Jalón Ángel Photography Prize 2026 - Call for Entries

• Archivo Jalón Ángel

• Deadline: May 4th, 2026

• Theme: Portrait / Travel / Migration and Borders

• Prize: €1,500 + Trophy + Exhibition in Spain

• Entry Fees: Free

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

The Jalón Ángel Photographic Archive, preserved and overseen by San Jorge University as part of the San Valero Group, announces the 12th edition of the Jalón Ángel International Photography Prize. This initiative continues the Archive’s mission to safeguard photographic heritage while encouraging contemporary photographers to engage with the medium as a tool for artistic expression, documentation, and social reflection.

Ángel Hilario García de Jalón Hueto (1898–1976), known as Jalón Ángel, was a defining figure in Spanish photography, particularly celebrated for his contribution to portraiture. Throughout a professional career spanning more than fifty years, he developed a photographic language marked by sensitivity, precision, and a deep respect for human dignity. His early training began in Logroño and expanded during the first decades of the twentieth century through significant periods in Lyon and Paris, where he refined his technical skills and absorbed the cultural influences of European photography.

In 1926, Jalón Ángel made Zaragoza his home, establishing a studio that became central to his professional life. Alongside his studio portraits, he pursued a deeply personal body of work focused on travel, urban environments, and natural landscapes. These images reveal his curiosity for place and his ability to observe the world with the same attentiveness he brought to photographing people.

His commitment to society extended well beyond the photographic field. Driven by a strong sense of social responsibility, he promoted the creation of the San Valero Professional School in 1953, an institution aimed at providing education and access to employment for young people and adults with limited resources. This initiative would later evolve into the San Valero Group, continuing his legacy of education and inclusion.

The Jalón Ángel International Photography Prize honours this enduring legacy through its two annual categories: Portrait, reflecting the genre in which he achieved national recognition, and Travel, inspired by his lifelong interest in movement and discovery. In response to contemporary global realities, the current edition also introduces a special category dedicated to Migration and Borders, reinforcing the Prize’s commitment to photography as a means of understanding human experience across cultures and frontiers.