You may submit up to three photographs through our PollUnit submission form.

In line with the educational mission of the Carolina Global Photography Exhibition, photo captions should help deepen viewers’ understanding of the regional and/or cultural contexts of the photograph. Captions should offer the viewer additional context that allows them to come to a more informed understanding about the photograph. Below are examples of successful photo captions that have been displayed in past exhibitions:  

• The Hussaini Village sits on the Hunza River and is surrounded by robust mountains in the valley of Gojal in northern Pakistan. While enjoying chai and chapati, an unleavened flatbread, a local farmer chats with visitors. For farmers to transport crops, and for guests to visit this village, they must cross the Borit River using the well-known Hussaini Bridge, a 660-foot suspension bridge made of small wooden planks about six feet long tied together with rope. Surrounded by the Hussaini Glacier and the Khunjarav River, the Hussaini Village is one of the oldest settlements of the Wakhi people in the Gojal Valley.
   
• The Benedictine monks of Keur Moussa Abbey have spent the last 60 years perfecting the design of the kora, a stringed instrument carved from the body of a calabash gourd. The monks build their kora harps in a small workshop on the abbey grounds and offer lessons to teach others. The instrument is featured prominently in the music of Keur Moussa’s masses, where hymns are composed and sung in the monks’ native languages, including Diola, Wolof, and Serer.
   
• Looking through this window overlooking the city of Rome, one can catch a glimpse into another world—the Vatican, specifically St. Peter’s Basilica, in all of its extravagance. Through this frame is not only a church but a country within a country. The Vatican houses the Pope, the Holy See (the universal government of the Roman Catholic Church), and an abundance of relics, iconic art, and stunning architecture.

No. You can submit a photo from travel experiences (personal, professional or otherwise) that are not affiliated with Carolina. There is also no requirement about when the photo was taken. The photo could be from this past summer or from 20 years ago!

Any individual who is affiliated with UNC-Chapel Hill is eligible to participate in the competition. This includes part-time students and students in joint programs with other universities as well as employees (faculty, staff, full and part-time, permanent and temporary) and alumni.

Yes! But by submitting your photo to the contest, you provide permission for Carolina to use your photos for marketing and advertising purposes for both print and digital media. Please refer to Carolina Global Photography Competition terms and conditions in the submission form for more details.

We love to promote the global experiences of our Carolina students, alumni, faculty and staff. In the past, photos have been used on various Carolina websites and social media, printed in publications such as Endeavors magazine and the Alumni Review, and used in promotional materials such as brochures, calendars and annual reports. 

Winners will be notified via email by winter break using the email address included in your submission form.

Yes! The top three overall winners will each receive a prize. Prizes vary each year.

Photographs will be exhibited in the FedEx Global Education Center beginning in January and running through the end of the calendar year. The exhibition is open to the public, and we welcome and encourage community members and community groups to view the photos on display. Learn more about building hours, location and parking. You can also view the exhibition online through our virtual gallery.

Yes! If your photograph has been selected as a competition finalist, you will receive an email from exhibition coordinators with instructions about how to pick up your printed photograph and caption panel after the exhibition closes. Please note that the frame is not included.