‘A photograph captures light on a sensor or film. It is a record of a physical moment.’
We often ponder the definition of “real” photography, especially in an era dominated by generative AI, and the World Press Photo competition might offer insight. This esteemed award honors the pinnacle of photojournalism, where capturing true reality is essential.
The 2026 winning entry, “Separated by ICE” by Carol Guzy, was announced recently. This poignant image depicts children holding onto their father after an immigration hearing. To qualify for the competition, the photo adhered to strict rules regarding AI tools, with the organization declaring that AI-generated images do not constitute photography.
“A photograph captures light on a sensor or film,” the rules state. “It is a record of a physical moment.” The permitted tools and equipment are specified:
All photographs must be made with a camera. Synthetic or artificially generated images are disallowed, and artificially generative fill in post-production is forbidden. Such use results in automatic disqualification.
Smartphone photos are allowed only in standard mode; HDR, portrait mode, creative lighting effects, or panorama mode are ineligible.
AI-powered enhancement tools are permissible as long as they don’t significantly alter the image, introduce new information, or remove information captured by the camera.
AI-powered enlarging tools like Adobe Super Resolution and Topaz Photo AI are prohibited, as they use generative AI models to add new details to images.
There are gray areas, such as AI tools for denoising, automatic color/contrast adjustments, and object selection, which are allowed if not extensively used and don’t “alter, add or remove information from the photograph captured by the camera,” according to World Press Photo. The organization explains what constitutes photo manipulation under its rules.
This comprehensive set of requirements might serve as a benchmark for defining authentic photography in the future.