THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: December 18th, 2025 • Theme: The Art of Belonging • Prize: Promotion + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Home is both a physical place and an emotional state. It can be the ground where you were born, the country you left in search of something new, the familiar rooms where you grew up, or the destination you continue to dream about. Home might be a building with walls, but it might also be a

• New York Center for Photographic Arts • Deadline: January 4th, 2026 • Theme: Urban, Suburban, Rural • Prize: $4,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Where we live, work, and spend time away—whether urban, suburban, or rural—shapes not only our daily experience but also our visual memory. Each of these environments offers unique imagery that invites us to stop and take notice, to reflect on what makes these places distinct and mean

• Social Documentary Network • Deadline: January 15th, 2026 • Category: Social Documentary / Systemic Change • Prize: $2,500 + Publication + Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography SDN invites photographers worldwide to apply for the ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography . One winner will receive $2,500 and recognition for exceptional storytelling on issues impacting the global communit

• Belfast Photo Festival • Deadline: March 3rd, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: £2,000 + Exhibition in Belfast (N.I) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE We extend an open invitation to photographers from every nation, culture, and level of experience to submit their work to the Open Submission. By participating, artists will have the invaluable opportunity for their photographs to be reviewed by an esteemed international jury composed of leading figures

• All About Photo • Deadline: December 9th, 2025 • Category: Nature Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Publication + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities AAP Magazine is now accepting submissions for its 54th printed issue, dedicated to the theme “Nature.” This issue will feature the best contemporary photography projects that capture the splendor of landscapes, wildlife, flora, and fauna in all their diversity. Submission Period:

• All About Photo • Deadline: December 16th, 2025 • Theme: Open • Prize: Online Solo Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Maximize Your Exposure: Enter the Solo Exhibition Competition for a Month-Long Online Showcase At All About Photo, we are dedicated to highlighting exceptional photography—images that inspire viewers, challenge perspectives, and create meaningful connections. Our platform has long been recognized as a spa

• The Lions Club of Seregno + UN-Water • Deadline: March 1st, 2026 • Theme: Water • Prize: 1,500€ + Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The World Water Day Photo Contest is an international artistic initiative open to photographers of every background—whether amateur enthusiasts or seasoned professionals. It is guided by the core values of respect, tolerance, and goodwill toward both nature and humanity. Establis

• Le Prix de la Photographie de Paris (PX3) • Deadline: July 22nd, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €5,000 + Exhibition in Paris (France) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Prix de la Photographie, Paris (PX3) is dedicated to elevating the global appreciation of photography by celebrating creative excellence and uncovering emerging voices in the field. Its mission is to provide photographers from every corner of the world with a platform that connect

• Pride Photo • Deadline: December 31st, 2025 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €500 + Exhibition in Amsterdam + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Our mission is to broaden our perspective—and that of our audiences—by showcasing a rich, multifaceted, and diverse collection of stories that reflect the global LGBTQIA+ community in all its complexity. The Pride Photo 2026 Contest welcomes photographers of every age, bac

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: December 8th, 2025 • Theme: On the Street • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The street is a theater without script or stage direction. Every passerby, every fleeting glance, every moment of tension or tenderness plays its part in the ongoing story of humanity. Street photography is the art of bearing witness — of freezing the split second when light, move

• Dusk Gallery • Deadline: December 19th, 2025 • Category: Color Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities We are delighted to invite you to share your creative interpretation of color and its transformative impact on visual storytelling. It’s extraordinary how a single hue—or a carefully arranged palette—can redefine the mood, energy, and intention of an entire image. For this exhib

• Siena Photo Awards • Deadline: January 9th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €1,500 + Exhibition + 2-Night Stay in Italy • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Siena Awards is an independent cultural initiative born from the ambition to transform Siena and its surrounding region into a true international capital of photography. Over the years, it has become a distinguished curator of exclusive exhibitions, meetings, and ar

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: January 2nd, 2026 • Theme: Red • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Decode Gallery is delighted to unveil our next thematic exhibition: RED . This powerful hue has long been associated with intensity, drama, and unfiltered passion. Red instantly captures the eye, stirring deep emotional responses—ranging from love, desire, and warmth to anger, urgency, and ca

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: December 31st, 2025 • Theme: B&W (Light, Shadow, Tone and Texture) • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Color often dominates our way of seeing, but when it is taken away, something extraordinary emerges. In the absence of color, images are reduced to their core elements: the drama of light against shadow, the rhythm of line and form, the subtle gradations of

• Photometria International Photo Festival • Deadline: December 15th, 2025 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition at Photometria Festival in Greece • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities As part of its dedication to encouraging innovation and dialogue in contemporary photography, the Photometria International Photography Festival announces the Parallel Voices Portfolio Contest . Submissions will be open from November 1st to December 15th, 20

• Boomer Gallery London • Deadline: December 5th, 2025 • Theme: Transcendence • Prize: Exhibition in London + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free Submission (Pay if Selected) • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Within every brushstroke, every photograph, every sculpted form lies a collision of emotions—passion, conflict, and love—a fusion so potent it defies easy explanation. These forces shape the creative spirit, infusing each artwork with layers of feeling

• Photora Awards • Deadline: December 6th, 2025 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €2,500 in Cash Prizes + Certificates • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The Photora Awards stands as a prestigious international platform designed to recognize and celebrate exceptional photography from around the world. More than just a competition, it represents an invitation to share your unique vision — to showcase the way you interpret the

• Envision Kindness • Deadline: December 15th, 2025 • Theme: Kind People / Kindness in Nature • Prize: $2,000 + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities In its first six years, the Our World is Kind Photography Contest has grown into a vibrant international celebration of compassion. Drawing more than 12,000 entries from over 2,000 photographers spanning more than 150 nations, the contest has become a showcase of humani

• MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas • Deadline: January 15th, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Milan + Publication + Residency • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas 2026 welcomes back Erik Kessels , the celebrated Dutch artist, curator, and master of visual storytelling, for his third consecutive collaboration with the fair. Known for his irreverent humor, conceptual brilliance,

• MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas 2026 • Deadline: December 15th, 2025 • Theme: Metamorphosis, from Garment to Skin: differently ME • Prize: Exhibition in Milan (Italy) + Professional Photo Shoot • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities For its landmark 15th edition , MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas unveils a new creative venture: an international call for entries on the theme “Metamorphosis, from Garment to Skin: differently ME.” This evocative

• Profoto • Deadline: December 15th, 2025 • Category: Soft Light • Prize: $2,000 USD in Profoto Gear + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Soft light possesses a quiet yet remarkable power — it can flatter, soothe, and completely transform the way we see a scene. Unlike harsh or direct illumination, soft light wraps gently around subjects, smoothing transitions between highlights and shadows. It minimizes contrast and harsh edges, lending a sense of calm,

• Dusk Gallery • Deadline: December 11th, 2025 • Category: Color Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities We are incredibly excited to explore your unique vision of color and how it shapes the world you photograph. Color has a remarkable power—one tone can elevate a scene, alter the atmosphere, or convey an emotion that words alone cannot. For this exhibition, we are seeking images

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: December 12th, 2025 • Theme: Shadow and Light • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Black Box Gallery is pleased to announce a juried group photo exhibition exploring the nuanced and captivating relationship between shadow and light. Every photograph emerges from the tension between these two forces, and the patterns they create tell stories within the frame. Shadows can subtly guide the vie

• Foundwork • Deadline: December 31st, 2025 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: $10,000 Grant + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities This year, the selected honoree will be awarded an unrestricted grant of $10,000, offering them the freedom to advance their practice in whatever way best supports their creative work. In addition to the financial award, the honoree will have the rare opportunity to participate in remot