Competitions · Research and innovation · MILSET SPC
SPC, the MILSET STEAM Photo Contest.
One photograph, sixty characters of title and three hundred of explanation. Compositing is banned, so whatever you show has to have actually been there - and the best work is exhibited at an observatory in the French Pyrenees.
The rule that defines it
No compositing. The photograph has to be true.
This is a science competition that happens to use a camera, not a photography competition with a science theme - and the editing rules are where that shows.
Compositing and manipulation are prohibited
Computer compositing and photo manipulation are banned outright, as is adding, removing or distorting anything in the frame.
Basic processing is allowed
Cropping and corrective adjustment are permitted. The line is between improving a photograph and changing what it shows.
And nothing may be written on it
No watermarks and no descriptive text in the image. The explanation goes in the caption field, not on the picture.
Which makes the observation the achievement
You cannot construct the phenomenon. You have to find it, understand it well enough to recognise it, and be there with a camera when it happens.
At a glance
What the contest is.
MILSET is the largest non-profit youth STEM platform in the world, with member organisations - mostly national youth science associations - across 69 countries and regions and more than 37 years of history. It runs over thirty STEM events a year, of which the photo contest is one of the three largest.
- Organiser
- MILSET, the International Movement for Leisure Activities in Science and Technology
- Who can enter
- Students in grades 7 to 12 - any year of junior or senior high school
- Format
- Individual, and entirely online
- Entries
- One photograph per paid entry
- File requirements
- JPG, PNG, PSD or TIFF, colour or greyscale, at least 2000 pixels wide and under 10MB. A digital camera is recommended
- Title
- In English, 60 characters or fewer
- Caption
- A short explanation of the scientific concept or phenomenon shown, in English, 300 characters or fewer
- Editing
- Cropping and corrective adjustment permitted. Compositing, manipulation and any addition, removal or distortion prohibited
- Judging
- A panel of at least ten specialists in photography, STEAM education and science communication, assessing anonymously
- The season
- Entries open in May and close in mid-October, with registration closing at the start of September
- How China entries are handled
- All China-region photographs are judged in China first, and the strongest go forward to MILSET globally for review by its science expert panel
How it is judged
Four criteria, and only one is about photography.
The balance between science and craft is the thing to understand before choosing a picture to enter.
| Criterion | What the panel looks for |
|---|---|
| Creativity | Originality in the photograph itself and in the photographic technique used |
| Content | How effectively the image communicates a scientific phenomenon or concept visually |
| Technical quality | Focus, composition, depth of field and processing |
| Artistic quality | Aesthetic quality, and visual and emotional appeal |
Two of the four are about whether the science comes across. A technically perfect photograph of something the viewer cannot identify scores on half the sheet.
What to photograph
Space leads, but the field is wide.
The contest highlights a theme each season while accepting work across the whole of STEAM.
The space theme
Recent seasons have asked entrants to show their enthusiasm for space exploration and the science behind it - starry skies, the Moon, planets, eclipses.
And anything else in STEAM
Photographs communicating any concept or phenomenon in science, technology, engineering, art or mathematics are eligible.
Across MILSET’s fields
Biology, chemistry, computing, earth and applied sciences, and space science.
At any scale
Macro and micro, natural and physical. A photograph through a microscope competes on the same terms as one through a telescope.
The awards
Where the winning photographs end up.
The global prize is exhibition rather than money, which for a photograph is arguably the better outcome.
Global top three
The three leading photographs worldwide, whose makers receive a letter from the global committee.
Exhibited at an observatory in France
Global best photographs are shown on the MILSET site and exhibited at the Pic du Midi de Bigorre observatory museum in the Pyrenees. The global top ten are displayed online.
China-region awards
First prize for the top 10%, second for the top 20% and third for the top 35% of the China-region field.
And a certificate either way
Electronic award certificates for winners, and electronic participation certificates for everyone else.
Preparation
How Hanlin supports an SPC entry.
One photograph and 300 characters is a very small submission, which means each part of it carries a lot.
Finding a phenomenon worth photographing
The strongest entries start from a scientific observation rather than a good picture. Knowing what you are looking for is what puts you in the right place.
Writing 300 characters that explain
The caption is where the science is judged. Three hundred characters is roughly fifty words - enough for one clear idea and nothing more, which is a real discipline.
Working inside the editing rules
Cropping and correction only. Understanding where that line falls before you shoot changes how you shoot.
And choosing one image
A single photograph per entry means the selection is itself a judgement. Students usually pick the most beautiful frame; the panel is looking for the clearest.
Talk to an advisor
Hanlin does not coach MILSET SPC. Ask what it does coach.
The services below are real, but not for this competition. An advisor will say plainly whether there is a route here and what is worth entering instead.
Competition entry and planning
Which competitions suit this student, in what order, and by when - then we handle the registration, including the ones that can only be entered through a school or a centre.
Competition coaching
Taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
International curriculum tutoring
IB, AP, A-Level, IGCSE and the US high school curriculum, taught alongside school and timed around the exam calendar.
Competition past papers, free
A large library of past papers, mark schemes and syllabus breakdowns across every competition on this site. No charge and no enrolment.
Scan to add an advisor
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Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
SPC, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
Who can enter?
Students in grades 7 to 12, individually. It is an online competition.
How many photographs can I submit?
One per paid entry.
What are the file requirements?
JPG, PNG, PSD or TIFF, colour or greyscale, at least 2000 pixels wide and under 10MB. A digital camera is recommended.
Can I edit my photograph?
Cropping and corrective adjustment are allowed. Computer compositing and manipulation are prohibited, as is adding, removing or distorting anything in the frame. Watermarks and text in the image are not permitted either.
What has to accompany the photograph?
An English title of 60 characters or fewer, and an English explanation of the scientific concept or phenomenon shown, of 300 characters or fewer.
How is it judged?
By a panel of at least ten specialists in photography, STEAM education and science communication, assessing anonymously on creativity, content, technical quality and artistic quality.
What can I photograph?
Recent seasons have highlighted space - starry skies, the Moon, planets, eclipses - but any photograph communicating a concept or phenomenon in science, technology, engineering, art or mathematics is eligible, at macro or micro scale.
What do winners receive?
Global top three receive a letter from the global committee. Global best photographs are shown on the MILSET site and exhibited at the Pic du Midi de Bigorre observatory museum in France. China-region first, second and third prizes go to the top 10%, 20% and 35%.
Is there a certificate?
Yes. Electronic award certificates for winners and electronic participation certificates for everyone else.
Is it an individual or team competition?
Individual.
Related
Other competitions for visual and creative work.
What students enter alongside SPC.
MILSET SPC enquiries
You cannot build the picture. You have to find it.
Compositing is banned, so an SPC entry begins with knowing what phenomenon you are looking for and being there when it happens. Tell us what the student photographs and an advisor will help find the science in it.