2026 ISAP Image Review & Critique

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The International Society of Animal Photographers invites members to participate in an exclusive Image Review & Critique, designed to help you refine your work and prepare for Merit Image Review.

This event provides a valuable opportunity to submit your images and receive professional feedback based on IPC judging criteria: Impact, Composition, Style, and Technical Excellence.

Each image will be reviewed and critiqued by one of our experienced judges. They will offer both strengths and areas for improvement.

This is a members only event and only members will be able to listen to the live audio.

Entry Deadline: August 3, 5:00 p.m. ET

Review & Critique Date: August 4, 11:00 a.m. ET

Entry Fees: $15 per image

Number of Entries Allowed: A maximum of five in a category. No overall limit on entries beyond the category limit of five.

Entry Size: Files must be sized so the longest dimension is 4000 pixels. Each file must contain an embedded color profile of either sRGB or AdobeRGB 1998 and be saved at a JPEG quality setting of 10.

Please note that mats are not required.

Judging:

Each image will be scored using IPC criteria: Impact, Composition, Style, and Technical Excellence. One judge will critique each image.

Judging Categories

Images will be evaluated and placed into one of the following MIR categories:

No Merit / Low Potential
Indicates fundamental issues such as exposure, lighting, focus, concept, or execution.
No Merit / Potential for Improvement
Close to merit level, with correctable issues such as cropping, retouching, or minor technical refinements.
Merit Image
Meets the standard of professional photography based on the 12 elements.
Image Excellence
Represents the highest level of achievement, exceptional execution and impact, exceeding merit standards.

Questions: Please address any questions to Ellen Zangla and Danica Barreau:

Ellen Zangla, ellen@ellenzanglaphotography.com
Danica Barreau, danica@pouka.com

Email Ellen

Email Danica

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Submission Categories

Featuring the merited images from our members

Pets & Domestic Animals

Portrait of a companion animal or animals, as well as domesticated livestock animals. Wildlife, wild animals, and zoo animals are not allowed in this category. Images that include a subject or subjects other than Pets or Domestic animals are not allowed in this category (no people). Composite and non-composite images and highly manipulated images (Photoshop or similar) are allowed in this category.

Sports

Images that illustrate an actual public or non-public sporting event. ONLY basic color and brightness adjustments, cropping, dodging, and burning in are allowed. Only single-capture images will be accepted. Composite and multiple-exposure, or in-camera, file-stacked images will not be accepted.

Wild Birds

Images must depict actual wild birds in a natural habitat. Cropping, rotating, selective dodge and burn, reducing noise, sharpening, adjusting color/black-and-white, applying grain, and minor retouching is allowed. Photo stitching, focus stacking, and multi-exposure are allowed as long as it is shot at the same time and in the same place as a consecutive sequence, seconds or minutes apart. It is NOT allowed to add or move elements by cloning, healing, patching, content-aware fill, liquefy, or similar tools.

Wildlife - Natural

Images must depict actual wildlife in a natural habitat. Cropping, rotating, selective dodge and burn, reducing noise, sharpening, adjusting color/black-and-white, applying grain, and minor retouching is allowed. Photo stitching, focus stacking, and multi-exposure are allowed as long as it is shot at the same time and in the same place as a consecutive sequence, seconds or minutes apart. It is NOT allowed to add or move elements by cloning, healing, patching, content-aware fill, liquefy, or similar tools.

Wildlife – Illustrative

An Illustrative or graphic depiction of any wildlife subject. Composite and non-composite images and highly manipulated images (Photoshop or similar) are allowed in this category.