National Geographic - Photography Competition 2026

• National Geographic

• Deadline: March 22nd, 2026

• Category: Several Categories

• Prize: 11-Day Holiday for 2 + Mentorship

• Entry Fees: Free

• REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE

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All photographic submissions must be provided in .jpg format and must not exceed 10MB in file size. Entries that do not meet these technical requirements may not be considered for the competition. Each photograph submitted must be entirely the original work of the entrant, and the participant must hold full copyright ownership of the image at the time of submission. By entering the competition, participants confirm that they are the rightful creators and copyright holders of the photographs they submit.

In addition, photographs must have been captured within two years prior to the date of submission. Images that are older than this period are not eligible for entry. Furthermore, photographs that have previously received an award in any National Geographic photography contest are not permitted and will be disqualified if identified.

Limited editing of images is allowed, but only for minor adjustments. Acceptable modifications include basic burning, dodging, slight colour correction, and cropping where necessary to improve composition. Any manipulation that significantly alters the original content of the photograph is not permitted. The use of generative artificial intelligence tools in any stage of the image creation or editing process is strictly prohibited.

If a photograph prominently features a recognizable individual as the primary subject, the entrant must ensure that they have obtained permission from that person to submit the photograph to the competition. This permission may be in the form of a signed model release form or another clear form of consent from the individual featured. This requirement applies only when a person is the main focus of the image and does not apply to general street photography or images where individuals appear incidentally. The competition promoter reserves the right to request proof of permission at any time and may disqualify any entrant who is unable to provide such documentation if requested.

The winner of the competition will be notified by email within 90 days after the competition closing date. The notification will be sent to the email address provided by the entrant during the submission process. Once the winner has been notified, they must respond to the promoter within 10 days of receiving the message. If the selected winner cannot be contacted, is found to be ineligible, disqualified, or fails to respond within the 10-day response period, the promoter reserves the right to select an alternative winner.