Photo contests
A directory of open photography contests from around the web. Looking for fotoclub.md's own community contest?
clipa
International digital photo contest run by photo club Nistru, with nine themed sections.
IAAPThe contest is international and accepts digital works only, with up to 4 works per section. It has nine sections: Open Color, Open Monochrome, Nature, Summer, Winter, People, Contrast, Harmony and Animals. Fees are charged per section on a scale from EUR 6 to EUR 18.
absence
International digital photo contest run by EPS Art Group, with twelve thematic sections.
IAAPThe contest is international and accepts digital works only, with up to 4 works per section. It has twelve sections, including Nature, Photojournalism, Travel, Minimalism, Cityscape, Architecture, Emotion and Family. Fees are charged per section on a scale from EUR 5 to EUR 20.
Deadline: December 19, 2026
Country: North Macedonia
Entry fee: 5 EUR
Theme: color, monochrome, nature, trees, photojournalism, travel, light and shadow, minimalism, cityscape, architecture, emotion, family
Prize: IAAP, NATIONAL and SALON Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention e-certificates in each section.
elderly
International digital photo contest organised by Big Sky photo collective on the theme of elderly people.
The contest is international and accepts digital works only, with up to 8 works in its single section, Elderly. The fee is priced by number of works, from USD 2 to USD 16. The jury has three members.
8th ATHENS HPS PHOTO SALON 2026
An IAAP-recognised international photo salon in Athens, Greece, with entries open until 27 December 2026.
IAAPThe 8th Athens HPS Photo Salon 2026 is an IAAP-recognised photo salon, and every accepted image counts toward IAAP honors. Entries are open until 27 December 2026. The full rules, eligibility, categories, and fee were not available in the page content I could retrieve, so those fields are left unset.
momentum
International digital photo contest run by Photo group Anastatica, with twelve themed sections.
IAAPThe contest is international and accepts digital works only, with up to 4 works per section. It has twelve sections, including Woman, Portrait, Street, Sports, Nude and Architecture. Fees are charged per section on a scale from EUR 6 to EUR 21.
Deadline: December 28, 2026
Country: North Macedonia
Entry fee: 6 EUR
Theme: woman, color, monochrome, nature, photojournalism, photo travel, portrait, creative, street, sports, nude, architecture
Prize: IAAP, NATIONAL and CLUB Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention e-certificates in each section.
plima
International digital photography competition with twelve themed sections, hosted by Student Photo Group Koper in Slovenia.
IAAPOpen to digital entries in sections A to L, with up to 4 works per section. Section themes include open colour, monochrome, photojournalism, nature, animals, water, seasons, lines, light and shadows, people, women and emotion. The fee is charged by the number of sections entered, starting at EUR 5 for the first section.
Deadline: December 29, 2026
Country: Slovenia
Entry fee: 5 EUR
Theme: open color, monochrome, photojournalism, nature, animals, water, seasons, lines, light and shadows, people, women, emotion
Prize: IAAP and KOPER gold, silver and bronze e-certificates, plus honorable mention e-certificates, awarded per section.
eclipse
International digital photography salon with twelve sections, organised by Bistra Art Group in North Macedonia.
IAAPNPUMOpen to digital entries in sections A to L, with up to 4 works per section. Section themes include open monochrome, architecture, landscape, animals, open colour, nude, photojournalism, nature, shadows, woman, portrait and street. The fee is charged by the number of sections entered, starting at EUR 5 for the first section.
Deadline: December 29, 2026
Country: North Macedonia
Entry fee: 5 EUR
Theme: monochrome, architecture, landscape, animals, open color, nude, photojournalism, nature, shadows, woman, portrait, street
Prize: IAAP, NATIONAL and SALON gold, silver and bronze e-certificates, plus honorable mention e-certificates, awarded per section.
ZAYED FOUNDATION FOR CREATIVITY INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
ZAYED FOUNDATION FOR CREATIVITY INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST is international contest of art photography, organized by Zayed Foundation for Creativity from Cairo, Egypt.
IAAPCommon Sections for All Age Groups 1. Open Color Section: All types of colored photographs are allowed with no thematic restrictions 2. Open Monochrome Section: All types of black and white or monochromatic images are allowed Additional Section for Participants under 16 3. Daily Life Photography: Images that creatively reflect daily life scenes Additional Section for Youth under 25 4. Digital Creativity: Digitally edited images with creative expression Special Section for Professionals over 25 5. Travel & Cultures: Photos reflecting the traditions and cultures of different peoples The contest is open to anyone (amateur and professional photographers from all over the world); however, an entry may be rejected when the sponsoring organization or its agent, in its reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to the contest rules and conditions. Entries must originate as photographs (image-captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally. By virtue of submitting an entry, the entrant certifies the image as his own (aliases are not permitted). The entrant permits the sponsors to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to the exhibition. This may include low resolution posting on a website. Note: Entrants who indicate that their images may not be reproduced or used 'will not be eligible for awards' or inclusion in audio-visuals of the exhibition 'and could be subject to disqualification' by the exhibition sponsors. By submitting an entry, the entrant certifies legal Age, and own all rights to these images, including copyright or parents or guardians gives permission on his/her behalf if he/she is not of Legal Age. The exhibition assumes no liability of any misuse of copyright. Images may be altered, either electronically or otherwise, by the maker. All final image must be on photographic film, or on electronic file, or on photographic or electronic print material, mounting excepted. No title or identification of the maker shall be visible anywhere on the face of an image, print mat or mount.
Fotoaward 2026
A free, invitation-only annual global photo contest with no genre categories, judged by an international jury.
FOTOAWARD 2026 is an entirely free annual photo contest created by photography enthusiasts for photographers worldwide, run on an invitation-only model where photographers first submit work for review before selected authors are invited to participate. It deliberately avoids genre-based categories, letting participants showcase their best work without thematic constraints, and accepted works are published on the contest's exhibition platform for review by an international jury throughout the year.
Monthly Themed Art Challenges | Free Entry Early Bird
A recurring monthly art and photography challenge from Ten Moir Gallery with a free early-bird entry period and cash awards.
Ten Moir Gallery runs ongoing monthly themed challenges open to both traditional artists and photographers, with a new theme introduced each month. Entry is free during the early-bird period (typically through the 15th), with a later final submission deadline and results announcement. Open to artists of all backgrounds and experience levels worldwide, entrants must be 18 or older.
Deadline: December 31, 2026
Country: International
Entry fee: Fee not listed
Theme: fine art, mixed media, open theme, monthly challenge
Prize: Best in Show wins a $150 cash award plus artist interview, spotlight and homepage feature; Category Runner-Ups (Traditional & Photography) win $50 cash awards plus features; Finalists (Top 15-20) receive a digital certificate and group feature; all selected artists are showcased in the Monthly Challenge Collection.