Photo contests
A directory of open photography contests from around the web. Looking for fotoclub.md's own community contest?
Elements by The Glasgow Gallery of Photography 2027
An international open call inviting photographers to interpret earth, wind, water, fire and other elemental themes for a January 2027 group exhibition in Glasgow.
Open to photographers worldwide, this exhibition call invites one to eight images exploring the theme of 'Elements' — from the four classical elements to weather, the periodic table, and other fundamental forces shaping the world. Submission is free, with a £50 participation fee payable only if selected for the physical exhibition, which runs at The Glasgow Gallery of Photography from January 7 to 30, 2027. Selected photographers also receive catalogue inclusion, an online exhibition presentation, installation documentation, and a digital certificate.
Deadline: September 18, 2026 (Closed)
Country: International
Entry fee: Fee not listed
Theme: conceptual, environmental, nature, weather
Prize: Exhibition + Promotion (physical exhibition in Glasgow, online gallery display, catalogue inclusion, digital certificate, installation documentation, and eligibility for Photographer of the Month)
Pacific halo International Photography Circuit 2026
An international photography circuit (Pacific halo International Photography Circuit 2026) with WPU/CIPA patronage, open worldwide across five sections.
WPUCIPAJCPCJSPAHJPPThe Pacific halo International Photography Circuit 2026 is an international salon open to photographers from all around the world, conducted in accordance with patronages, rules and requirements approved by WPU and CIPA. It runs under the joint patronage of the World Photography Union (WPU), CIPA, JCPC, JSPA and HJPP, and is open to photographers worldwide, with five sections: Art Color, Art Mono, Record Human, Record Nature and Unlimited. Awards include a WPU Gold Medal plus Salon E-Certificates for Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention (175+ awards in total).
Deadline: September 17, 2026 (Closed)
Country: China
Entry fee: 12 USD
Theme: color, monochrome, documentary/human, nature, open
Prize: WPU Gold Medal and Salon E-Certificates (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Honorable Mention) — 175+ awards total; entry fee USD $12 for 1 section (80 CNY), +$5 per additional section.
High 5: Humans by Decagon Gallery
A short-format international open call inviting a single photograph exploring human presence, with online exhibition and a free-entry prize.
Open to photographers aged 18+ worldwide, this juried single-image call accepts portraits, street, documentary, self-portrait, staged and experimental work as long as human presence is meaningfully felt in the image. There are no separate categories; every entry responds to the same Humans theme. Selected photographs are shown in an online exhibition, and the winning photograph earns its photographer five free entries to future Decagon Gallery open calls.
Deadline: September 15, 2026 (Closed)
Country: International
Entry fee: 5 USD
Theme: people, portrait, street, documentary
Prize: Winner receives five free entries to future Decagon Gallery open calls; selected photographers are featured in an online exhibition (Sept 30–Oct 31, 2026) and exhibition catalogue.
Lucie Photo Book Prize 2026
An international juried photobook competition from the Lucie Foundation awarding cash prizes across three categories.
The Lucie Photo Book Prize invites photographers, editors, curators, and publishers worldwide to submit photobooks created between September 2024 and September 2026. Eligible formats include exhibition catalogues, self-published works, limited editions, multi-artist or multi-publisher collections, single-author books, and zines. Entries are judged by a global panel on originality, technical excellence, and impact across three streams: Book of the Year, First Book, and Self-Published.
Deadline: September 15, 2026 (Closed)
Country: International
Entry fee: 50 USD
Theme: Commercial, Culture, Documentary, Fashion, Fine Art, Landscape, Nature, Open Theme, Photojournalism, Portfolio, Portrait, Photobook
Prize: $3,000 for Book of the Year, $2,000 for First Book, and $2,000 for Self-Published (total $7,000 in cash prizes)
"In Motion" – A Curated International Photography Exhibition
A free-to-enter online group photography exhibition curated by Allora Gallery on the theme of movement.
Allora Gallery invites photographers from around the world to submit work for an online group exhibition themed around movement — from the blur of a dancer mid-leap to other expressions of motion in photography. The call is free to enter and open to international submissions.
WILD Photo Awards
A monthly international photography competition celebrating wild animals and the natural world.
WILD Photo Awards runs a recurring, year-round series of monthly competitions open to photographers worldwide, focused exclusively on wild or captive (non-domestic) animal species. Entrants aged 18+ submit JPEG images into two categories, Animal Portraits and Animal Behaviour, with judging conducted anonymously by an appointed judge after each closing date. Cash prizes are funded directly from entry fees, with 50% of income returned to winners, so the total prize pot varies by participation.
Deadline: September 14, 2026 (Closed)
Country: International
Entry fee: 12 GBP
Theme: wildlife, animal, nature
Prize: Cash awards funded by entry fees: category winner receives 35% of the pot, runner-up 15%, plus Highly Commended mentions, gallery features, Instagram promotion, and possible winner interviews.
The Streets by Praxis Gallery
An international juried call for street photography leading to a physical exhibition at Praxis Gallery in Minneapolis.
Open to photographers aged 18 and over worldwide, this juried call seeks street photography exploring public life, urban structures, and everyday encounters in black and white or color, traditional or experimental. There are no separate categories, with "The Streets" as the central theme. Up to 74 selected photographs will be exhibited at Praxis Gallery in Minneapolis (Oct 17–Nov 14, 2026) and featured in the gallery's online exhibition archive and printed catalog.
Deadline: September 13, 2026 (Closed)
Country: United States
Entry fee: 35 USD
Theme: street, urban, documentary
Prize: Juror's Choice wins free entry into three future Praxis juried calls; Directors' Choice wins free entry into two future calls; 8 Honorable Mentions and up to 74 selected works are featured in a physical exhibition at Praxis Gallery, an online exhibition archive, and a printed catalog.
Copenhagen Photo Festival – Call for Solo Artists 2027
An open call inviting photographers to submit developed lens-based projects for solo exhibitions at the 2027 Copenhagen Photo Festival.
Open to photographers and lens-based artists worldwide, this call seeks complete, exhibition-ready projects responding to the 2027 festival theme 'Frie hænder | Free Hands', which explores freedom, artistic independence, human agency and technology. Ten projects will be shortlisted and interviewed, with three to five ultimately staged as solo exhibitions in central Copenhagen, while other shortlisted applicants become Selectees with a digital screening. There are no separate entry categories; applicants submit a biography, CV, project description and at least ten supporting images via the Picter platform.
Deadline: September 13, 2026 (Closed)
Country: Denmark
Entry fee: 215 DKK
Theme: Conceptual, Documentary, Fine Art, Open Theme
Prize: Solo exhibition produced by the festival, a €537 participation fee, €400 international travel/accommodation support, €134 local expenses, PR/marketing and a permanent website feature; Selectees receive a digital screening, €200 fee and website feature.
Eurazeo Photo Prize 2026
An international, free-to-enter production grant of €20,000 for a professional photographer to develop an original project on the theme "Stories of Europe".
Open internationally to professional photographers, this call funds a single unproduced project idea rather than rewarding finished work. Applicants submit one project per person, including a portfolio, project proposal, methodology, budget and supporting documents via WeTransfer. Up to five finalists are interviewed by a jury before a winner is announced, who then receives six months of production support from Eurazeo to complete the project.
7 Photography Awards 2026
An inaugural international photography competition accepting single images and photo series across 20 categories, with a $1,000 top prize.
Open to photographers worldwide aged 18 and older, the contest accepts single images and coherent photo series (2-7 connected photographs) across 20 categories spanning genres from portrait and landscape to drone, mobile, fashion, and conceptual photography. The overall Photographer of the Year receives $1,000, a trophy, a digital certificate, gallery presentation, and promotional exposure. Entries are judged by a five-member jury of photographers and filmmakers on visual strength, originality, technical quality, and category relevance.
Deadline: September 13, 2026 (Closed)
Country: International
Entry fee: 15 USD
Theme: portrait, landscape, street, fine art, documentary, environmental, black and white, nature, wildlife, minimalist, travel, architecture, daily life, editorial, press, drone, aerial, mobile photography, fashion, sports, conceptual, advertising, commercial
Prize: $1,000 cash prize for overall Photographer of the Year, plus a trophy, digital certificate, winners gallery presentation, and promotional exposure