THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• 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 dedicated to recognizing and celebrating excellence in nature photography from artists around the globe. The competition invites submissions that capture the beauty, complexity, and urgency of the natural world, encompassing subjects such as flo

• 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 introduced an open call addressed to photographers of all backgrounds, encouraging them to interpret the theme VIAGGI E MIRAGGI. Open to both professionals and amateurs, the initiative invites participants to reflect on the nature of travel, perception, and illusion throu

• Recount Photography Agora • Deadline: April 27th, 2026 • Theme: Numbers • Prize: Exhibition in Barcelona (Spain) • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Through this open call, we seek to gather a rich and diverse collection of visual narratives that combine photography and text to explore the pervasive role of quantification, classification, and ordering in shaping human life. These submissions will form the foundation of a broader curatorial project that will culmin

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: May 4th, 2026 • Theme: After Dark: Night, Sky, and Shadow • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE PhotoPlace Gallery is now accepting submissions for After Dark, a juried exhibition focused on photography created between dusk and dawn. This call invites photographers to explore and share images that capture the unique qualities of nighttime environments. Submissions may include a wide variety o

• Appennino Foto Festival • Deadline: April 26th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €3,900 Total Prizes + Exhibition in Italy • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Impressum Photo Award 2026 is an international photography contest designed to bring together photographers from across the globe and highlight diverse visual perspectives. Open worldwide, the competition encourages artists and image-makers to submit their work and take part in a platform dedi

• Grenze-Arsenali Fotografici • Deadline: April 30th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €1,000 + Exhibition + 2-Night Stay in Italy • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE This open call welcomes participants of all ages and does not impose any specific theme, encouraging a wide range of artistic approaches. After evaluating the submissions, the jury will select three artists whose work will be showcased in an exhibition curated by Simone Azzoni and Francesca Marra. Selected p

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: May 8th, 2026 • Category: Shadow and Light • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Black Box Gallery is pleased to announce an upcoming juried group exhibition dedicated to the theme of shadow and light. At its core, photography is an art form grounded in the observation and recording of luminous contrast—the interplay between illumination and obscurity that shapes how we perceive an image. Thi

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: April 25th, 2026 • Theme: Home • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Decode Gallery is pleased to open submissions for our latest exhibition theme, HOME. While the word often brings to mind a house or a familiar place, home can mean so much more. It can be a feeling of comfort, a cherished memory, a sense of safety, or even a starting point for new journeys. For some, it’s tied to people or c

• Photometria International Photo Festival • Deadline: May 31st, 2026 • Judge: Alec Soth • Prize: Nikon Z30 Kit + Exhibition in Greece • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE As the festival arrives at its eighteenth edition, it symbolically steps into a phase of maturity, a moment that invites not only celebration but also critical reflection. This milestone becomes an अवसर to engage deeply with the complex notion of transition—personal, social, and cultural. Coming of

• Flow Trip Magazine / Kodak • Deadline: April 24th, 2026 • Theme: Film, Surf, Nature, Energy and Oneness • Prize: $50,000 in Cash Prizes + Feature • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Here’s your chance to be part of something big—$50,000 big. This open call is designed for everyone, whether you’re shooting with high-end gear, snapping photos on your phone, experimenting with a disposable camera, or just have a great eye for capturing moments. You can submit as many

• Nikon • Deadline: April 30th, 2026 • Category: Micro Photography • Prize: $3,000 + Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Nikon Small World Photomicrography Contest (the “Contest”) is open only to individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years old, or who have reached the legal age of adulthood in their country, state, or place of residence at the time they submit an entry. To be eligible, participants must also have access to an optical m

• Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts • Deadline: May 3rd, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: $475 in Awards + Exhibition in Providence (USA) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The 12th International Open Call is a juried photography exhibition designed to spotlight fresh, diverse, and compelling contemporary voices from around the world. This open invitation encourages photographers and image-makers at all stages of their careers to share work

• Dusk Photo Gallery • Deadline: April 16th, 2026 • Theme: City • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Cities are more than the skylines that define them or the streets that connect their neighborhoods. They are places where countless stories unfold every day, shaped by movement, emotion, and the subtle interactions that make urban life unique. The city breathes with its own rhythm—sometimes calm and reflective, sometimes vi

• Milano Photo Awards 2026 + Nikon • Deadline: August 15th, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €30,000 in Prizes + Nikon Z50II Camera + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Milano Photo Awards stand out among photography competitions thanks to a core principle that guides the entire initiative: the event is designed not only to celebrate the winners but also to recognize and showcase the work of every photographer who participates. All r

• D.P. • Deadline: May 1st, 2026 • Category: Sport Photography • Prize: $5,000 Grant + Mentorship • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Doug Pensinger Photography Fund exists to nurture and support the next generation of sports photographers, focusing on those who are at the beginning of their professional journey or still building their careers. Its mission is to provide meaningful opportunities for growth, learning, and recognition within the field. Because of t

• All About Photo • Deadline: April 28th, 2026 • Category: Portrait Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE AAP Magazine #57 “Portrait” calls on photographers to explore the many dimensions of human identity through portrait photography. From classical studio setups to contemporary self-portraiture, the genre continues to evolve while remaining rooted in its ability to capture emotion, character, and connection.

• Homiens • Deadline: April 29th, 2026 • Category: Art and Photography • Prize: $24,000 Awarded Annually + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE No matter where you are in your artistic journey—whether you are just beginning to carve out your voice or are already an established creator seeking new heights—the Homiens Art Prize offers a transformative opportunity to elevate your career on a global stage. Built on the principles of merit, inclusivity, and arti

• 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 The Global Peace Photo Award, previously known as the Alfred Fried Photography Award, is an internationally recognized initiative dedicated to promoting peace through the power of photography. It is organized by Edition Lammerhuber in close collaboration with a wide network of esteemed pa

• NYC4PA • Deadline: April 19th, 2026 • Theme: Luminosity (The Impact of Light) • Prize: $4,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE From light meters to backlighting, from deep shadow to blinding glare, photography is defined by an ongoing dialogue with light. It is shaped not only by illumination, but by darkness, contrast, and the spaces in between. A celebrated photograph of Grand Central Station captures sunlight pouring through the

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: May 4th, 2026 • Theme: After Dark: Night, Sky, and Shadow • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE PhotoPlace Gallery invites photographers to submit their work for After Dark, a juried exhibition dedicated to images created during the nighttime hours, from dusk through dawn. This exhibition seeks to highlight the artistic possibilities that emerge when natural light fades and new visual narrati

• New York Center for Photographic Arts • Deadline: June 7th, 2026 • Theme: From A Seed...A World of Botanicals • Prize: $4,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) invites photographers world-wide to submit images using any photographic process (print, image transfer, emulsion transfer, encaustic, black and white, color etc.). Winners will receive a total of $4,000 in cash awards, be fea

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: May 3rd, 2026 • Theme: This Is a Person • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Portraiture often begins at the surface—at the face, the body, the visible markers of identity. But this exhibition is concerned with what cannot be easily seen, defined, or named. It asks: what lies beneath the image? We are looking for photographs that move beyond representation and into suggestion—images that hint

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: April 25th, 2026 • Theme: Home • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Decode Gallery is excited to announce a new call for entry under the theme HOME, inviting artists to examine and reinterpret one of the most universal yet deeply personal concepts. While commonly associated with physical spaces, home extends far beyond architecture—it encompasses memory, identity, relationships, and emotiona

• Grenze-Arsenali Fotografici • Deadline: April 30th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €1,000 + Exhibition + 2-Night Stay in Italy • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE There are no thematic guidelines or age limitations for participation, allowing complete creative freedom for applicants. A professional jury will carefully review all submissions and ultimately select three artists. The chosen projects will be featured in a curated exhibition overseen by Simone Azzoni and F