THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• SP • Deadline: March 10th, 2026 • Category: Drone & Aerial Photography • Prize: Equipment worth $22,000 • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE We believe you possess a distinct creative vision — an ability to see beyond the ordinary and reveal something meaningful within it. You merge the vastness of the sky with the intimacy of the earth, shaping images that feel poetic and alive. Each frame becomes a dialogue with the world. Each capture marks a meeting with inspir

• The Lions Club of Seregno + UN-Water • Deadline: March 1st, 2026 • Theme: Water • Prize: 1,500€ + Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The World Water Day Photo Contest is an international celebration of art and environmental consciousness, open to photographers across the globe—from dedicated professionals to passionate amateurs. Rooted in the principles of respect, tolerance, and goodwill toward nature and humanity, the contest was establish

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: March 9th, 2026 • Theme: Water: Element of Change • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Water is an essential and dynamic element that continually shapes the physical and visual world. It influences landscapes through erosion and transformation, interacts with light to create reflection and atmosphere, and conveys movement across both natural and human environments. As a subject, water also

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: February 28th, 2026 • Theme: Landscape • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Attention is given to photographs that interpret the land as both presence and experience. Landscapes may appear quiet or dramatic, enclosed or open, familiar or remote. Forests, deserts, mountains, and coastlines may serve as subjects for moments of stillness, shifting light, or expansive skies. Images may focus on

• Center Santa Fe • Deadline: February 28th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: $5,000 + Exhibition + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Joining as a member is a great way to make the most of your submission experience. Members receive discounted entry fees for all 2026 Calls for Entry , plus exclusive access to special exhibitions, curated events, and additional opportunities available only to members. Once you sign up below, your membership

• Allora Gallery • Deadline: March 1st, 2026 • Category: Architectural & Street Photography • Prize: Solo Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Allora Gallery invites photographers from around the world to submit to our international photography competition, “Stone & Stories.” This open call welcomes architectural and street photography, as well as creative interpretations of the built environment and the life that unfolds within it. Cities are

• Pure Street Photography (PSP) • Deadline: February 28th, 2026 • Category: Street Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Exhibition in Jaipur (India) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Pure Street Photography Awards 2026 continue to define excellence in street photography, standing as one of the most respected and internationally recognised honours dedicated solely to this powerful art form. Rooted in authenticity and guided by an unwavering belief in visual truth, the

• Center Santa Fe • Deadline: February 28th, 2026 • Category: Portfolio • Prize: Portfolio Review + Exhibition + Listing • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Review Santa Fe Photo Symposium stands as a vital gathering place for photographers seeking visibility, critical engagement, and meaningful connection within the field. Dedicated to supporting artistic growth and professional development, the symposium offers photographers the chance to share their work, exc

• P.M.O.H. • Deadline: February 26th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €10,000 Cash + 3 Solo Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Participation is open to photographers who want to submit one or more projects built around a defined theme, narrative, or conceptual research. Applicants are free to work in any visual style or photographic method, from traditional approaches to highly experimental and innovative practices. Each submission must consist of 5 to 20 i

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: February 28th, 2026 • Theme: Red (Presence, Pulse, Meaning) • Prize: $1,000 Total Cash + Solo Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Red is not just a color; it is a sensation. It moves through images like a heartbeat—carrying emotion, memory, and presence in its wake. Red can overwhelm or barely reveal itself. It can shout with urgency or exist in near silence, expressing itself through subtlety and control as much as th

• Seeing Happy • Deadline: March 7th, 2026 • Theme: Imagining Well-Being • Prize: $200 + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The initiative is led and curated by SeeingHappy, a global nonprofit that harnesses the expressive power of photography to encourage reflection, foster human connection, and support individual and collective flourishing. By using visual storytelling as a shared language, SeeingHappy creates spaces where people can explore meaning, em

• Boomer Gallery London • Deadline: March 12th, 2026 • Theme: Vogued • Prize: Exhibition in London • Entry Fees: Free Submission (Pay if Selected) • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Contemporary art exists at a moment of extraordinary overlap, where multiple ideas, technologies, and traditions are unfolding at once. The challenge is no longer simply how to create art, but how to meaningfully engage with it in a time defined by speed, innovation, and constant reinvention. Today, high

• Dusk Photo Gallery • Deadline: February 26th, 2026 • Theme: Nostalgia • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Emphasis is placed on photographs that allow the past to surface through atmosphere and emotion. The presence of time may be found in weathered objects, fading light, quiet gestures, or places that seem to hold untold stories. These works may reflect intimate personal histories, cultural traces, or a more universal

• National Geographic • Deadline: Rolling • Theme: Nature, Wildlife, People, Landscape • Prize: Exposure + Publication • Entry Fees: Free for N.G Subscribers • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Photo Club offers a unique and exciting opportunity to showcase your strongest images, express your photographic vision, and connect with National Geographic Italy and a vibrant community of like-minded creatives. By uploading your photographs, you’ll place your work at the heart of a space d

• Rovinj Photodays • Deadline: February 24th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €2,000 + Exhibition in Croatia + Stay • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Participants are welcome to submit up to nine photographs or photo projects in total, regardless of the categories they choose to enter. A submission can be a single image or a series , with each series containing no more than 20 photos . While every effort will be made to present submitted works in a

• Homiens • Deadline: February 26th, 2026 • Category: Art & Photography • Prize: $12,000 Awarded Annually + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Homiens Art Prize is a globally recognized initiative that awards more than $12,000 USD annually to artists, helping to elevate creative practices and amplify artistic voices worldwide. Focused on supporting artists at all stages of their careers, the prize offers both financial support and international expos

• Realme • Deadline: June 30th, 2026 • Category: Street Photography • Prize: $7,000 + Realme Phone + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The realme Global Photography Awards 2026 is a global celebration of mobile photography, inviting people from all walks of life to share their unique perspectives through images captured on realme smartphones. Free to enter and open to participants worldwide, the competition emphasizes inclusivity, creativity, and the stor

• Hasselblad • Deadline: February 26th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €5,000 Fund + Hasselblad Camera • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The celebrated professional photography competition, Hasselblad Masters , has officially opened for submissions, once again inviting photographers from around the world to compete at the highest level. Free to enter, Hasselblad Masters encourages professional photographers to submit their most inventive, powerful,

• Phi Photo Awards • Deadline: February 24th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: $1,000 + Virtual Exhibition + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Phi Photo Awards is a global photography competition founded by Bayt Visual, a Dubai-based visual arts organization committed to advancing contemporary photographic practice. The awards draw their name from Phi (ϕ), the golden ratio—a timeless principle associated with visual balance, harmony, and ae

• All About Photo • Deadline: March 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Women • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE From its inception, photography has been deeply intertwined with representations of women. Beyond being frequent subjects of the camera, women have actively shaped the medium by using photography as a means of exploration, documentation, and personal expression. Across generations, photography has provided a space for women

• Sarajevo Photography Festival • Deadline: April 10th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €7,000 + Exhibition in Sarajevo (BiH) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Sarajevo Photography Festival (SPF) is an annual, month-long international event dedicated to celebrating photography in the cultural heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Designed as a meeting point for both emerging and established photographers, the festival provides a vibrant platform for ar

• Hasselblad • Deadline: February 26th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €5,000 Fund + Hasselblad Camera • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The internationally recognised professional photography competition, Hasselblad Masters , is now open and accepting submissions from photographers worldwide. Free to enter, the competition welcomes professional photographers to submit their most creative and outstanding images, regardless of the camera used. Submis

• Swiss Photo Club (SPC) • Deadline: February 26th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Berlin + Sales + 300CHF • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The SPC PHOTO AWARDS are returning to Berlin—and they’re bigger, bolder, and more exciting than ever. Hosted in a brand-new, centrally located contemporary space, this year’s event promises a dynamic and inspiring setting right in the middle of the city. Getting involved couldn’t be easier. Submit your favourite ph

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: March 11th, 2026 • Theme: Color Photography • 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 exclusively to color photography. This exhibition aims to explore the wide-ranging and evolving role of color within contemporary photographic practice. Today, color photography encompasses an extraordinary spectrum of visual