THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• Umbra Awards • Deadline: November 30th, 2025 • Theme: Several Categories • Prize: Statues + Medals + Certificates • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Step into the spotlight with the Umbra Awards 3rd Edition 2025 , where photography becomes more than an image—it becomes a story that moves the world. The Umbra International Photography Awards™ stand among the most respected honors in the creative community, celebrating artists whose photographs capture imagination

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: November 28th, 2025 • Theme: Light and Shadow • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Decode Gallery is proud to announce our next juried exhibition, Light and Shadow , an exploration of the ways illumination and obscurity define photographic expression. From the first days of the medium, photographers have been captivated by the dialogue between light and darkness—how one reveals, the other c

• 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 delighted to present a new juried group exhibition dedicated to the visual poetry of shadow and light. At the heart of photography lies a constant negotiation between darkness and illumination, and this show celebrates the many ways artists harness that interplay. Shadows help define the

• Photo Artfolio • Deadline: January 5th, 2026 • Theme: The Poetry of Light and Shadow • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free Entry Option • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE An image is so much more than a splash of color. It is tone, texture, atmosphere. It is contrast carved by light and shadow, shaping a quiet dialogue that draws the viewer inward. Black and white photography, in particular, reveals these elements with remarkable clarity, inviting us to

• 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: CLICK HERE The 15th edition of MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas proudly marks a new milestone with the launch of an international call for entries centered on the thought-provoking theme: “Metamorphosis, from Garment to Skin: differently ME.” This new initi

• The FIBA Photo Contest 2025 • Deadline: November 21st, 2025 • Theme: Dream Team • Prize: 2,500 CHF + Travel + Accommodation • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Now celebrating its ninth edition , the FIBA Photo Contest has established itself as a vibrant platform for basketball enthusiasts around the world. Over the years, it has evolved into a creative space where photographers and fans alike can express their devotion to the sport and reveal the many ways bask

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: December 8th, 2025 • Theme: On the Street • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE From fleeting glances exchanged between strangers to bold confrontations unfolding in plain sight, street photography captures life as it happens — raw, unrehearsed, and beautifully imperfect. It is the art of noticing, of finding stories in the rhythm of the world as it moves past us. For this exhibition, we in

• Smithsonian Magazine • Deadline: December 1st, 2025 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: $2,500 + Publication • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Smithsonian magazine 23rd Annual Photo Contest will accept entries beginning on September 15, 2025 . The competition will officially close on December 1, 2025, at exactly 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time . Submitting a photo serves as confirmation that the contestant has reviewed the contest rules, accepts them in

• Dusk Photo Gallery • Deadline: November 20th, 2025 • Theme: Grayscale • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Long before the advent of color, photographers worked with the purest elements of visual expression: light and shadow . In the realm of black and white, distractions fall away. What remains is the essence of the scene—the structure, the texture, the rhythm of contrast that gives photography its timeless power. Dusk

• Shoot The Frame • Deadline: December 31st, 2025 • Category: Portrait Photography • Prize: $2,000 + ViewSonic Monitor + Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE 13 years of Shoot The Frame. Launched in 2012, Shoot The Frame evolved into a global suite of photography contests celebrating exceptional portrait, landscape and wildlife photography. In 2025, we’re pausing the monthly contests and launching the inaugural Shoot The Frame Portrait Award. The story be

• The Chateau Gallery • Deadline: November 17th, 2025 • Theme: The Art of Landscape • Prize: Online Exhibition + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Chateau Gallery proudly presents The Art of Landscape , an international online photography exhibition redefining what “landscape” means in contemporary art. Think beyond sweeping hills or quiet rivers — this open call embraces everything from city peripheries and coastal transformations to experimental and i

• Photora Awards • Deadline: December 6th, 2025 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €2,500 in Cash Prizes + Certificates • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE At its heart, the Photora Awards is not simply about winning — it’s about sharing your vision with the world . It’s about the courage to look closer, to find beauty in the ordinary, and to express what words cannot. With 20 categories that celebrate every form of photography — from the bustling energy of S

• un/producer & un/fund • Deadline: November 25th, 2025 • Theme: Open • Prize: €10K + Exhibition + Residency + Mentorship • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE un/fund is calling on exceptional visual artists from every corner of the world—especially those from underrepresented backgrounds—to take part in an open call offering four exciting pathways for creative growth. Artists can apply for a residency program, a publishing deal, a mentorship award, or direct funding

• All About Photo • Deadline: December 9th, 2025 • Category: Nature Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Publication + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE For its 54th printed issue, AAP Magazine proudly presents a new call for entries dedicated to one of photography’s most enduring and evocative subjects: Nature . This special issue will celebrate photographers who reveal the magnificence of our planet through their lenses—artists who observe, interpret, and hon

• Photometria International Photo Festival • Deadline: December 15th, 2025 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition at Photometria Festival in Greece • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE In its ongoing mission to promote and support contemporary photographic creation, Photometria International Photography Festival proudly announces the Parallel Voices Portfolio Contest , open for submissions from November 1st to December 15th, 2025 . This competition continues the festival

• Memorial Maria Luisa • Deadline: December 1st, 2025 • Category: Nature / Adventure Photo & Video • Prize: 4,000 € + Exhibition in Spain + Accommodation • Entry Fees: Yes (Free under 19yo) • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE For the Memorial Maria Luisa , the responsibility of judging rests with a panel of esteemed mountain and nature photographers, appointed by the Founders Board. Their expertise, passion, and recognized standing in the world of photography ensure that the evaluati

• Revela’t Contemporary Analog Festival • Deadline: November 16th, 2025 • Category: Analog Photography • Prize: €1,000 + Exhibition at Revela’t Festival • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Every day we are surrounded by images—flooded by them—each one promising something new, faster, better. In this dense visual world, simply looking with genuine wonder is already an act of independence. It means choosing to see differently, to slow down, to feel again. "20 Ways to

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: November 28th, 2025 • Theme: Light and Shadow • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Decode Gallery is delighted to present our forthcoming exhibition, Light and Shadow , a celebration of photography’s most timeless duality. Light reveals, shadow conceals—and in their interplay, entire worlds emerge. What stories unfold under the brilliance of illumination? What emotions linger in the quiet d

• Social Documentary Network • Deadline: January 15th, 2026 • Category: Social Documentary / Systemic Change • Prize: $2,500 + Publication + Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography The Social Documentary Network (SDN) proudly presents the ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography , recognizing excellence in documentary visual storytelling on any topic that resonates with the global community. One photographer will receive

• Artist Grant • Deadline: November 15th, 2025 • Category: Painting, Drawing, Photography, etc. • Prize: $1,200 Grant + Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Every artist deserves the opportunity to share their vision with the world—and the resources to make it happen. The Artist Grant awards an unrestricted $1,200 USD grant to one visual artist three times each year. Recipients are free to use the award however i

• The FIBA Photo Contest 2025 • Deadline: November 21st, 2025 • Theme: Dream Team • Prize: 2,500 CHF + Travel + Accommodation • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Now in its 9th edition , the FIBA Photo Contest has grown into a global celebration of basketball—a space where fans, photographers, and dreamers alike can share their passion for the game. Over the years, this contest has become more than just a showcase of great images; it’s become a stage for stories—s

• BBA Gallery + Prizes • Deadline: January 26th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €300 + Exhibition in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Whether you’re an experienced photographer with years behind the lens or simply someone who loves capturing spontaneous moments, everyone possesses a unique creative vision and the power to transform simple scenes into extraordinary images. We believe that photography is more than technical skill—it’s about expressing

• Dusk Photo Gallery • Deadline: November 20th, 2025 • Theme: Grayscale • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Before there was color, there was only light and shadow—the primal language of photography. In black and white, a world is revealed not through hues, but through essence: contrast, texture, and form become the storytellers. Every highlight burns with truth, every shadow whispers with mystery. Together they speak a

• Boomer Gallery London • Deadline: December 5th, 2025 • Theme: Transcendence • Prize: Exhibition in London + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free Submission (Pay if Selected) • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Passion. Conflict. Love. Within these timeless forces lies the heartbeat of artistic creation—a potent fusion that breathes life into canvases, photographs, sculptures, and every imaginable medium. Each artwork becomes a vessel for emotion, carrying whispers of the artist’s soul. Thro