{"id":311267,"date":"2025-08-02T06:46:44","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T06:46:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/311267\/"},"modified":"2025-08-02T06:46:44","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T06:46:44","slug":"your-shots-deserve-the-spotlight-10-global-photo-contests-now-open-from-august-to-january-most-are-free-and-open-to-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/311267\/","title":{"rendered":"Your shots deserve the spotlight: 10 global photo contests now open from August to January \u2013 most are free and open to all"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you’re a seasoned photographer, a beginner just getting started or simply someone who loves capturing beautiful moments, submitting your work to photography competitions is one of the best ways to gain exposure and recognition.<\/p>\n

Entering competitions isn’t just about winning \u2013 though prizes and publicity are great bonuses! It’s also a chance to dive into your archives, rediscover your best images and refine your personal style. Even if you don’t make the shortlist, the experience itself is rewarding and can push your photography to the next level.<\/p>\n

In fact, many photographers say competitions were the stepping stone that helped them build a name, grow their audience or land their first big feature. And with so many open calls across all genres \u2013 from astrophotography and macro<\/a>, to wildlife, travel, food, portrait, or conceptual photography \u2013 there’s something for everyone.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

The best part is that most competitions offer multiple categories, so you’re likely to find a perfect match for your work. To help you get started, I’ve put together a list of photography competitions with open calls that are accepting submissions through at least August until January next year. It’s a small selection to spark inspiration, but there are countless others out there\u2026<\/p>\n

Photography 4 Humanity 2025<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Photography 4 Humanity)<\/p>\n

Deadline: August 5, 2025
Open to: Photographers of all levels <\/p>\n

Focus: Climate Justice, “We believe climate change is a human rights issue, so we are looking for images that show people impacted by the escalating climate crisis.”<\/p>\n

Fee: Free to enter
Prize: $5,000 global prize, top 10 Finalists and top 20 Honorable mentions will be exhibited globally via UN.org.<\/p>\n

For more information, visit the Photography 4 Humanity website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

LensCulture’s Street Photography Awards <\/p>\n

\"Lens<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Lens Culture)<\/p>\n

Deadline: August 6, 2025
Open to: Photographers of all levels <\/p>\n

Focus: Street photography \u2013 “From fleeting gestures to monumental scenes, your images can echo far beyond the instant they were captured.”
Categories: Series and single image<\/p>\n

Fee: One image free, extra images $10 each, or five for $35,
series of up to ten images $45
Prizes: $10,000 in cash awards, solo featured published on LensCulture, exhibition in NY, international press exposure, and more<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the Street Photography Awards website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Fujifilm: GFX Challenge Grant Program<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Fujifilm GFX Challenge Grant Program)<\/p>\n

Deadline: August 31, 2025
Open to: Creatives of all levels <\/p>\n

Focus: Still photography or movie format projects<\/p>\n

Fee: Free to enter
Prizes: Complimentary use of a GFX system camera body and two GF lenses for the duration of their project, mentoring and technical assistance from Fujifilm<\/a> technicians\/ product experts, $10,000 Grant<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the GFX Challenge Grant Program website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

KBr Photo Award<\/p>\n

\"KBr<\/p>\n

(Image credit: KBr Photo Award)<\/p>\n

Deadline: September 1, 2025
Open to: Professional photographers<\/p>\n

Focus: Documentary photography \u2013 “Work demonstrates artistic values of particular interest within the tradition of documentary photography.”<\/p>\n

Fee: Free to enter
Prizes: \u20ac25,000 cash award to develop the project within 10 months, solo exhibition at KBr Barcelona and Fundaci\u00f3n MAPFRE Madrid, and accompanied by a published catalogue<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the KBr Photo Award website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Paris Photo-Aperture PhotoBook Awards<\/p>\n

\"Graphic<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Paris Photo\u2013Aperture PhotoBook Awards)<\/p>\n

Deadline: September 5th, 2025,
One copy of each submitted photobook plus submission form(s) need to be sent to Aperture\u2019s offices in New York
Open to: Photographers of all levels <\/p>\n

Categories: First PhotoBook, PhotoBook of the Year,
Photography Catalog of the Year<\/p>\n

Fee: First PhotoBook: $30 per project, PhotoBook of the Year: $60 for first project from a given publisher, $30 for each subsequent project from the same publisher, Photography Catalog of the Year: $60 for first project from a given publisher, $30 for each subsequent project from the same publisher
Prizes: $10,000 cash prize<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the Aperture website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Center for Photographic Art (CPA)<\/p>\n

\"Text<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Center for Photographic Art (CPA))<\/p>\n

Deadline: October 1, 2025
Open to: Creatives working in still photographic media<\/p>\n

Focus: There is no theme; any subject matter is eligible<\/p>\n

Fee: $10 for one image (entry discount available)
Prizes: $5,400 in cash awards, CPA gear, online exhibition and exhibition at CPA’s historic gallery in Carmel, California<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the Center for Photographic Art website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

19th Picture Award<\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Picture Award)<\/p>\n

Deadline: October 5, 2025
Open to: Photographers of all levels<\/p>\n

Category: Animals
Focus: Diversity, from pets, urban wildlife, underwater or macro insights <\/p>\n

Fee: One image \u20ac5, three images \u20ac13, five images \u20ac20
Prizes: \u20ac650 cash & product prizes,<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the Picture Award website<\/a>.
For inspiration, you can discover previous winning images here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nature Photography Contest<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

(Image credit: The Nature Photography Contest)<\/p>\n

Deadline: November 15, 2025
Open to: Photographers of all levels <\/p>\n

Categories: Natural landscapes, Wildlife, Macrophotography, Underwater, Birds, Plant Life, Night World, Environmental Impact, Sharing the Planet, Funny Nature<\/p>\n

Fee: \u20ac10 per image
Prizes: Prestigious “Photographer of the Year” title, \u20ac2,000 cash prizes, and more<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the Nature Photography Contest website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Anthology Photography Competition<\/p>\n

\"Anthology<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Anthology)<\/p>\n

Deadline: November 30, 2025
Open to: Photographers of all levels <\/p>\n

Focus: ‘The World As You See It’ \u2013 “Photography styles can include street photography, landscapes, natural world & wildlife, macro photography, lifestyle, object and still life and architectural. Technically manipulated images such as abstract, panoramic, stitched and composite are also permitted.”<\/p>\n

Fee: Standard \u20ac18 from May until November 2025
Prizes: The winner will receive a \u20ac500 cash prize and editorial coverage in a future issue of Anthology magazine<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the Anthology magazine website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sony World Photography Awards<\/p>\n

\"Sony<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Sony World Photography Awards)<\/p>\n

Deadlines:
Student Competition: November 28 2025
Open and Youth Competition: January 6, 2026
Professional Competition: January 13, 2026
Open to: Photographers of all levels <\/p>\n

Categories:
Student Competition: Together
Open Competition: Architecture, Creative, Landscape, Lifestyle, Motion, Natural World & Wildlife, Object, Portraiture, Street Photography, Travel
Youth Competition: Open Call: Show us your best images!
Professional Competition: Architecture & Design, Creative, Documentary Projects, Environment, Landscape, Perspectives, Portraiture, Sport, Still Life, Wildlife & Nature <\/p>\n

Fee: Free to enter
Prizes: Global press exposure, $25,000 cash prize, Sony<\/a> gear, solo exhibition at the Sony World Photography Awards London exhibition, and more<\/p>\n

For more info, visit the World Photography Organisation website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You might like…<\/p>\n

For more inspiration, browse the best photography awards and contests<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether you’re a seasoned photographer, a beginner just getting started or simply someone who loves capturing beautiful moments,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":311268,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[4021,4020,4022,77,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-311267","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-design","11":"tag-entertainment","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114957830593740054","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=311267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/311267\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/311268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=311267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=311267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=311267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}