920 pixels for the long side. C. 1 – 4 images in JPG format taken from the video. D. The file name must be your name in English, using Latin letters. Please strictly adhere to this. E. Works must be uploaded via the competition system.
Attention Video Creators – The creator is solely responsible for obtaining the necessary permits from ACUM (Authors, Composers and Music Publishers). Since this process is complex and sometimes nearly impossible, we recommend using original sound or sound available for free use in the video work.

Method of Submission
Photographs that have undergone extreme processing in a way that fundamentally alters the original content of the photograph will not be accepted. Furthermore, the use of Artificial Intelligence technologies such as AI, ChatGPT, Bard, and non-documentary computerized images is prohibited.
Only reasonable cropping (Crop) of the image is permitted. Cropping that completely deviates from the original will not be accepted.
For the judging process, photographs must be submitted only as a JPG file, with a minimum resolution of 3000 pixels for the long side of the image. There is no weight limit.
Identifying details of the photographer must not appear on the submitted photographs. Photographs must be submitted without framing, logo, or mention of the photographer's name, and without an address or any other information embedded on the photograph or in the accompanying text.
Participants must add a concise description, up to 30 words, to describe each image or series.
It must be ensured that every photograph submitted to the competition in a lightweight file has a high-resolution quality source that is suitable for printing at a size of at least 70x100 cm.
After a photograph is selected for the exhibition, the photographer must transfer the photograph to the team in a high-resolution file, in TIFF or JPG format, at maximum quality, suitable for printing at a size of at least 70x100 cm and with an Adobe RGB (1998) color profile at 300 DPI. If the received file does not meet these conditions, the team will be obliged to disqualify the photograph.
The photographer must be prepared to submit a RAW file if required, or another original file, or a sequence of photographs from the same event.

Timeline
Submission of photograph files will begin on Wednesday, 13.8.2025, and end on Sunday, 31.8.2025, at 23:59.
Judging will take place during September 2025.
The names of the participating photographers will be published during October 2025.
The "Local Testimony" team reserves the right to change the above dates.

The Exhibition
The exhibition team will award a total of three prizes to outstanding creators for their work. The value of each prize is ₪10,000. The prizes will be awarded to the photographers of the Photo of the Year, Series of the Year, and Video Work of the Year.
"Local Testimony," or anyone on its behalf, is not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any demands, claims, or lawsuits by third parties regarding the publication of the selected photographs due to infringement of copyright laws, violation of intellectual property rights, or violation of a person's privacy.
The curatorial and judging team of "Local Testimony" is responsible for selecting the works and the manner of their display in the exhibition, using professional discretion.
A. It is not possible to interfere with these considerations or withdraw from participation due to the determined composition of the works or the manner of their display in the exhibition. B. The "Local Testimony" team is authorized to move photographs between categories or cancel a category according to its professional discretion.

The exhibition team is available to assist you at info@edutmekomit.co.il