NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Free to enter. Void where prohibited.
By entering, you agree to these Official Rules in full. Please read them before you submit.
You must own the image you submit and have the right to enter it, including the consent of anyone identifiable in it. If you enter, you're giving us permission to share your image on social media, credited to the account you gave us at submission. The contest is open to entrants in the United States, and prizes can only be sent to winners based in the US. There are four (4) winners. Each winner receives one (1) MODE Festival ticket and one (1) annual Narrative Standard license. The MODE Festival ticket does not include flights, accommodation, or other travel costs. Two (2) winners are chosen by our guest judge and two (2) are chosen by public vote on Instagram, counted as one vote per account per entry over a 48 hour window. If a public vote is tied for winning place, the guest judge decides between the tied images.
This contest ("Contest") is run by Software Limited, of 321 Karangahape Road, Auckland 1010, New Zealand ("Narrative", "we", "us"). Narrative is the sole administrator and operator of the Contest and is responsible for all aspects of its administration, including the drafting and publication of these Official Rules, compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, entry collection, winner selection and notification, tax reporting obligations, and all related terms and conditions. MODE and MODE Festival, operated by the team at Flickr ("MODE"), is not an administrator or operator of the Contest. MODE's participation is limited to providing one (1) MODE prize pack per winner, for which MODE is solely responsible as set out in Section 8.
Entries open: Tuesday 4th August 2026 at 7pm.
Entries close: Tuesday 25th August 2026 at 7pm.
Public voting on Instagram: Tuesday 1st September 2026 from 7pm to Thursday 3rd September 2026 at 7pm, a 48 hour window
Winners publicly announced: Tuesday 8th September 2026 at 7pm.
All times refer to US Eastern Time. Narrative's clock is the official timekeeper for the Contest.
The Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years or older (or the age of majority in their state of residence, whichever is greater) at the time of entry.
The following are not eligible: employees, contractors, officers, and directors of Narrative, MODE, Flickr, and their affiliates, and the immediate family members and households of each.
Entries submitted on behalf of, or by, anyone outside the United States are not eligible. Winners must be based in the United States to receive a prize (see Section 8).
Submit your image or images through the entry form at: narrative.so/mode-x-narrative during the Contest period.
You may submit up to three (3) images. Entry is free.
At submission you must provide the Instagram handle you want credited if your image is shared or selected as a finalist. This account should be public so it can be tagged and, where relevant, take part in the public vote.
Each image must be a photograph you personally captured. AI-generated or AI-synthesized images are not eligible.
Incomplete entries, and entries that don't meet these rules, may be disqualified.
By entering, you represent and warrant that:
The image is your own original work and you are the sole owner of all rights in it.
You have all rights and permissions needed to enter the image and to grant the license in Section 6. This includes permission from any identifiable person in the image (or, where that person is a minor, the consent of their parent or legal guardian), and from the owner of any private property or protected location shown, where such permission is required.
By submitting an image, you confirm that you have obtained all necessary consents from every identifiable person featured in it for that image to be entered into the Contest, published, and used as described in Section 6.
The image does not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or any other rights of any person or organization.
The image does not contain unlawful, defamatory, sexually explicit, obscene, hateful, or otherwise objectionable content. Narrative may disqualify any entry it considers inappropriate, at its sole discretion.
You keep full ownership and copyright of your image. Entering does not transfer ownership to Narrative or MODE.
Indemnity. You indemnify Narrative and Mode against any claim, loss, or damage arising from or in relation to any person featured in your submitted image, including any claim that you did not have that person's consent (or their guardian’s consent if such person is a minor) to submit, publish, or otherwise use the image as described in these rules.
Finalist confirmation. If your image is selected as a finalist, we may contact you in writing to re-confirm that you hold all necessary consents described above before we publish your image for public voting. We may withhold or withdraw an entry from the finalist shortlist if we do not receive that confirmation.
By entering, you grant Narrative and MODE a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, display, and share your submitted image or images in connection with the Contest and its promotion. This includes posting on Narrative's and MODE's social media channels, websites, newsletters, and marketing materials.
When we share your image, we will credit you by tagging the Instagram account you provided at submission. This permission does not require any further payment or notice to you. You keep your copyright and can continue to use your image however you like.
There will be four (4) winners, each receiving one prize (Section 8), chosen as follows
Winners 1 and 2 — Guest judge. The guest judge selects two (2) winning images from eligible entries. Entries will be judged on originality and creativity, photographic quality, and relevance to the theme “so right it’s wrong.” The judge's decision is final and not open to challenge.
Winners 3 and 4 — People's Choice (Instagram vote). Narrative selects a shortlist of finalists from eligible entries and posts them on Instagram. The two (2) entries with the most valid votes at the end of the voting window win. Narrative’s determination of the vote count is final. The public votes by commenting on that post, as follows:
One comment counts as one vote for one entry.
We count a maximum of one vote per Instagram account per entry. If an account comments more than once for the same entry, it still counts as a single vote.
Voting is open for 48 hours from the time stated on the post. Any comments made after the window closes are not counted.
Votes from fake, duplicate, automated, or bot accounts, and any votes we reasonably believe are the result of manipulation, will not be counted and may lead to disqualification.
The entry with the most valid votes at the end of the voting window wins. Narrative's determination of the vote count is final.
Tiebreaker. If a tie affects a winning place, the guest judge will choose the winner from among the tied entries. That decision is final.
Each of the four (4) winners receives:
One (1) MODE Festival ticket, for the winner only.
One (1) annual Narrative Standard license, for the winner only.
The MODE Festival ticket does not include flights, accommodation, transfers, meals, or any other travel costs, which are the sole responsibility of the winner.
* This exclusion will also be displayed prominently on the competition landing page.
MODE's responsibility for its ticket. The MODE Festival ticket is supplied by MODE and is governed by MODE's own terms and conditions https://www.modefestival.com/terms. Narrative takes no responsibility for the MODE ticket, and all claims relating to it must be directed to MODE.
Approximate total value of each prize: $490 USD.
Prizes are non-transferable, cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash, and winners are responsible for any taxes that apply to their prize.
Winners will be notified by Instagram direct message and/or email within 2 days of the winners being decided. To claim a prize, a winner must respond within 7 days of being contacted and:
confirm they meet these rules, including that they are based in the United States, and
provide their delivery details.
If a winner cannot be reached, does not respond within the claim window, is found to be ineligible, or declines the prize, they forfeit the prize. Narrative may then select an alternate winner using the same method (guest judge selection or next-highest valid vote count), or leave the prize unawarded, at its discretion.
Prizes can only be delivered to addresses in the United States. 10. Publicity
By accepting a prize, each winner agrees that Narrative and MODE may announce and publish their name and Instagram handle, and share their winning image, in connection with the Contest and its promotion, without further permission or payment, except where prohibited by law.
Narrative may disqualify any entrant who breaks these rules, tampers with the entry or voting process, or acts in a way that is unfair to other entrants or damaging to the Contest.
Narrative reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the Contest, or to change these rules, if fraud, technical failures, or any other cause beyond its reasonable control affects the fair running of the Contest. Any changes will be posted at [entry URL].
By entering, you release Narrative, MODE, Flickr, and their affiliates, and their employees and agents, from any claims, losses, or damages arising from your participation in the Contest or your acceptance or use of a prize, to the fullest extent permitted by law.
To the maximum extent permitted by law Narrative disclaims all liability in connection with, and MODE is solely responsible for, the Mode prize pack (including the festival ticket and Mode products), as set out in Section 8.
This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Instagram or Meta. By entering or voting, you release Instagram and Meta from any responsibility for this promotion. You understand you are providing your information to Narrative and MODE, not to Instagram or Meta.
Information you provide when entering is collected by Narrative and used to run the Contest, contact winners, and share entries as described in these rules. It is handled in line with Narrative's Privacy Policy at https://narrative.so/privacy-policy. We do not sell your personal information. Winner delivery details are shared with MODE solely to fulfill the MODE Festival ticket.
These rules are governed by the laws of New Zealand, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute connected with the Contest will be handled in the courts of New Zealand.
For questions about the Contest, or to request the names of the winners after the announcement date, contact [email protected]
Last updated: 29 July 2026.