Photo contests
A directory of open photography contests from around the web. Looking for fotoclub.md's own community contest?
Fashion symphony International Photography Circuit 2026
An international photography circuit (Fashion symphony International Photography Circuit 2026) with WPU/CIPA patronage, open worldwide across five sections.
WPUCIPAJCPCJSPAHJPPThe Fashion symphony 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 3, 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 (85 CNY), +$5 per additional section.
VMFA Aaron Siskind Award for Photography 2026
A free-to-enter U.S. photography award administered by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, offering two unrestricted $25,000 prizes to support a photographer's ongoing body of work.
Open to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents aged 18+ for whom photography is a primary vocation. There are no fixed categories or themes tied to Aaron Siskind's visual style; applicants submit a portfolio of 10–15 images (analog or digital), a CV, and an artist statement describing the project, series, or body of work the funding would support. A book maquette may replace one portfolio image, and collectives/collaborative teams may apply as a single entry.
Holland Image Salon 2026
An international photography salon organized by the Dutch Royal Photo Organisation, patronaged by FIAP, PSA, GPU and Fotobond.
FIAPPSAGPUFotobondHolland Image Salon 2026 is an international photographic salon run by the Dutch Royal Photo Organisation (Koninklijke Fotobond) via the Pixoroo entry platform. It features four competition sections — Open, Monochrome, People and Shapes — judged by an international panel of selectors, with 59 awards including FIAP, PSA and GPU medals, honourable mentions and judges' choice ribbons. Entrants submit digital images online, with accepted works later shown in salon galleries and an exhibition.
Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant 2026
An international grant awarding £10,000 in project funding plus mentorship and equipment to a young or emerging photojournalist.
Open free of charge to photojournalists aged 24 or under (or older students enrolled in a recognized full-time photography course) from any country. Entrants submit a 12-image portfolio via Picter along with a project proposal explaining how the grant would support new or ongoing documentary work. There are no separate categories; the focus is entirely on photojournalism and documentary storytelling.
Deadline: September 1, 2026 (Closed)
Country: International
Entry fee: Fee not listed
Theme: photojournalism, documentary
Prize: £10,000 project grant (paid in two installments), a one-year loan of Canon equipment, a year-long mentorship with Giles Duley, eligibility for the Hamburg Portfolio Review and VII Mentorship Programme, Guardian publication, a Save the Children commission for one finalist, and a personal-safety/hostile-environment training award.
Queensland International Photo Salon
The Queensland International Photo Salon is an international photography circuit run by the Photographic Society of Queensland and approved by major groups like the PSA, FIAP, and APS.
FIAPPSAAPSThe Queensland International Photo Salon is an international photography circuit run by the Photographic Society of Queensland and approved by major groups like the PSA, FIAP, and APS.
5th Kyrenia Photo Awards 2026
An international PSA/GPU-patronized photo salon organized by the Nicosia Photographic Society, held in Kyrenia, Cyprus.
PSAGPUOpen to photographers worldwide, the 5th Kyrenia Photo Awards 2026 accepts entries in five sections: Open Color, Open Monochrome, Nature General, Photo Travel Documentary, and People. The salon awards a total of 104 high-quality distinctions including PSA and GPU Gold Medals, Honorable Mention ribbons, e-Certificates, and NPS e-HMs, judged by an international panel of judges from Belgium, France, and Cyprus.
Deadline: September 1, 2026 (Closed)
Country: Cyprus
Entry fee: 15 EUR
Theme: open color, open monochrome, nature, photo travel documentary, people, portrait
Prize: 104 High Quality Awards including PSA Gold Medal, GPU Gold Medal, PSA HM Ribbons, GPU Ribbons, Chairperson's Choice E-Certificates, Judges' Choice e-HMs, and NPS e-HMs across five sections, plus Best Author and Best Club awards.
International Handicrafts Photo Awards 2026
A free-to-enter international photography competition documenting traditional and contemporary handicrafts around the world.
Organized by ESDER within an international Erasmus+ project, this contest invites photographers aged 18 and over to submit up to ten images (color or black and white) depicting artisans, handmade objects, production techniques, workshops, tools and materials. There are no separate categories; all entries compete within a single theme devoted to craftsmanship. The 109 selected images (3 winners plus 106 exhibition awards) will be featured in a bilingual catalogue, a 3D virtual exhibition, and a gala event in Ankara, Türkiye.
6th Biennial Photography Contest – AMPF
A free international nature photography contest organized by a Portuguese cultural association, offering cash prizes and a physical exhibition.
Organized by the Associação de Matosinhos – do Passado ao Futuro in Portugal with support from the local City Council, this open call invites photographers worldwide aged 18 and over to submit images centered on the single theme of 'Nature'. There are no separate technical categories; entries are judged purely on their interpretation of the natural world. Twenty-five selected works will be featured in a physical exhibition, and the jury will award four cash prizes, including a special prize for the best photo taken in Matosinhos.
Deadline: August 31, 2026 (Closed)
Country: Portugal
Entry fee: Fee not listed
Theme: nature
Prize: €2,500 in total cash prizes (€1,000 for 1st, €600 for 2nd, €500 for 3rd, €400 special prize for best photo taken in Matosinhos) plus a physical exhibition of 25 selected works and a printed portfolio by FLORICOLOR for the winner.
Nature in Gaudí – Ángeles Omedas Millan Prize 2026
An international photo contest by the Antonio Gaudí Foundation exploring how nature inspired Antoni Gaudí's architecture, held in the centenary year of his death.
Entrants may submit a single photograph or a series of up to three images (color or black & white) that reveal how natural forms, structures, and principles connect to Gaudí's architectural work, rather than simply documenting his buildings. Open free of charge to adults of any nationality, with judging based on originality, creativity, emotional impact, and technical execution; AI-generated images are prohibited.
Malmö International Exhibition of Photography 2026
An international photographic salon held in Malmö, Sweden, licensed by the Global Photographic Union.
GPUOrganized by the Malmö International Photo Society (MIPS), part of the Scandinavian International Photo Society (SIPS) family of exhibitions, this digital salon invites photographers worldwide to submit entries for its 2026 edition. It follows in the lineage of the group's other salons such as the Swedish International Small Print Exhibition and Photorama Digital Sweden.