Open Photography Contests & Competitions 2026

Theme: “Power” Photography can have the power to manipulate memories, encourage thought and stimulate emotion, it also has the power to do these things across languages and cultures. The skilled photographer must hold power over their camera and manipulate the power dynamic between photographer and subject. Pointing a camera at someone can be seen as an act of power in itself. The study and analysis of different expressions of power can move from serious existential questions at the personal level to complex social and even political problems at a wider level. Photography can depict the powerful and those moments when they fall from power, but it can also expose the powerless to the world. The dynamics of power resulting from wealth and status make rich documentary subject as do the struggles for power among the disadvantaged and marginalized. Power is also exerted in issues of censorship and publishing — which photographs make the front pages and which cannot be published? Prizes: FIRST PLACE £1,000 cash award Mentorship sessions from an experienced professional Exhibitions in the UK and Japan Invitation to an IAFOR conference in Asia, Europe or North America* Certificate of achievement SECOND AND THIRD PLACE Exhibitions in the UK and Japan Invitation to an IAFOR conference in Asia, Europe or North America* Certificate of achievement Each applicant may submit 10 to 20 images related to the award theme, either in the form of a photo-essay or as a collection of single images. Image requirements: jpg/jpeg format (medium to high quality); 300 dpi; 3000 pixels on the longest edge; no more than 10mb per image. An embedded ICC profile is needed. Adobe RGB or sRGB is recommended for colour images. Gamma 2.2 is recommended for black and white. No CMYK. The content of an image must not be altered or retouched beyond the accepted standards allowed by the industry. No borders, personal logos, embedded watermarks or other effects (such as HDR or selective coloring) Online submission of digital photographs via the website. OFFICIAL WEBSITE

FEATURED CONTEST:

The IMAGE New Mexico 2015 Competition

La Quatrieme Image Photo Prize

The Julian Gardner Awards 2015

The Did You Know Cat Facebook Photo Contest

Monochrome Photography Awards 2015

The Photographique Student Award

The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest

PH21 Gallery Photo Exhibition “A world beyond”

Henri Cartier-Bresson Award

The “Love, Captured” Competition

IAFOR Documentary Photography Award