Welcome to the NationStates Banner Photography Contest!
Submissions should be made in this thread according to the following rules and guidelines.
You should use the tool here to generate your submission link, then post it in this thread. See tool instructions on the same page. Re-cropping your image will generate a new link, it will not update any existing links.
The winning submissions will be added to the pool of images used as newspaper images in issues. Some of them may also be added as unlockable banners for nation pages or images for new national policies, if we feel they fit a specific unlock condition.
Winners will receive a sixth custom banner slot for the nation used to submit the photograph. Please note that the nation you posted in this thread with will also receive credit on the banner description, so let us know in the post if you want that to be a different nation.
Up to two submissions per player (not per nation) are allowed. If both of your submissions are selected, you will still only receive one extra custom banner slot.
NationStates Staff may submit images to be added, though they will not be eligible to win a custom banner slot.
Submissions must be posted in this thread by midnight Eastern Time (i.e. at the start of major) on April 30th, 2026.
The photograph must be one you have taken and hold the rights to. Submissions are subject to the usual terms and conditions. By sending in a submission, you give NationStates the irrevocable right to use and alter your photograph however we see fit.
What we are NOT looking for (things that will get your submission rejected):
- Photographs of people. Photographs that include people that have been blurred out or photoshopped are fine as long as the photo remains aesthetically pleasing.
- Photographs containing copyrighted material, such as corporate logos or an image of a TV playing a show. Photographs that include copyrighted material that has been blurred out or photoshopped are fine as long as the photo remains aesthetically pleasing.
- Photographs that have been generated or altered by artificial intelligence.
- Photographs that violate the site rules. If posting the image would get you in trouble anywhere else on the site, it will get you in trouble if you post it here.
- Images that aren't photographs.
- Photographs that are blurred or grayscaled to the point of unrecognizability.
The following list of categories is meant to give an idea of what we are looking for, though submissions are NOT required to fit into any of these categories:
- Natural Resources
- Animal(s)
- Language
- Industry
- Innovation
- Military
- Food
- City
- Culture
- Money/currency
- Celebration
- Food/dining
- Small life
- Weather
- Weird
- Planes and Public Transport
- Abandoned/Run-Down
- Low tech
- Crafts
- Music
