THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• Duckling • Deadline: May 31st, 2026 • Category: Documentary Photography • Prize: €1,300 + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Duckling is a new media platform built around documentary photography, visual journalism, and contemporary storytelling. Conceived as both a publishing space and a creative community, Duckling connects photographers and storytellers from around the world through shared experiences, educational resources, and collaborative opportu

• The Global Peace Photo Award • Deadline: May 24th, 2026 • Theme: What Does Peace Look Like? • Prize: €11,000 in Prizes + Exhibition in Austria • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Formerly known as the Alfred Fried Photography Award, the Global Peace Photo Award has grown into a major international platform celebrating photography that reflects the idea of peace. Organized by Edition Lammerhuber, the award is made possible through the collaboration of an extensive

• Working Assumptions • Deadline: June 1st, 2026 • Category: Visual Storytelling • Prize: 6 x $10,000 Project Grants • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Every year, Working Assumptions awards six $10,000 Project Grants to artists and storytellers whose work explores family in ways that are thoughtful, unexpected, and deeply human. The program is designed to support projects that use visual storytelling to challenge familiar narratives, spark dialogue, and encourage

• Deloitte • Deadline: June 14th, 2026 • Theme: Proximities • Prize: €25,000 + Solo Exhibition in Milan (Italy) • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE A total of ten reporters have been appointed for this section, each recognized for their contribution to the international cultural and photographic landscape. The selected individuals—Alberto Negrin, Stephen Bulger, Brendan McCleary, Dimitri Beck, Pancho Saula, Karin Kauffman, Davide Monteleone, Arianna Rinaldo, Eric R.

• Arrival Gallery • Deadline: October 1st, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Osaka (Japan) + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Arrival Gallery is reimagining the way artists share and experience exhibitions in today’s contemporary landscape. Rather than following traditional models, the gallery is committed to creating new opportunities that prioritize both artistic integrity and meaningful visibility. Each exhibition is thou

• Nikon • Deadline: July 15th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: $3,000 + Nikon Camera + 2 Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Nikkor Photo Contest, one of the world’s longest-running and most respected international photography competitions, traces its origins back to 1953 and is now proudly celebrating its 74th edition. Over the decades, the contest has continued to evolve alongside photographic culture, welcoming generations of image-makers from around

• Rotlicht Festival For Analog Photography • Deadline: June 30th, 2026 • Theme: Anthropocene: Hybrid Realities • Prize: €250 + Exhibition in Wien + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE In 2026, our main exhibition will once again unfold within the remarkable historic spaces of the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, a venue whose architectural presence and cultural significance continue to shape the identity of the festival itself. Spanning more than 1300 squa

• Dusk Gallery • Deadline: May 22nd, 2026 • Theme: Abandoned • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fee: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The theme Abandoned opens a space for considering the relationship between presence and absence, and how the two coexist within the visual world. It invites photographers to explore what it means for something to be left behind—whether physically, socially, or emotionally—and how those conditions manifest in images. Abandonment

• Lost Artists • Deadline: June 10th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Residency Spot in Capri • Entry Fees: Apply for Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Welcome to Lost Artists, a unique photography residency program set in the extraordinary landscape of Capri. Beginning in 2025, the residency will open its doors to artists from diverse backgrounds, disciplines, and stages of their creative journey. More than a traditional residency, Lost Artists is conceived as a space for reflecti

• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)

• Capri Foundation • Deadline: July 5th, 2026 • Theme: Journeys and Mirages • Prize: Exhibitions in Capri (Italy) + Accommodation • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE In March 2026, Fondazione Capri issued an open call across its official platforms, inviting photographers—regardless of experience level—to participate in a visual exploration of the theme VIAGGI E MIRAGGI. The call welcomes both professionals and amateurs, united by a shared curiosity for storytelling

• Deloitte • Deadline: June 14th, 2026 • Theme: Proximities • Prize: €25,000 + Solo Exhibition in Milan (Italy) • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE In this dedicated section, ten reporters have been identified as key contributors, all of whom are active within the international cultural scene. These figures—Alberto Negrin, Stephen Bulger, Brendan McCleary, Dimitri Beck, Pancho Saula, Karin Kauffman, Davide Monteleone, Arianna Rinaldo, Eric R. Johnson, and Todd Hido—

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: June 8th, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE PhotoPlace Gallery proudly invites photographers from around the world to submit their work for OPEN CALL: A Celebration of Contemporary Photography, a juried exhibition dedicated to highlighting the innovation, diversity, and dynamic spirit of contemporary photographic practice. Presented in honor of Wo

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: June 12th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Black Box Gallery is pleased to announce an open-themed juried group photography exhibition celebrating the diversity, creativity, and expressive potential of contemporary photographic practice. We invite photographers from all backgrounds and experience levels to submit their strongest and most compelling work for considerat

• Working Assumptions • Deadline: June 1st, 2026 • Category: Visual Storytelling • Prize: 6 x $10,000 Project Grants • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Each year, Working Assumptions awards six unrestricted Project Grants of $10,000 to support visual storytelling projects that encourage deeper and more nuanced conversations about family, relationships, and human connection. Through this initiative, the organization seeks to champion photographers and artists whose

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: July 8th, 2026 • Theme: Seen/Unseen • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Seen / Unseen is an open invitation to explore the delicate boundary between visibility and obscurity within photographic practice. It encourages submissions that reflect not only what is immediately perceptible in an image, but also what remains concealed—whether hidden within the frame, embedded in the subject, or sugg

• Duckling • Deadline: May 31st, 2026 • Category: Documentary Photography • Prize: €1,300 + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Duckling is a new media platform devoted to documentary photography and visual storytelling, created to support photographers, journalists, and image-makers seeking to tell meaningful stories about the world around us. More than simply a publishing platform, Duckling is designed as a collaborative space where storytellers can con

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: June 1st, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €300 + Exhibition in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fee: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE They are in search of that one unforgettable image—the frame that immediately captures attention and compels viewers to pause, look closer, and engage. With the 2026 Spring Edition, they have created their most open and accessible international call yet, designed to connect photographers directly with the energy and opportu

• Boomer Gallery London • Deadline: June 5th, 2026 • Theme: New Voices • Prize: Exhibition in London + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free Submission (Pay If Selected) • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The art market is undergoing a profound transformation. For the first time in decades, the balance of influence is gradually shifting back toward the artists themselves. As social networks and digital platforms become central spaces for sharing, discovering, and collecting work, artists are n

• SEE:ZEEN Magazine • Deadline: May 27th, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Publication + Exposure • Entry Fee: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Wherever you are in the world, you are invited to submit your work. This is a fully open call, designed to bring together voices from across different places, backgrounds, and experiences. At see-zeen, we celebrate photography in all its forms. There are no limits on subject matter or style—your work can be bold or su

• Arcadian Gallery • Deadline: May 15th, 2026 • Category: Nature Photography • Prize: $2,000 + Exhibition in Cumberland (USA) • Entry Fee: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The International Nature Photography Competition & Exhibition is an invitation to explore and honor the natural world through photography. It seeks to bring together a global community of image-makers who are inspired by nature—its beauty, its fragility, and its evolving story. Submissions may range from inti

• The Epson Pano Award • Deadline: July 13th, 2026 • Category: Panoramic Photography • Prize: Total Prize Package $11,100 + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Now in its 15th year, the Epson International Pano Awards stands as a global celebration of panoramic photography—honoring both the artistic vision and technical precision required to master the wide-format medium. As the world’s largest competition devoted entirely to panoramic imagery, it attracts e

• Exposure Photo Gallery • Deadline: June 30th, 2026 • Theme: The Shape of a Moment • Prize: $500 Exhibition in USA and Argentina • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE There are instants so brief they almost vanish as they appear, yet they remain etched in memory with surprising clarity. These are the moments where time seems to pause, where light shifts, emotions surface, and the ordinary becomes quietly extraordinary. This call invites photographers to capture the my

• IPA International Photography Awards • Deadline: June 30th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: $10,000 + Exhibition + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Since its establishment in 2003, the International Photography Awards™️ has conducted an annual competition that invites participation from professional, amateur, and student photographers across the globe. This wide-reaching event has evolved into one of the photography world’s most comprehe