Free tool: runs in your browser
Photo contest entry checklistbefore you submit a photo or video
TimeBinder adds a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes. Review the contest rules, the original capture and the records you can still show, before you upload a processed file.
Nothing you tick is sent anywhere. This page cannot decide whether an entry complies, and it is not a tool for identifying generated media.
Check the entry you are about to send
Tick what is true of the contest rules, the original capture and the file you will upload. You get a shareable result and clear next steps. Nothing you tick is sent to TimeBinder.
Your choices stay on this page. Nothing you tick is sent anywhere or tied to your name.
Tick everything that is true before you enter a photo or video contest
This looks at the rules, the original capture, and the records you can still show. It cannot decide whether an entry complies, and it is not a tool for identifying generated media.
What to do now
What should I keep before I enter a photo contest? The short answer
Read the current rules on generative AI, AI-assisted processing and disclosure. Keep the original capture (RAW, unprocessed video or camera original) separate from the file you upload, and write down the processing steps.
This checklist scores those points. It cannot decide an entry. A TimeBind of a file you already hold can show that exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. It is not a contest submission.
Why this came up in October 2026
On 9 October 2026, Nikon published a statement on its Small World site. After re-evaluating the original first-place video in the 2026 Small World in Motion competition, and consulting members of the judging panel, Nikon determined that the video "did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative AI." The rankings were adjusted. Nikon said the decision was based solely on the submitted video's eligibility under the rules, and "should not be interpreted as a judgment of the entrant's professional reputation, scientific contributions, or intent." CNN reported the decision on 12 October, and The Verge and PetaPixel also covered it. The official decision sits just over 30 days before this page was published; Google autocomplete still suggested "nikon small world ai disqualification" and "nikon small world in motion" on 12 November 2026. Individual posts about the case were modest, so the official statement and the press coverage are the primary record cited here.
This page does not use the video or anyone's likeness, and it does not add any finding of its own. The checks are written so they work the next time a photographer, a microscopist or anyone else is about to send a photo or a video to a contest or an agency.
Sources: Nikon's 9 October statement, CNN, The Verge, and PetaPixel.
What this checklist does and does not do
The honest job of this page is to slow down an upload until the original and the rules are in hand, not to judge the picture for you.
| Part | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Current contest rules | Gives you a reason to pause until you have read the AI, processing and disclosure rules. | Interpret the rules for you, or decide whether an entry complies. |
| The original capture | Reminds you to keep the RAW, unprocessed video or camera original beside the upload. | Recover a file you already discarded, or show how a finished file was made. |
| A note of the processing steps | Flags a submission that has no written record of what was applied. | Inspect the file, or identify generated media. |
| A TimeBind of the original you already hold | Records that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and still matches. | Stand as a contest entry, or replace the organiser's own process. |
If the capture is one you may need to stand behind later
For a contest entry, a stock submission or any other photograph or video you may have to show again:
- Keep the original capture in a place separate from the processed file you will upload.
- Make a TimeBind of that exact original. The fingerprint is made in your browser and the file stays on your device.
- Store the original, the processed upload, your processing notes and the Proof of Time Certificate together.
A TimeBind shows the exact file existed no later than the recorded time and still matches. It does not show how the picture was made, and it is not a contest submission.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. An ASAP TimeBind is US$15.
What a TimeBind shows, and what it does not. It shows that an exact file existed no later than a recorded time and that a copy shown later still matches its fingerprint. It does not show who made the file, who owns it, that its contents are true, or whether AI was used to make or edit it. This is general information, not legal advice.
Photo contest entry checklist: FAQ
Can this tool tell me whether my entry will be accepted?
No. It cannot read a contest's rules for you, and it cannot inspect the file. It only helps you review whether you have read the current AI rules, kept the original capture, and written down the processing before you submit.
Does this tool identify AI-generated photos or videos?
No. It is not a tool for identifying generated media. A finished file, on its own, often cannot show how it was made. That is why the checklist asks you to keep the original capture and a note of the processing steps.
What is a TimeBind of my original capture?
A TimeBind of an exact file records its SHA-256 fingerprint and a time. Later you can show that file existed no later than that time and still matches. It does not store a recoverable copy, it is not a contest submission, and it does not decide an entry.
What happened in the Nikon Small World in Motion case this page mentions?
On 9 October 2026, Nikon published a statement that, after re-evaluating the original first-place video in its 2026 Small World in Motion competition and consulting members of the judging panel, it had determined that the video "did not comply with the competition rules regarding generative AI." Nikon adjusted the rankings. The statement said the decision "is based solely on the submitted video's eligibility under the rules outlined for this competition" and "should not be interpreted as a judgment of the entrant's professional reputation, scientific contributions, or intent." CNN reported the decision on 12 October. This page does not use the video or anyone's likeness, and it does not add any finding of its own.
Is anything I tick sent to TimeBinder?
No. The checklist runs in your browser. Your ticks stay on the page.
Does a high result mean my photo breaks the rules?
No. It means you have not yet read the current AI rules, written down the processing, or kept a dated copy of the original capture. Do that before you submit.
Related guides and tools
- Timestamping for creatorsThe TimeBinder hub for photographers and other creators
- Photo contest and stock submission evidenceWhat to keep before you send an entry
- How to verify when a photo was takenWhat capture metadata can and cannot show
- Photo metadata removerStrip location and camera tags in your browser
- Content Credentials checkerRead a C2PA manifest, if a file has one
- Free SHA-256 hash checkerMake a fingerprint of a file in your browser
- All free toolsPrivate, in-browser tools
Date the original capture you already hold
Add a layer of protection against AI and human fraud and disputes: a dated, checkable record of the exact original, kept beside the file you submit.
- Open the app and sign in with email or Google.
- Add your files. They stay on your computer.
- Seal them and download your Proof of Time certificates.
First Pooled TimeBind free, no card, then from US$5. See pricing.