Wildlife photographer Rodrigo González Pairoa faced challenges when capturing birds in Albatross Islet, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile. Now his image of a Black-browed Albatross, shot with a full-frame DSLR that was released 14 years ago, was honored as the winner of the Birds Without Borders category in the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards.

Pairoa recalls the situation, "It was almost ​​​​impossible to keep the camera steady. In the remote Almirantazgo Sound, the biting cold, ever-changing light, and unpredictable wind forced me to readjust my stance and refocus after every blast of photo."

The albatross was calm and Pairoa was able to approach it slowly.

He explains, "In an almost comical moment, it tilted its head, as if observing me with the same curiosity with which I was photographing it. I filled the frame with its face, revealing the dark outline around its eye and the sculptural texture of its plumage.

"In that brief moment, the wind ceased.

"The resulting image captures a fleeting moment of silent, intimate connection with an iconic species of the Southern Seas. I hope that whoever views it feels that same sense of ​​​​closeness."

Birds Without Borders Winner

Contest: Chile and Colombia
Species: Black-browed Albatross
Location: Albatross Islet, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile
Gear: Nikon D600 + Nikon AF-S 300mm f/4D IF-ED
Exposure: 1/1600 sec, f/11, ISO 400

Bird Lore
The Black-browed Albatross is one of the smaller and most widespread albatross species. It breeds on islands in the sub-Antarctic and southern oceans, and ranges at sea as far south as the Antarctic continent and north to offshore waters of Brazil and Australia.

While the birds might seem free to wander the seas of the world, studies show that individuals from different nesting colonies tend to migrate to different regions of the ocean outside the breeding season. Those from South Georgia Island, for example, mostly move to waters off southern Africa, while those from the Falklands favor the seas east of South America.

Judge’s Take (Claudio Contreras Koob)
"This image caught the judges’ attention because it offers an almost abstract view of the albatross.

"The skillful use of a modest background, which does not distract the viewer, allows the eye to instead follow the lines and tones that lead us to the albatross’s piercing gaze, the focal point of the composition."

The Audubon Photography Awards is a competition celebrating photographers who use their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges and threats facing birds across Chile, Colombia, Canada and the United States. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

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Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from September 2026 to February 2027.

Whether you're a seasoned photographer, a beginner just getting started or someone who loves capturing beautiful moments, submitting your images to photo competitions is one of the best ways to gain exposure and recognition.

Entering competitions isn't just about winning – 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. 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 – there's something for everyone. So, here's a list of photography competitions with open calls that are accepting submissions from September 2026 until February 2027. It's a small selection to spark inspiration, but there are countless others out there...

The 2026 Arnold Newman Prize

Deadline: September 23

Open to: Photographers of all levels aged 18 years and older

Fee: $65

Focus: New Directions in Photographic Portraiture

Prizes: $20,000 Grand prize, three finalists receive a $500 stipend each, all artists recognized in the Top Ten will be included in the online exhibitions hosted by Maine Media, Top Ten will be featured in a professionally produced publication celebrating the work of the Prize recipient, three Finalists, and six additional photographers recognized in the Top Ten.

AAP Magazine #61: Street

Deadline: September 29

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Early bird: $30 for 3 images, Regular: $35

Focus: Street photography

Prizes: $1,000 in cash awards, publication in AAP Magazine #61, extensive press coverage, and international exposure

Botanical Photographer of the Year

Deadline: September 30

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Free

Focus: Britain and Ireland's wild plants

Categories: Intrepid: Plants in wild, hard-to-reach, or dramatic landscapes, Inquisitive: Close-up shots highlighting the fascinating and minute features that are often used in ID, Inclusive: People interacting with plants, urban botany, or community recording, Open: For entries that fall outside the above.

Special: Young Botanical Photographer of the Year for an entry into any category, aged 18 or under

Prizes: To be announced

Fine Art Photography Awards

Deadline: Early deadline: October 11, Final deadline: February 14

Fee: Amateur: Early deadline: 19$ single image, $24 series; Professional: $24 single image, $29 series, category fee: $10

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Amateur & Professional categories: Abstract, Architecture, Conceptual, Experimental, Fashion, Fine Art, Landscape, Nature, Night Photography, Nudes, Open Theme, Panoramic, People, Photojournalism, Photomanipulation, Portrait, Seascape, Street Photography, Travel, Wildlife / Animals

Prizes: Amateur: Grand Prize $2,000, Professional: Grand Prize $3,000

Travel Photographer of the Year

Deadline: October 12

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: From £14, entry is FREE for young photographers aged 18 and under

Portfolio categories: Adventures & Journeys, Cultures, Traditions & Celebrations, Landscapes – Nature & Urban, Wildlife, Sealife, Birdlife

One Shot categories: In Nature, People of the World, Street, Travel in Black & White,

Special Awards: Travel Photographer of the Year, Young Travel Photographer of the Year, Travel Image of the Year, Rising Talent Award, People’s Choice Award

Prizes: Cash prizes from £1,000 to £200, industry portfolio reviews, media exposure, and more

Wellcome Photography Prize

Deadline: October 21

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Free

Focus: Issues on health, science, and the human experience

Categories: Striking solo photography, A storytelling series, The marvels of scientific and medical imaging

Prize: £10,000 for each Category Winner, 22 entries from across the three categories will be awarded £1,000 each, extensive international media coverage

Insta 360 Global Awards

Deadline: October 30

Fee: Free

Open to: Photographers and videographers of all levels

Requirement: Entries must be shot on Insta360 or Antigravity products

Format: Videos: 30sec-3min MP4/MOV, single image only under 20MB

Categories: Street, Travel, Life, Portrait, Sports, Night

Prizes: $150,000+ prize pool with over 100 winners to be announced

World Sports Photography Awards

Deadline: November 23

Fee: Free

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Eligibility: Up to 10 images taken between December 2025 – November 2026

24 categories: American Football, Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Combat Sports, Cricket, Cycling, Equestrian, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Motor Sports, Nautical, Other, Racquet Sports, Rugby, Skate, Special, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Urban & Extreme, Venues, Views & Crowds, Winter Sports

Prizes: Prizes are provided by sponsors of the World Sports Photography Awards, details TBA

Sony World Photography Awards

Deadline: November 27 (Student), January 5 (Youth + Single Images), January 12 (Series)

Fee: Free

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Competitions: Series (previously Professional competition), Single Image (previously Open competition), Student, Youth

Categories: up to 10 different categories depending on competition

Prizes: Cash prizes up to $25,000, top-tier Sony equipment, and global exhibition opportunities

OPPO Photography Awards

Deadline: December 31

Open to: Photographers and videographers of all levels, shooting with OPPO, OnePlus, or realme devices

Fee: Free

Theme: "Super Every Moment"

Categories: Me, Journey, Video, Zoom, Live, Snap

Prizes: $76,500 prize pool across 38 awards

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When young photographer Juan David Camacho Márquez headed into the woods in El Queremal, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, to photograph birds, he hoped he might capture a species he had spent years trying to photograph. Little did he know, he was about to get his dream shot.

Juan's striking image of a Canada Warbler perched above a delicate spiderweb has now been named the Youth winner in the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards.

"I was walking through the woods with a group of birding friends one cloudy morning when I came across a Plain-backed Antpitta – a lifer for me and one of the first records of the species for the area," he explains. "With that sighting, my day was already a success, but then I saw​​​​ this Canada Warbler."

Juan adds, "I took a photo, but it was only when I looked at it later that I noticed the perfect dew-covered spiderweb hanging beneath the branch. The bird seems to be looking at the web, creating a natural harmony.

"For three years, I had tried many times to get a decent photo of this species, but I hadn’t yet succeeded. What you see before you is a dream fulfilled."

Youth Winner

Contest: Chile and Colombia
Species: Canada Warbler
Location: El Queremal, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Gear: Sony A6700 + Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
Exposure: 1/320 sec, f/6.3, ISO 6400

Bird Lore
Found in its namesake nation for less than half the year, the Canada Warbler is a long-distance migrant. It spends the nonbreeding season mostly in South America at middle elevations in the Andes, where it largely sticks to dense understory of rain forest and cloud forest.

It will sometimes join with flocks of other migrant or resident birds – especially those that follow swarms of army ants. The Canada Warbler then seizes the chance to grab smaller insects that the ants scare up.

Judge’s Take (Sebastian Herzog)
"Capturing this intriguing composition of an adult male Canada Warbler – a migratory species that rarely stays still – requires shooting at just the right moment, with a very sharp focus and the ideal depth of field.

"Here, the bird seems to pause for a second in its constant search for food to gaze at a spiderweb. The raindrops caught on the web shine and show off the web's unique geometry. "

The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards is a competition celebrating photographers who use their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges and threats facing birds across Chile, Colombia, Canada and the United States. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

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The World Sports Photography Awards 2027 (WSPA) is open for entries. Described as “the world’s foremost showcase of sports photography,” the free-to-enter competition attracts thousands of entries from photographers all over the world.

Last year, over 4,200 entries covering 60 different sports were entered by photographers from 123 countries.

For the second year running, the competition is sponsored by none other than Canon. “Canon has been the perfect partner (...) there’s no name more synonymous with sports photography,” said co-founder of the WSPA, Simon Burton.

“It's been another remarkable year for sport around the globe, and we can’t wait to see the images photographers submit.”

WSPA entry requirements

Submissions to the WSPA are free. Entrants can submit up to 10 images across 24 sports categories, but they must have been captured between December 2025 and November 2026. Images entered in last year’s competition are not eligible for reentry. The closing date for entries is November 23 2026.

I’ve judged many photography competitions over the years and one of the biggest mistakes I’ve seen is entries that breach competition guidelines (look no further than the recent controversy surrounding the Capture the Dark contest).

It’s therefore imperative that you take a detailed look at the WSPA’s rules page before submitting your entries.

Last year, the competition debuted the ‘Canon Emerging Talent’ award in a bid to celebrate the next generation of sports photographers. It’s back for 2027 and open to those under the age of 25.

“By recognizing emerging talent and giving young photographers a platform to showcase their creativity and passion, we hope to help them take the next step in their careers and tell the powerful stories at the heart of sport,” said Richard Shepherd, product marketing senior manager at Canon Europe.

Want to see some of 2026's winners? I’m an avid sports photographer, and these are my five favorite match-winning shots from last year's World Sports Photography Awards.

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When Gail Bisson retired as a doctor, bird photography was at the top of her list. Since then, she has traveled the world photographing birds, building an impressive collection of international awards. Now Bisson has added another prestigious honor to that list. Her striking shot of a female Common Merganser flying over the water with a flatfish in her beak has won the Female Bird Prize in the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards.

The photograph was captured at East Bay Sandbar, Nova Scotia, Canada, on a bitterly cold winter day. Bisson almost missed the shot entirely. She explains, "The ducks were not very active, and after 30 minutes I decided to go warm up in the car. Normally I leave my camera on the ice during breaks, but this time I took it with me.

"Thank goodness I did, because just as I reached the car, I spotted a female Common Merganser with a flatfish take to the air to protect her catch from other mergansers. I was thrilled to snap this frame, but I worried it wouldn’t be tack sharp. It was!"

Female Bird Prize Winner

Contest: United States and Canada
Species: Common Merganser
Location: East Bay Sandbar, Nova Scotia, Canada
Gear: Canon EOS R5 Mark II + Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM
Accessories: Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R
Exposure: 1/2500sec, f/6.3, ISO 640

Bird Lore
Mergansers, or Goosanders as they are known in Europe, are among the few ducks that regularly eat fish, diving and swimming gracefully underwater to capture them in their long, slim bills.

Ordinarily, the bird will eat its prey promptly after catching it, pausing only long enough to maneuver the fish into position for swallowing it headfirst. But if other members of the flock try to steal the catch, the bird may have to maneuver to keep hold of its meal.

Judge’s Take (Jess Gorzo)
"This felt like a portrait fit for a field guide illustration, while at the same time an extraordinary action shot brought to life by bright lighting and reflective ice and snow.

"The judges appreciated both the luck and skill involved in capturing this perfectly framed moment in flight, fish in beak. In addition to its excellent composition and subject, this joyful image captures a day in the life of a female Common Merganser."

The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards is a competition celebrating photographers who use their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges and threats facing birds across Chile, Colombia, Canada and the United States. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

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A powerful and incredibly detailed black-and-white image of an adult seahorse releasing newly born juveniles into the wide world has won the top prize of this year's Ocean Photographer of the Year competition. The seahorse's posture, combined with the image's monochrome treatment, gives the photograph a deep emotional impact, leaving the jury with the question: "What kind of ocean are we leaving for those who come after us?"

Multi-award-winning photographer & filmmaker Julien Anton captured the scene after countless hours of searching on a rebreather dive in the shallow seaweed-filled waters of Moorea, French Polynesia. He explains that while it is not known whether these seahorses are related, their arrangement evokes a touching farewell – almost as though the tiny seahorses have gathered around their father after he sent them out into the world.

"When Julien Anton's image first appeared on screen, the judging panel fell silent. It is an image that demands reflection, pause for thought, and it certainly got that from us," explains Will Harrison, Ocean Photographer of the Year founder and director.

Overall Winner: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026

Tech details
Gear: Lumix GH7 & SeaFrogs Housing
Lighting: BigblueLights 2x 36000Lumens & x1 12000Lumens
Exposure: 1/320secs, f/5.6, ISO 400

Anton says, "We spent countless hours searching in difficult conditions, with no guarantee of finding a single seahorse. That is what made the moment so extraordinary – when the juveniles turned back towards the adult, it felt like something far beyond what I had dared to hope for.

"I am not a professional photographer; for me, photography is simply how I share what I see and feel. My hope is that this image can serve as a bridge between science, conservation and a world that deserves to know what is at stake."

What makes this image award-winning

Beyond its technical excellence, Anton's photograph captures the seahorses with remarkable sharpness and detail while revealing a deeper emotional story.

The image invites viewers to pause, reflect, and consider the fragile relationship between marine life and our changing world – delivering a powerful message about the need to protect our natural world.

Founder and director Harrison says, "The image is full of quiet energy, even if some of that comes from us humans imprinting our own emotions on the photograph: the bow of the father’s head, the juveniles turning back towards him, the generational gap and the unknown futures of the newborns.

"What kind of ocean are we leaving for those who come after us? It is ocean photography at its most powerful: intimate, urgent and impossible to ignore."

Ocean Photographer of the Year is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain. You can see all the 2026 winners on the Oceanographic Magazine website.

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"I was on a boat passing under cliffs where Northern Gannets nest and spotted this dead bird hanging from fishing line as others went about their lives around it," says award-winning photographer Joshua Galicki.

The striking image, comprised mainly of black and white tones, captures a haunting contrast and the bird's harsh reality.

"I've never seen anything like it. I wanted to show this contrast between life and death.

"This species already faces many challenges, including climate change and disease; only the year before my visit, avian flu had decimated the colony. I took this image as a reminder of one more obstacle we put in the way of this charismatic species," he explains.

The photograph was taken at the Isle of Noss in the Shetland Islands, where Northern Gannets gather to nest on dramatic sea cliffs.

Galicki's image has now been named Conservation category winner in the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards, a competition that celebrates photographers whose work showcases birds and the challenges they face. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

Conservation Winner

Contest: United States and Canada
Species: Northern Gannet
Location: Isle of Noss, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom
Camera: Canon EOS R3 + Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Exposure: 1/2500 sec, f/5, ISO 4000

Bird Lore
Huge, long-winged Northern Gannets hunt their prey with spectacular plunge-dives, arrowing into the sea to grab fish below the surface. They sometimes run afoul of commercial fishing operations, become entangled in fishing nets, and drown.

Ironically, while gathering material to build their nests on island cliffs, they may pick up fragments of discarded fishing gear from the water or shorelines, working these bits in with grass, seaweed, and other items. Either adult or young gannets may become caught in the unbreakable synthetic fibers.

Judge’s Take (Sabine Meyer)
"This scene encapsulates the hopes and stresses of conservation.

"The nesting gannets telegraph the promise of the next generation, whereas the gruesome scene of the entangled bird shows the cost of human impact. The monochromatic color palette heightens the scene’s drama, akin to a painterly tableau where life and death coexist."

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When professional nature photographer Liron Gertsman heard about white-tailed tropicbirds nesting in the caldera walls of an active volcano, he packed his full-frame mirrorless camera, telephoto lens, and traveled to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai'i, United States. On the trip, he captured the now award-winning image of the tropicbird rising above volcanic gases and glowing red lava.

Gertsman explains, "I spent 10 days scouting and waiting at the Halema'uma'u Crater before the Kīlauea volcano erupted. White gases on the left of the photo are primarily water vapor and carbon dioxide; the blue gas on the top right is sulfur dioxide; the brown dust is volcanic ash; and red lava glows on the right. The birds nest in the crater's cracks, safe from predators, and use the thermals generated from the volcano’s heat to gain lift as they fly out to gather food. "

This spectacular shot has been honored as the winner in the Birds in Landscape category at the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards – a competition celebrating photographers who use their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges and threats facing birds across Chile, Colombia, Canada and the United States. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

Birds in Landscapes Winner

Contest: United States and Canada
Species: White-tailed Tropicbird
Location: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hawai‘i, United States
Gear: Canon EOS R5 + Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Exposure: 1/2500 sec, f/16, ISO 2500

Bird Lore
Tropicbirds are beautiful, long-tailed seabirds that range throughout the world’s oceans, mainly in the tropics. Seldom seen from mainland shores, they raise young on oceanic islands.

The White-tailed Tropicbird, the smallest and most widespread of three species, usually tucks its nest into a cavity among rocks.

On many islands, these sites are most readily found among layers of volcanic rock – including, at times, around still-active volcanoes, leading to remarkable scenes.

Judge’s Take (Sadie Hine)
"This was easily the most dramatic landscape we saw this year. I can clearly visualize this tropicbird weaving through this unforgiving environment.

"This sense of movement – paired with a wide perspective and the powerful role of volcanic activity in shaping unique ecosystems – makes this image memorable.  "

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The largest owl in Chile is often called the ghost of the desert because, as photographer Francisco Castro Escobar explains, "Seeing one is so rare that it’s like an apparition." When he spotted the owl in northern Chile, after walking for hours through the desert, he captured the bird of prey beautifully.

"In the distance, we noticed the silhouette of a bird perched among the cacti. I approached slowly without a sound, hiding behind the plants to avoid any disturbance. Once near, I was thrilled to see through my lens an imposing Lesser Horned Owl," he explains.

This rare and mystical shot has been awarded the Grand Prize in the Audubon Photography Awards – a competition honoring photographers who used their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges and threats that birds face across Chile, Colombia, Canada and the United States. You can explore all 2026 winning images here.

Grand Prize

Contest: Chile and Colombia
Species: Lesser Horned Owl
Location: Paposo ​​​​Natural Preserve, Antofagasta, Chile
Gear: Sony A7 IV + Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS
Exposure: 1/800 sec, f/7.1, ISO2000

Bird Lore
Until recently, this nocturnal hunter of southern South America was considered a Great Horned Owl – a species widespread from Canada and Alaska to northern Argentina. But it has a very different voice, featuring two rapid hoots followed by a guttural trill.

It’s not exclusively a desert owl, however: Like its northern relative, the Lesser Horned Owl has adapted to a variety of habitats, from scrubby forests of the high Andes to rocky canyons and lowland desert.

Judge’s Take (Sebastian Herzog)
"This photo evokes a feeling of finding an enchanted spot in the heart of Chile's natural landscape. Set against a dimly lit backdrop, the captivating gaze of this majestic owl’s intense yellow eyes stands out against its snow-white face, creating a fairy-tale atmosphere.

"Thanks to a perfectly calculated depth of field and impeccable composition, the vibrant cactus becomes an unexpected companion to the solitary protagonist. "

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Capturing the dream shot is on every photographer's list – but actually finding yourself in the right place at the right moment, after all that effort, is something fewer experience. For three years, 17-year-old wildlife photographer Maksym Breushas been chasing the same elusive moment: a hobby swooping over the water, its talons poised to pounce on a dragonfly.

After more than 200 hours of observation, Maksym finally captured this moment at Redgrave and Lopham Fen on the Norfolk border, UK – and the extraordinary image has now won the Norfolk Wildlife Trust's 2026 Nature Photography Competition.

The competition called Maksym's image a "once-in-a-lifetime shot", and for good reason. Hobbies are among the fastest birds in the world in horizontal flight, making an already fleeting hunting sequence incredibly difficult to photograph. Yet he managed to freeze the split-second encounter with remarkable sharpness at 1/6400sec, using a Canon EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera and a 150-600mm super telephoto lens.

Overall Winner 'Hobby chasing a dragonfly'

Tech info
Canon EOS R + Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM | C
1/6400sec, f/6.3, ISO 1250

This incredible shot required a great amount of patience from the talented young wildlife photographer, as Maksym explained, "For three years I've attempted to capture a legendary shot of a hobby chasing a dragonfly.

"After more than 200 hours spent observing, the delight of achieving my dream shot was absolutely indescribable!

"For me, wildlife photography was never just about showing an animal, I want to show people the behaviour, story and fleeting moments that make each encounter special."

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust's 2026 Nature Photography Competition

The competition celebrated the best images of Norfolk’s birds, mammals, marine life, bugs, plants, fungi and landscapes – taken anywhere from one of NWT’s reserves to your own garden within the past year. It's your chance to feature in our 2027 calendar, as well as exhibitions around the county.

Discover more winner images on the Norfolk Wildlife Trust's website.

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After his previous success with a split-second wildlife shot showing a Eurasian hobby catching prey in mid-air, 16-year-old photographer Jack Crockford has now been recognized by another prestigious photography competition – this time for an extraordinary image of a swift flying almost perfectly aligned with an airplane.

The Art of Flying has now been highlighted by the world's leading wildlife photography competition, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London, England.

The awards published a sneak peek of this year's Highly Commended images and, in the 15-17 Years category, Jack's shot of a low-flying swift, as its shape is echoed by an incoming plane approaching Heathrow Airport, stood out.

Using the same kit as he used to capture his previous award-winning image, Jack shot with the Nikon D500 – a DSLR camera that Digital Camera World praised as a "dream camera" when reviewing it – paired with a 200-500mm telephoto lens to get close.

When observing the swifts, Jack recalls that most were flying too high to capture, but one of the occasional low-flyers finally enabled him to create the composition he'd been hoping for.

'The Art of Flying' – Shortlisted at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2026 competition

Tech details
Nikon Nikon D500 + Nikon AF-S 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

Exposure info
1/5000 sec, f/8, ISO1600

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year states, "Jack observed swifts flying overhead, completing their yearly migration back to London and filling the air with their piercing, high-pitched calls.

"Swifts' physical characteristics allow them to migrate from equatorial and southern Africa to breeding grounds in northern Europe.

"Their long, scythe-shaped wings enable exceptional speed and maneuverability. Living almost their entire lives in the air, they usually only land when they’re ready to breed. "

The category winners and the prestigious Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will be announced on October 13. You can watch the ceremony live on YouTube. The full set of highlighted images will be showcased in an exhibition from October 16 at the Natural History Museum, with tickets available here.

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Birds are among the most popular subjects in wildlife photography and powerful indicators of the planet's health. Now, the National Audubon Society announced the winners of the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards, honoring photographers who used their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges, and threats birds face across Chile, Colombia, Canada, and the United States.

Across categories including Birds in Landscapes and Conservation, emerging photography talent also had the opportunity to gain recognition through dedicated Youth categories. The featured species ranged from Roseate Spoonbills, whose populations were severely threatened by plumage hunting in the 18th and 19th centuries, to a Gentoo Penguin swimming just beneath the water's surface near Chilean bases.

For more than 120 years, the National Audubon Society has used science, conservation and community action to protect birds and the places they need to survive and thrive. Visit the website for information about initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean and Audubon’s Plants for Birds program. Explore all 2026 winning images here.

2026 Audubon Photography Awards

Winners and Honorable Mentions – Highlights

Grand Prize: Jacqueline Burke
Species: Roseate Spoonbill
Location of the photo: St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St. Augustine, Florida, USA

Plants for Birds Colombia - Winner: Santiago Giraldo
Species: Yellow-eared Parrot and Quindio wax palm
Location of the photo: Anaime, Cajamarca, Tolima

Conservation - Honorable Mention: Rodrigo Vega Neira
Species: American Oystercatcher
Location of the photo: Llolleo Beach, Ojos de Mar Wetland, San Antonio, Valparaíso Region, Chile

Coastal Birds of Chile - Winner: Gonzalo Bertolotto Quintana
Species: Gentoo Penguin
Location of the photo: Fildes Bay, Antarctica, in the vicinity of the Chilean bases

Birds Without Borders – Winner: Nick Parayko
Species: Tennessee Warbler
Location of the photo: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada (in his backyard)

Youth - Honorable mention: Parham Pourahmad
Species: Red-tailed Hawk
Location of the photo: Cupertino, California, USA

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The winners of the 2026 New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP) Iris Awards were recently announced and, in the Australian branch, dogs took the “Animal” category crown, but cats put up a fight, also claiming glory.

While the overall category winner was Charlotte Reeves, a Brisbane-based pet photographer who captured a dramatic series of pooches in the outdoors, Melbourne-based pet photographer Belinda Richards claimed the highest-scoring image with a creative frame of a feline.

The NZIPP Awards are New Zealand’s most recognized photography awards for professional and amateur photographers and, two years ago, expanded into Australia.

In its inaugural Aussie year, Reeves was also crowned Animal Photographer of the Year. This year, she told the organizers she was “honored” for the accolade, while thanking her business partner for encouraging her to enter.

Reeves claimed victory with three dramatic images of dogs in the outdoors, each taking a striking pose. Judges scored images out of 100, with “Gold” claiming a minimum of 90 points, “Silver” 80–89 points, and “Bronze” 75–79 points. Reeves’ trio all gained at least a “Silver” rating, with two marked with distinction.

Although Reeves’ dogs took the Animal category, the cats of the competition put up a good fight. Belinda Richards’ frame scored a whopping 99/100, the highest from any entrant across New Zealand and Australia.

Above: watch how Belinda Richards created her winning image "Catitude"

It’s no wonder Richards scored so well. In a recent Instagram video, the renowned pet photographer revealed how the shot was essentially a major DIY project involving custom set building. Richards had success across the competition too, taking first place in the “Creative” category.

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Here’s our pick of the best cameras for portrait photography – great for snapping your animal loved-ones. And we’ve also got an entire section dedicated to pet photography tutorials and techniques.

Oppo's ultra phones have been steadily pushing closer to replacing a traditional camera, and the Find X9 Ultra may be the most convincing yet. In our testing, Digital Camera World found it to be hands-down one of the best camera phones on the market, and the closest a smartphone has yet come to feeling like a real camera in your pocket.

Now the Oppo Find X9 Ultra has picked up a major accolade, winning the prestigious EISA Photo & Video Smartphone 2026-2027 award. EISA praised its versatile focal-length range, premium quality and design, and the creative freedom it gives photographers, calling it a serious competitor to superzoom cameras.

The Find X9 Ultra's impressive camera system includes a 200MP 23mm main camera, a 50MP 14mm ultra-wide and two telephoto options: a 200MP 70mm camera and a 50MP 230mm super-telephoto. The 230mm camera also features sensor-shift stabilization, helping photographers capture sharper handheld images at extreme focal lengths.

EISA Photo & Video Smartphone 2026-2027

EISA says, "OPPO’s Find X9 Ultra raises the bar for smartphone photography with its uncompromising approach.

"An innovative camera system, developed in collaboration with Hasselblad, offers a 14mm–230mm focal length range for outstanding versatility, while the 230mm telephoto lens opens new creative possibilities for mobile photography – adding the optional teleconverter extends focal length to an exceptional 300mm.

"Thanks to this flexibility, plus intelligent shooting and image processing technologies, OPPO’s flagship model is a competitor to super-zoom cameras.

"For photographers seeking the ultimate range, image quality and creative freedom in a smartphone, this is the place to look."

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Most photography competitions offer a cash or equipment prize, but I’m sure many of us would trade that off for a job as a photographer with a dream organization.

That’s exactly what Newfoundland-based photographer David Sturge has won after recently being crowned the Canadian Wildlife Photographer of the Year by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS).

He now gets to work as a photographer for Canadian Geographic, RCGS’ bimonthly magazine, covering assignments across culture, environmental and travel in British Columbia.

Sturge, who’s based in Paradise, Newfoundland, and works as a provincial park ranger and wildlife guide, won the competition with a stellar portfolio of animal portraits.

Among them were a dramatic shot of a puffin holding a feather in its mouth and looking directly at the camera, as well as a photogenic fox seemingly posing for the shot.

Sturge is also a member of the The Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective (CCPC), a group of photographers and videographers formed in 2021 to promote environmental conservation and science education through visual storytelling.

Speaking to Canadian Geographic, he explained his goal of using photography to raise awareness of how the natural world is changing and the importance of protecting wildlife. “I love to create beautiful images and connect with these creatures,” he said, “but I know these stories need to be told.”

According to the organizers, the 2026 edition of the photography competition attracted more than 10,000 entries. 18 photographers in total were honored for images depicting terrestrial and aquatic animals, flora and fungi, and winged species.

Steven Marriott claimed first place in the “Terrestrial Life” category for an action freeze-frame of an American mink dashing toward his lens after catching some prey at a conservation area in Ontario.

While in the “Aquatic Life” category, winner Jean-Christophe Lemay got the judges’ vote with a mesmerizingly colorful shot of a sandworm swimming on the surface of the St. Lawrence Estuary.

Over in the “Flora and Fungi” category, entomologist Anthony Zerafa came first with a shot of Scheuchzer’s cottongrass growing on the shore of Colour Lake on Axel Heiberg Island, Nunavut.

And Saskatchewan-based biologist Jon Behuniak won the “Things with Wings” category with a macro frame of a thick-headed fly on a raspberry cane.

The Canadian Wildlife Photographer of the Year is an annual photography competition celebrating the flora and fauna within Canadian borders. Photographs must be taken in Canada by photographers who are permanent residents in the country.

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Getting a camera eye-to-eye with a polar bear in the Arctic wilderness sounds like a wildlife photographer's dream. But Audun Rikardsen found a clever way to do it, placing his DSLR camera beneath the sea ice so that the animal could be photographed from a seal's perspective.

The result, Icy Window, shows a polar bear peering straight down through a breathing hole – and has now been highlighted in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

After spotting polar bear tracks close to a seal's breathing hole north of Svalbard, Norway, Rikardsen drilled one nearby and positioned a full-frame DSLR from 2012 with dedicated underwater housing and a wide-angle lens beneath the ice. He connected the setup to a motion sensor, enabling the camera to trigger when the animal approached.

Eight hours later, the Norwegian photographer finally got the shot he had been waiting for: a polar bear looking straight down into his lens as it searched for seals. Rikardsen's setup turned the animal's natural behavior into an extraordinary seal's-eye perspective, showing a unique view from below the ice.

Gear and exposure info

Technical details
Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Lens: Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM
Accesories: Underwater housing customized camera rig; Camtraptions motion sensor

Exposure
1/1250 sec, f/9, ISO800

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

With a record-breaking number of submissions, at over 65,000 images, the world's leading wildlife photography competition revealed a sneak peek of the exceptional photographs captured from around the world.

Now in its 62nd year, Wildlife Photographer of the Year – developed and produced by the Natural History Museum in London – gives us rare insights into the remarkable inhabitants of our planet.

We've previously highlighted some of the Wildlife Photographer of the Year highly commended images; from an unlikely friendship to a leopard’s clumsy maneuver and more, you can discover the photos here.

The category winners and the prestigious Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will be announced on October 13. You can watch the ceremony live on YouTube.

The full set of highlighted images will be showcased in an exhibition from October 16 at the Natural History Museum. Tickets are available here, priced £4.25 to £21 per person.

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Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from August 2026 to January 2027.

In the days following the announcement of the Capture the Dark 2026 winners, the conversation has shifted from commendation to controversy. It turns out that this year, the competition organizer – DarkSky International, a global NGO advocating for reduced light pollution – recognized images that broke its rules.

The controversy started on August 14, just a day after the winners’ announcement, when disgruntled entrant Raaber Way took to Facebook to condemn the results. And it wasn't long before photography news outlets came across the astrophotographer's post, amplifying the news.

While there’s never some grand conspiracy behind a dodgy photo competition ruling, nor “goodies” nor “baddies,” there are, unfortunately, the rule-abiding photographers who never get their fair shot at recognition.

And from an organization as influential within the astrophotography community as DarkSky International, recognition can have a massive impact on a photographer’s prospects. So it’s for the photographers who entered justly, but were pipped by the offending images, that I write this.

In his Facebook post, Way drew attention to one of the winning images and a runner-up that undoubtedly broke the rules.

These were The Chasm by Tom Rae, an ethereal shot of a cave illuminated by glowworms beneath the Milky Way sky, which won the Creatures of the Night category, and A Dialogue Between Space and Human Light by Mikel Iraeta, an epic depiction of a lighthouse beaming beneath cosmic ecstasy, which placed second in the Impact of Light Pollution category.

The specific rule these composite images broke was that they combined separate exposures taken at different focal lengths.

Capture the Dark allows techniques widely used in astrophotography, including stacking, tracking, panoramas and blending multiple exposures. But all exposures used to create a single submission must be captured at the same focal length.

When the NGO announced its winners, it also released the technical settings used by each photographer – and Way was the first to spot that both Rae and Iraeta had used two different lenses with different focal lengths.

Now, I don’t for one second believe that Rae or Iraeta set out to cheat their way to victory – and I still think that their creations are great works of art. In fact, a few days ago I wrote a piece highlighting the incredible story of how Rae rappelled 330 feet (100m) into the cave to capture his shot.

Even if I knew this image had broken the rules, I still would’ve written that piece. I would’ve highlighted that this was the case, but the story of the daring photographic feat would’ve remained an incredible one regardless.

The fact remains, however, that by DarkSky International’s own rules, both of these images should have been disallowed. Not only were they allowed, but they went on to gain widespread recognition at the expense of two other truly deserving photographers who stuck to the rules.

DarkSky International certainly isn't the bad guy for this but, in my eyes, it has let the astrophotography community down, despite the response it gave on Way’s Facebook post.

In short, the NGO said that it has “heard” the concerns and questions this controversy has raised, but “stands by” its elected winners. To me, the public statement reads more like one of those corporate “admissions” of guilt that uses a lot of jargon without actually saying, “we messed up”.

If my two cents is worth anything, a public apology with a re-election is in order from the organizers. While I agree with them when they say that they’re “only human” and humans make mistakes, humans also admit when they make mistakes and do their best to rectify them.

This would go a long way toward helping the photographers who, per the rules, are deserving of a spot in this year's top three for the Creatures of the Night and Impact of Light Pollution categories, respectively.

And while we’ll never know who the two photographers are that should have, whoever you are, just know that your efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.

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The Sony A7 V has made a major impact since launching, taking the top spot at Japan's biggest camera retailers month after month and quickly establishing itself as one of the most popular mirrorless cameras.

Now the full-frame camera has added another major industry award to its growing collection – having previously won Best Full Frame Expert Camera at the TIPA World Awards and Camera of the Year at the Camera Grand Prix 2026 – with EISA naming the A7 V Camera of the Year 2026-2027.

The Expert Imaging and Sound Association, EISA, is a major consumer technology awards group comprising 51 technology-related publications and announces winners across a range of technology product categories, including hi-fi audio, home theater and photography.

EISA Camera of the Year 2026-2027

EISA says, "The Sony Alpha 7 V is a weather-sealed full-frame camera that’s suitable for virtually any application. It combines tried-and-tested features such as 5-axis image stabilization with cutting-edge photographic technology.

"Its partially stacked Exmor RS CMOS image sensor delivers 33 megapixels while enabling shooting at 30 frames per second to provide blackout-free continuous shooting.

"It employs Sony’s latest BIONZ XR2 processor, with an integrated AI processing unit that supports autofocus with real-time subject recognition including human pose estimation.

"It’s also a very good video camera that’s capable of 4K recording at 60fps, or 120fps with a Super35 crop. Whether in the studio or outdoors, the Sony Alpha 7 V is a reliable and high-performance camera for discerning photographers."

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After submitting his first-ever photo to the prestigious Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, photographer and drone pilot Matt Deakin has been crowned the competition's Overall Winner. His ghost-like image Ethereal Encounter stood out to the judges, capturing a critically endangered green sawfish swimming alongside a green turtle in the waters off the Pilbara in the far north of his home State.

This year's competition attracted 2,129 entries from 501 photographers across 17 countries. Deakin took the 2026 title with an image so surreal that people keep asking him whether it's AI. He says, " That’s not an insult though, because it just doesn’t seem real."

But capturing the winning shot had Deakin feeling the nerves. His drone – the DJI Mavic 3 Pro – was around 2.5km offshore as the light began to fade, and its battery warning was beeping. Then, a sawfish emerged from the deep water. "I just said 'wow'," he explains.

"I pushed the drone as long as I could to get the pictures."

'Ethereal Encounter' – Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year

Tech info
Drone: DJI Mavic 3 Pro

Deakin shares on Instagram, "On a remote part of the WA coastline, I saw a spectral shape moving through the shallow water from the drone.

"As I hovered over the area, the shape emerged from cloudy water, revealing itself as a critically endangered Green Sawfish.

"To see and capture such a large one in the wild was a privilege, but what made this encounter even more special was that the sawfish was swimming through an area full of turtles.

"With the light fading and the drone battery beeping, I waited patiently for this exact moment before bringing the drone back to land at a critical 3%, all while being eaten by mozzies and sand flies to maintain connection!!"

Winner announcement and exhibition

The winners of the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year, were revealed by video announcement, and an exhibition featuring the 100 shortlisted images opens at the South Australian Museum on August 29 and runs until February 14, 2027.

A People’s Choice award will be announced in early January.

The full gallery of photographs from this year’s competition can be found on the Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year website.

Find out more about the exhibition on the South Australian Museum website.

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The Minimalist Photography Awards (MPA) 2026 has announced its winners, and the overall crown of this year’s edition has been awarded to Polish photographer Marcin Giba for his aerial depiction of a natural frozen phenomenon, which he says is disappearing.

To produce the winning photo series, entitled “The Last Winter,” Giba flew a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone over the frozen lakes near his hometown of Rybnik, Poland, capturing the “incredible forms” created by nature on the icy waters.

“Snow in the city is becoming a fleeting, almost ephemeral phenomenon,” he told the competition organizers. “So when the conditions finally allow and I take flight, I feel like I’m documenting a vanishing beauty.”

The Minimalist Photography Awards is an annual competition celebrating simple yet compelling images. This year, the international competition saw more than 6,000 entrants from over 66 countries compete across 12 categories, including abstract, architecture, aerial and street photography.

Other notable winners this year included Bulgarian astrophotographer Mihail Minkov. He took first place in the “Night Photography” category with a starry series of an Indigenous Bolivian woman at Salar de Uyuni, the world’s largest salt flat, where the water-clad surface reflected the Milky Way above.

And in the “Fine Art” category, architecture photographer Steffen Reichardt (Germany) placed first for a creative approach to juxtaposing a small chapel against the huge cooling towers of the nearby Dukovany Nuclear Power Plant in the Czech Republic.

Overall competition winner Marcin Giba was awarded €2,000 (approximately $2,300 / £1,715 / AU$3,200). Along with all other category winners, he’ll gain wider recognition at a winners’ exhibition (date/location to be announced).

The top three photographers in each category will also feature in this year’s competition photobook. You can see all the winners in the MPA 2026 winners’ gallery.

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With a record-breaking number of submissions of over 65,000 images, the world's leading wildlife photography competition reveals a sneak peek of the exceptional photographs captured from around the world.

Now running in its 62nd year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year, developed and produced by the Natural History Museum, London, gives us rare insights into the intertwined lives of a rhino and an oxpecker, a not-so-easy-to-find dragon katydid and more – all showcasing the remarkable inhabitants of our planet.

The category winners and the prestigious Grand Title and Young Grand Title awards will be announced on October 13. You can watch the ceremony live on YouTube. The full set of highlighted images will be showcased in an exhibition from October 16 at the Natural History Museum, with tickets available here.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year – Sneak Peak Highlights

Behaviour: Mammals

Highly Commended
Up a Tree without a Squirrel by Allegra Hutton, USA

Technical details
Sony A7R V + Sony FE 200–600mm f/5.6–6.3 G OSS at 467mm; 1/640 at f/11; ISO 4000

Allegra had already watched the leopard try – and fail – to stalk a rabbit. The squirrel also avoided the leopard’s clumsy manoeuvres, eventually ascending too high for the leopard to follow. By then, the cat could barely hang on. An awkward backward retreat ensued.

Oceans: The Bigger Picture

Highly Commended
Calm Amid the Storm by Shane Gross, Canada

Technical details
Nikon D500 + Tokina AT-X107 Fisheye 10-17mm f/2.5-4.5; 1/200 at f/16; ISO 500; Aquatica AD500 housing; 2x YS-250 Sea & Sea strobes

Shane noticed this school of fish swimming near the shore every morning at sunrise. Aiming for a split shot, he flipped the camera upside down to aid buoyancy distribution and adjusted his position, slowly approaching the curious school.

Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles 

Highly Commended
Split-Second Escape by Jens Cullmann, Germany

Technical details
Canon EOS R3 + Canon RF 100–300mm f/2.8 L IS USM + 2x teleconverter; 1/4000 at f/9 (-0.3 e/v); ISO 2500

Jens noticed tadpoles on a previous visit after heavy rains and returned the following month to find ponds and puddles full of young bullfrogs. He spent more than two weeks watching the young frogs ‘eat everything that moved’.

Behaviour: Invertebrates 

Highly Commended
Hidden Dragon by Gil Wizen, Israel/Canada

Technical details
Canon EOS 7D Mark II + Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM; 1/100 at f/11; ISO 400; Canon Speedlite Macro Twin Lite flash + customised diffuser

At only 15 millimetres (3/5 of an inch) long, this little lichen dragon katydid was not easy to find. Luckily, Gil was able to spot it when it moved slightly, though distinguishing between the katydid and the lichen in the camera’s viewfinder made it challenging to photograph.

Behaviour: Birds

Highly Commended
Mutual Friends by Ernest Porter, South Africa

Technical details
Canon EOS R7 + Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM; 1/5000 at f/2.8; ISO 800

While searching for wildlife in the reserve, Ernest witnessed a group of white rhinos with red-billed oxpeckers feeding on the insects that infest their skin. He noticed one rhino with a subtle blue ring in his eye, which immediately became his unique muse.

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Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from August 2026 to January 2027.

In a place marked by industrial whaling, ecological devastation, and the boom-and-bust of an industry built on exploiting the ocean's resources, award-winning wildlife photographer Romain Barats captured this striking image of three gentoo penguins standing among the remains of a dark chapter in Antarctica's history.

Barats photographed the wildlife trio at the former Hektor whaling station at Whalers Bay on Deception Island, where the rusting structures now sit against the island's black volcanic landscape. Whaling activity began here in 1906, while the Hektor station operated from 1912 until 1931. Today, the site offers a stark contrast between the remnants of Antarctica's industrial past and the wildlife that inhabits the area.

Barats' powerful image of the gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua), dwarfed by the relics of the whaling industry, has now been named a finalist in the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 competition in the Conservation (Impact) category.

Finalist: Conservation (Impact) – Photographer of the Year

Gear info
Camera: Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Lens: Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM + Canon Extender RF 1.4x

Exposure
1/200 sec, f/14, ISO 2000

The story behind the still
"Three gentoo penguins stand beside the rusting remains of the former Hektor whaling station at Whalers Bay, Deception Island.

"Once a center of Antarctic whaling, the site is now being reclaimed by wildlife and the harsh polar environment.

"The penguins appear almost like sentinels, watching over the ruins of an industry that once exploited these waters.

"Today, the silence is broken not by machinery, but by the return of the wildlife that has made this place its own again."

The winners of the Ocean Photographer of the Year competition will be announced in September. The award is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain.

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Compact camera launches can be exciting, especially when they combine a high-quality Leica-branded lens and a viewfinder. When the Panasonic Lumix L10 was revealed in May 2026, it was one such release. Now, just months after launching, it has been named EISA compact Camera 2026-2027.

The Lumix L10 is a premium point-and-shoot model with a built-in Leica DC Vario-Summilux 3.1x optical zoom lens and, most importantly, a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) – an increasingly rare feature on new compact cameras. It's an addition many photographers still find essential, but one that's often sacrificed for a smaller design.

Just 12 days after its launch, the compact camera debuted at No.1 on the Japanese sales charts at retailer Yodobashi, making its early impact and popularity clear. As we noted in our review, it's a "very convincing alternative" to the hugely popular Fujifilm X100VI – a camera that is almost always on backorder. Now, the Lumix L10 has added industry recognition from EISA, a major consumer technology awards group.

EISA Compact Camera 2026-2027

EISA explains, "The Lumix L10 is an advanced compact camera that’s designed for enthusiast photographers. It employs a 20.4MP Four Thirds sensor, with a unique multi-aspect ratio design that encourages creative composition.

"This is combined with a 24-75mm equivalent, f/1.7-2.8 optically stabilized lens that’s ideal for everyday photography, even in low light. The camera can also record 5.6K video at 60fps, and 4K at 120fps.

"Other highlights include fast and accurate subject detection autofocus, a high-quality electronic viewfinder, a fully articulated screen, and a large, long-lasting battery.

"The stylish design offers plenty of manual control, including an aperture ring on the lens. It’s probably the best zoom compact camera yet made."

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The Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) has announced its 2026/27 winners and, unlike last year, which saw Sony win the sweepstakes across the best lens and best camera categories, this year Nikon has mixed things up.

Each year, EISA – a major consumer technology awards group currently formed of 51 technology-related publications – announces winners across a range of technology product categories, including hi-fi audio, home theater and photography.

2026/27 has seen a new “Lens of the Year”: the Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S II. The Nikon lens, which has already made a name for itself for producing sharp images across the frame, dethroned the Sony FE 50–150mm f/2 GM.

EISA particularly praised the internal zoom construction for bolstering its video-making abilities, calling the Nikon lens professional glass “without any weaknesses.”

The Nikon win meant that there was no Sony clean sweep like last year, but the mirrorless camera giant did retain its “Camera of the Year” crown, which EISA awarded to the Sony A7 V. The latest installment in Sony’s coveted prosumer range, the A7 V has dominated sales charts in Japan since its release just shy of one year ago.

It has been praised for its 33MP hybrid stills-video performance, thanks to the partially stacked 33MP sensor and BIONZ XR2 processor, which deliver fast readout speeds and reduced rolling shutter artifacts.

EISA – whose expert member publications’ editors test all awarded products – commended the A7 V for its “cutting-edge photographic technology”, making it a suitable rig for “virtually” all kinds of shoots.

Sony also captured the “Professional Camera” award with its A7R VI. The 67MP full-frame beast is Sony’s latest release and combines a new dedicated AI processing unit and a fully stacked sensor. EISA said the professional rig boasted “dramatically improved” subject recognition and tracking compared with the previous model, the A7R V.

In other categories, Fujifilm won the “Best Buy Camera” award with the X-T30 III, while the cropped-sensor giant was also recognized as the best APS-C camera producer thanks to the X-E5.

Tamron captured a pair of awards, too, including “Wide-Angle Zoom” with the 16-30mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 and “Standard Zoom Lens” for its 35-100mm f/2.8 Di III VXD.

To see all of the 2026/27 EISA Award winners, head to the awards website.

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A photography competition hosted by a pair of biological science journals has revealed the winner of its 2026 edition, with the crowned image depicting a damsel that's rather curious – not in distress.

Now in its third year, the BMC Ecology and Evolution and BMC Zoology image competition celebrates photos depicting the beauty and diversity of life on Earth. Photographers have to be affiliated with a research institution and work in either ecology, evolutionary biology, paleontology or zoology.

This year’s overall competition winner, Window to the Wetlands, came from Sritam Kumar Sethy, a nature photographer and self-professed “science enthusiast” studying at Berhampur University in northeastern India.

His photo captured an orange-tailed marsh dart damselfly (Ceriagrion cerinorubellum) framed by a hole in a leaf. Rather than flying away in distress, the curious insect stayed put, peering directly at the camera.

The competition judges praised the image as “beautifully composed and vivid,” with Sethy commenting that it sheds light on the “often-overlooked world of freshwater biodiversity.”

Along with Sethy’s overall winning scene, the judges crowned images in three separate categories.

First place in the Relationships in Nature category went to Victor Huertas from James Cook University in Australia, for his “dramatic snapshot” of two male giant Australian cuttlefish (Ascarosepion apama) competing for a female during an annual spawning aggregation.

Liam Brennan of the University of New Brunswick, Canada, took the Research in Action category for his “atmospheric” photo of students investigating the local fish population under a moonlit sky in shallow coastal waters.

Meanwhile, Allen Tian, a researcher at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada, snagged the Protecting Our Planet category with a creative stereographic drone shot of Long Sault Parkway at the western end of the St Lawrence Seaway.

As the overall winner, Sethy took home €500 (approximately $580 / £420 / AU$820), while each category winner claimed €200 (approximately $230 / £170 / AU$330). The winning images will also feature in an editorial story published in BMC Ecology and Evolution.

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Every year, DarkSky International – a global nonprofit advocating for reduced light pollution and protecting the nighttime environment – runs a photography competition.

From incredible astrophotography to artificially-lit cityscapes, the event highlights truly spectacular scenes (many of which our eyes would never perceive without a camera to reveal) along with the growing threat to our night sky.

The 2026 edition of the competition has now wrapped up and, from the 9 category winners, there were 3 images in particular that stood out to me.

“The Chasm”

It might take a second for your mind to figure out what’s going on in this image. The luminous green lights are glow worms lining the walls of a deep natural cavern, while the Milky Way shimmers overhead.

But even more fascinating than the image is the story behind it. Astrophotographer and guide Tom Rae rappelled more than 330ft / 100m into a vast cave system on New Zealand’s North Island at night.

He told the competition organizers how the “extreme humidity, subtle light from the glow worms and long exposures” pushed his skills to the limit.

Technical details: Tracked panorama | Nikon Z8 + Z7II | Nikkor 20mm f/1.8 + Sigma 40mm f/1.4 | 180 sec / 30 sec • f/1.8 • ISO6,400 / 1,600

“Razorback”

Another New Zealand-based astrophotographer, Paul Wilson, created this image from Razorback Lookout in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges. I love how the majestic Milky Way arches over the distant mountains, while the winding dirt road in the midground almost mirrors it.

According to Wilson, a pair of irregular dwarf galaxies – the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, located roughly 163,000 and 200,000 light-years away from Earth, respectively – are also visible.

Speaking to DarkSky International, Wilson said: “It celebrates the remarkable clarity of Australia’s dark skies, where multiple celestial phenomena can be experienced together above an iconic outback landscape.”

Technical details: Tracked panorama | Canon EOS R5 | Sigma 28mm Art | 30 secs • f/2.5 • ISO3200

“Aurora over the Prince Christian Sound”

What jumps out to me with this image, captured by Finnish astrophotographer Dennis Lehtonen, is the way the aurora bends through the sky, almost as if painted with a brush.

Lehtonen – who spends his time roaming remote Arctic communities in search of the best Aurora sightings – took the photo near Aappilattoq (also called Rødfjord), a village in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland.

He told the competition organizers he spent hours “jumping from one ice-covered rock to another" searching for a photo location, following a promising aurora forecast. The astrophotographer believes luck was on his side, as the lack of wind allowed for reflections in the water.

Technical details: Single exposure | Sony A7 IV | Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM | 2.5 secs • f/1.8 • ISO2000

These three brilliant images not only encapsulate awe-inspiring scenes, but also highlight the importance of why DarkSky International fights for reduced light pollution. Fantastic work from all three photographers!

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Wildlife photography comes with an important responsibility: never get too close or disturb an animal just to get the perfect shot.

Wildlife and underwater photographer Leighton Lum kept his distance when he captured the special moment between a Hawaiian monk seal named Kaiwi and her young pup on a busy beach in Waikīkī.

The heartwarming image shows the pup resting its head on its tired mother, just weeks after being born. The moment was particularly special as the pup marks the sixth Hawaiian monk seal birth ever recorded at this location – one of Hawaii's busiest and most popular beaches.

To keep his distance, Lum used a 500mm telephoto lens and 1.4x extender, giving him 700mm of reach while shooting with one of Canon's finest stills cameras.

Lum has spent nearly a decade teaching photography and leading expeditions around the world, using photography to raise awareness. Now, his photograph of the Hawaiian mother and pup duo has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Ocean Photographer of the Year awards in the Conservation (Hope) category.

Finalist: Conservation (Hope) – Photographer of the Year

Gear info
Camera: Canon EOS R5
Lens: Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS USM + Canon Extender RF 1.4x

The story behind the still
As Lum explains: "Mothers nurse their pups for around six weeks without feeding, losing up to a third of their body weight while the pup grows rapidly before becoming independent.

"Despite choosing one of Hawaiʻi's busiest beaches to raise her pup, Kaiwi has successfully raised several pups here. It does, however, require the support of conservation teams and volunteers – DLNR enforcement, NOAA and volunteer groups coordinating barriers and round-the-clock patrols to ensure that tourists and locals wouldn't get too close during such a sensitive window."

The winners of the Ocean Photographer of the Year competition will be announced in September. The award is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain.

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Each year, the National Portrait Gallery in London, England, runs its Winston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize competition (formerly Taylor Wessing), attracting submissions from both professionals and amateurs across the world. At this year’s edition, 3,977 portraits were submitted.

The event organizers have now whittled these down to just four finalist images, which will vie for the top prize of £15,000 (approximately $20,300 / AU$28,500) and recognition from a lauded art institution.

Entrants were encouraged to interpret ‘portrait’ in its “widest sense”, with judges keen to see portraits emphasizing the “individual identity” of their subjects.

In the running is the proud shot of a teenage Cuban fencer called Neisser, taken by British photographer James Clifford Kent. Neisser comes from an accomplished family of musicians, but the aspiring pentathlete is forging his own path, making a name for himself as one of Cuba’s top fencers.

Challenging are Marcie Doherty (UK) and Katie Hitchcock-Smith (US). Doherty’s gritty rendering of American football culture on a cold UK street corner does away with the glitz and glamor that are lavishly poured on high school sports stars in the US.

Meanwhile, Hitchcock-Smith took a more humorous photojournalistic approach to documenting Nour, Mohamed and their camel. The photographer kitted out the Moroccan men with a cowboy hat from home and a jacket bought at a local market.

The final of the coveted four comes from Max Pattenden, a UK-based 24-year-old photographer. In the black-and-white close-up frame we see Havannah, a 10-year-old girl with a curious yet enlightening expression on her face, leaving it up to the viewer to decide the narrative.

The National Portrait Gallery will announce the winner of the Winston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize 2026 on November 03, with all 56 finalist images to be showcased in an exhibition at the gallery from November 05 2026, to January 17 2027.

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When you first glance at this underwater image, it looks like the kind of shot that would take weeks to plan. In fact, the photograph was taken during an unplanned morning dive. No script, no moodboard, no dive team briefing. Just a freediver, an expanse of open water and a huge school of sardines.

The result: a churning mass of silver folds itself into a perfect halo around its human subject. No surprise, then, that Ben Yávar's image is a finalist in this year's Ocean Photographer of the Year Adventure category.

The Chilean photographer sees it as reflecting the calm trust that can exist between people and marine life. "It is a reminder that patience and respect for the ocean often lead to its most extraordinary moments," he says.

Secrets of the shot

Yávar is a freediving instructor as well as a photographer, and so he well knows that sardines are acutely sensitive to disturbance. So calmness is key. But when you use scuba diving equipment, the exhaust bubbles, regulator noise and sheer bulk of your kit are likely to scare them off.

In contrast, freediving – where you ditch the equipment and rely solely on the air in your lungs – enables you to move silently and blend in, getting you closer to the action and saving the sardines from getting jumpy.

The shot in question was taken on a Sony A7 IV with a 12mm lens at f/9, ISO 1600 and 1/250 sec; the kind of smaller aperture Yávar favors to hold sharpness across a fast-moving frame. The fast shutter speed did the job of freezing individual fish and stopping them from blurring into streaks, while the high ISO suggests he was compensating for a fill flash.

Yávar pre-sets his camera on land, because underwater there's no time, plus fiddling about with menus would only disturb the fish. It's an approach that makes sense well beyond sardine runs: decide what you can beforehand, so that in the moment, all your attention goes to composition and timing.

Of course, even if you do everything right, you're still going to need a lot of luck to get a shot like this. But Yávar puts in enough hours to know he'll be ready. He'll often take multiple dives, sometimes dozens, to get movement and light to align properly.

That's the real key to getting a shot like this. In the photo itself, the technical preparation, the fitness, the training and the failed dives are all invisible. All the viewer sees instead is the scene that made all that effort worthwhile.

Ocean Photographer of the Year is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain. You can see all the 2026 finalists on the Oceanographic Magazine website.

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In an age of increasingly complicated cameras, one minimalist full-frame mirrorless is going in the opposite direction – and it has now won another major award for doing so. It is unlike almost anything else currently on the market and arguably teaches lessons no other mirrorless can – at least not in such a minimalist way.

The Sigma BF has no viewfinder, minimal physical controls and a design that strips photography back to its essentials: light, position and the act of taking a picture. That philosophy has now earned it a 'Best of the Best' award at the 2026 Red Dot Design Awards.

It's the second major accolade that the BF has picked up this year. The camera previously received the Editor's Choice R&D Award at the Camera Grand Prix 2026, where it was praised for its radical simplicity and design philosophy.

What Red Dot says the Sigma BF

"In an era where images are produced almost without thinking, it creates a deliberate counterpoint – focusing on photographing with intent and for pure enjoyment.

"The body of the camera is made from a solid block of aluminum and has an almost monolithic appearance. The controls are kept to the absolute minimum; transitions are meticulously crafted and the connection between the lens and the body looks seamless and streamlined.

"The camera reveals itself in a clearly defined form – a self-contained object that owes its character to its materiality and proportions and whose sculptural quality fascinated the jury.

"The same minimalist approach has also been applied to the user interface. A separate status display shows all relevant information, keeping the main screen clear of superimposed data. The center of attention is the image. The only element on the top of the camera is the shutter button.

The jury paid tribute in particular to the rigor of the design and manufacture: “From a production perspective, the Sigma BF is an embodiment of perfectionism, made as it is from a single aluminum block, characterised by radical simplicity and the seamless transition from body to lens.

"The camera’s materiality has been deliberately rendered visible. It is an exceptionally minimalist product whose quality and merit are immediately noticeable.

"This camera reduces technological complexity to a simple principle: light, space and purposeful focus – it is a contemporary interpretation of what began with the camera obscura."

Why the Sigma BF teaches photographers lessons no other mirrorless really can

The BF's minimalism isn't simply about having fewer buttons. Its entire design is built around keeping your attention on photography.

The controls, display and physical layout have all been deliberately stripped back to keep your attention on light, composition, subject and timing.

Of course, plenty of compact cameras and point-and-shoots have always been simple. What's different about the BF is that Sigma has taken that idea and built a modern full-frame mirrorless camera around it, making simplicity and the act of taking a photo central to its design.

That's what makes the BF so interesting. It's not trying to give you more ways to take a picture; it's trying to make you think more about the picture itself.

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The Fujifilm GFX100 RF is a truly unique compact camera, bringing medium format photography to a remarkably portable body. Featuring a 102MP sensor, it is the highest-resolution compact to date.

Following its DGP Imaging Award win last year, one of Japan's most prestigious honors recognizing innovation and excellence in digital image making, and its IF Design Award win in 2026 for "embodying pure photographic pleasure", it now takes home the Red Dot Design Award 'Best of the Best'.

Weighing just 735g, the Fujifilm GFX100RF combines the portability of the APS-C Fujifilm X100VI with the power of the GFX system. The multi-award-winning camera redefines what a compact can be, making it one of the most distinctive high-resolution cameras available today.

The Fujifilm GFX100RF wins the Red Dot Design award

"Taking a photograph begins not with the act of pressing the shutter release button but with the decision as to which part of the world should be shown. The Fujifilm GFX100RF puts this moment center stage," Red Dot explains.

"In use, the Fujifilm GFX100RF seems less like a piece of technology and more like an analog tool whose quality is conveyed by its tactile properties, weight and resistance,” noted the jury, clearly impressed.

"Complexity has been not reduced but reimagined." The jury described this approach as "extreme standard" – a term that captures the tension between radical reduction and maximum refinement.

Red Dot adds, "The camera’s quality is, in effect, the result of the rigor with which an established principle has been advanced. The ability to choose the aspect ratio right from the start offers a new form of photographic control – not through additional functions but through the meticulous restructuring of existing possibilities."

Fujifilm GFX100RF's award winning run

Its recent Red Dot Design Award win is one of many honors the Fujifilm GFX100RF has received.

DGP Imaging Award
The DGP Imaging Award jury said, "The Fujifilm GFX series has made the world of medium format digital photography significantly more accessible. The GFX100RF achieves further compactness and lightness by being the first model in the series to feature an integrated lens, while maintaining a high-quality feel through its exterior using machined aluminum parts. We highly commend its ability to make medium format's ultra-high image quality easily accessible."

IF Design Award
"Delivering outstanding resolution, the GFX100RF is the world’s first camera to combine a large-format sensor with a built-in lens, fusing the GFX Series’ highest image quality with excellent mobility," noted IF Design.

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Just under a month ago, I wrote an article titled: A goat versus Gaza: Leica's award shortlist highlights one of the biggest challenges in photography contests.

The point of my piece is that when it comes to merit, it's difficult to separate an image from a warzone against an image of a goat, especially when the former provokes such strong emotional reactions.

Well, turns out there were even bigger challenges to come for the organizers of Leica's 2026 Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA).

First, some context. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, athletes, artists and cultural figures from the former have been locked out of a range of international contests and events, regardless of their personal politics or whether they actually live in Russia.

FIFA, the IOC and Wimbledon's organizers have imposed blanket or partial bans on Russian participation, arguing that neutrality is impossible while the war continues and that representation risks being used as propaganda by the state.

Cultural institutions have followed suit; canceling exhibitions, performances and more, with a special focus on people tied to Russian state bodies.

Now Leica has done the same, removing Valery Melnikov– a Russian documentary photographer based in Moscow – from its Oskar Barnack Award shortlist.

His series, Mariupol: Open Wounds, had previously been selected by the jury and published alongside the other 11 finalists in July.

Now it's gone, following what Leica describes as a legal and compliance review, and following weeks of pressure from Ukrainian photographers and critics.

What the series focused on

Situated on the northern coast of the Sea of Azov, Mariupol was once the tenth largest city in Ukraine. In 2022, a three-month-long siege by Russian forces largely destroyed it.

Still under Russian control today, the BBC reports that residents regularly experience clean water shortages, frequent power cuts and severe shortages of basic medicines.

Melnikov's project focuses on residents who stayed in Mariupol after Russia's siege of the city in 2022, and on what he calls the unbearable humanitarian consequences that followed. It's serious, sustained documentary work: he's been shooting in the region since 2022 and, by his own account, it's a personal project rather than a commissioned one.

The trouble is context – or rather the lack of it. Ukrainian photographer Serhii Korovainyi, who has covered the war extensively, complained there was no mention of who killed tens of thousands of civilians in the city or who destroyed it.

The Kyiv Independent went further, describing Melnikov as a Kremlin media-linked photographer and detailing his association with Rossiya Segodnya, the state media group that owns Russia Today, for which he's worked since 2009.

Melnikov doesn't dispute this connection; he says it's always been public knowledge and that it didn't stop the jury from selecting his work in the first place. And it's undeniable that he has a point. Since being shortlisted, the facts haven't changed – only the scrutiny.

As someone who's visited wartime Ukraine as a journalist, and who has Ukrainian family members myself, it's tough to be unbiased. But if I try to leave my personal feelings aside, I can see there is a fundamental issue of principle here. Does the context belong to the image or to the caption?

Melnikov's photographs, on their own, show injury, loss and endurance. But they don't, in themselves, assign blame. And his critics argue that omission isn't neutral in a war where responsibility is disputed and where Russia continues to occupy the city he's photographing.

Institutions that platform such work, the argument goes, inherit some responsibility for the framing around it, whether they intend to or not.

That's not, however, a standard that the photography world applies consistently. Plenty of war photography arrives without an editorial essay attached and juries have traditionally judged the image itself, not the photographer's employer.

What's the criteria?

If access, affiliation and biography become part of the selection criteria after the fact, maybe contests need to be far more explicit about that from the outset, rather than making the call once public pressure builds.

On a practical level, photographers who get sustained access to occupied territory rarely do so without some relationship to the authorities controlling it.

Try shooting in Gaza, for instance, without being at least cordial with Hamas. That doesn't automatically discredit your images, but it does imply a need for clear, consistent policy on affiliation before a contest shortlists anyone.

So far, Leica hasn't said if it will revise its selection criteria for future editions of LOBA – and it's not obvious what a workable policy would even look like.

Excluding anyone with state media ties would rule out a great deal of conflict photography produced under authoritarian regimes, where independent access simply doesn't exist. Meanwhile, does the BBC for instance count as state media?

The rabbit holes are many.

What's certain is that the 11 left on the shortlist, including Saher Alghorra's Gaza series and Anush Babajanyan's work on the Aral Sea, will now be judged and exhibited under a cloud that has nothing to do with their own images.

Moreover, the old assumption that a jury judges the photograph and leaves the photographer's politics at the door clearly no longer holds in all situations.

Anyone entering, commissioning or judging documentary work needs to bear all this in mind, if similar controversies are to be avoided in the future.

The Ocean Photographer of the Year has just announced its 2026 finalists, revealing 84 extraordinary images of ocean wildlife, underwater landscapes and fragile ecosystems in need of our protection.

New this year, Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds takes photographers into a rarely seen world – capturing the ocean's smallest and most elusive inhabitants for the first time.

"These photographs don't just capture what’s beneath the surface; they surface the stories our planet most needs us to hear," said Ocean Photographer of the Year founder and director, Will Harrison. "As the pressures on our ocean grow, so does the importance of the artists who bear witness to them."

Ocean Photographer of the Year is presented by Oceanographic and Blancpain. You can see all the 2026 finalists on the Oceanographic Magazine website.

Finalist highlights: Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026

Category: Adventure

Romona Robbins Reynolds
A cave diver follows a yellow guideline through the winding passages of a Mexican cenote. Formed over thousands of years as limestone dissolved and caves flooded, these submerged systems preserve spectacular stalactites and stalagmites.

Category: Conservation (Hope)

Thomas Pavy
A great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) is photographed at 180 feet / 55 metrers depth in Tiputa Pass, Rangiroa Atoll, during a population survey. This image represents the moment an anonymous shark becomes a known individual.

Category: Conservation (Impact)

Karsten Michels
During a Grindadráp in the Faroe Islands, a pilot whale lies on the shore as hunters carry out the final stages of the hunt. Children watch a tradition that has been passed between generations. The visible wounds and hunting tools show the injuries caused during a process that can last for hours.

Category: Fine Art

Ajiex Dharma
A Hingeback Cleaning Shrimp rests against a pink barrel sponge, its eye sharply focused while the surrounding colors dissolve into a soft blur.

Category: Human Connection (People and Planet Ocean)

Lin Yongxuan
Four fishermen stand in the shallow waters of Xiapu’s intertidal zone, using traditional push nets that spread across the surface like colorful sails.

New Category – Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds

Lale Alev Ozten Low
During a coral spawning night dive, a Christmas tree worm releases a stream of tiny eggs from the coral surface where it lives.

Category: Wildlife

Matthew Smith
Southern elephant seal pups explore shallow rock pools on Sea Lion Island in the Falkland Islands, testing their first movements in the water after being weaned by their mothers.

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Who says billboard photography is dead? Not VSCO, the photography-social media hybrid platform, which is running an open call for 50 photographers to feature on billboards across each US state.

Like a blast from the past, the chosen photographers – who must be older than 18 and reside in the US – will see their work blown up in large format on a billboard.

Not only that, each photographer will feature on a billboard in their home state – which, for me, makes it an extra cool opportunity. How great would it be to go and stand by that billboard and get a picture?

The company says it's looking for “impactful images” with strong narratives that encourage people to stop and ponder. VSCO recommends submitting three to five images, especially if they're part of the same series.

There are no limits as to the genre of image you can submit, so if you’re a wildlife, portrait or documentary photographer, you’re eligible to enter. Whatever images you submit, if they include people, just be sure to secure a model release (as per the event rules).

VSCO says the selected images will be displayed on billboard from between two to four weeks, and that they could also be chosen for editorial features, curation and licensing opportunities.

The company says that this is all with a view of boosting your artistic prospects, which I think is a solid move in light of the growing challenges photographers face from AI and the shift to short-form video consumption.

You need to submit your images by September 10, and VSCO will then notify selected photographers on a rolling basis, also announcing it on its official blog. If your image is chosen, be sure to provide a high-resolution version for large-format printing.

That’s it for this amazing revival of billboard photography. Best of luck to all entrants and head to the event webpage for more information on entering.

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Fresh off winning an All About Photo Award, Cesare Simioni's powerful black-and-white image Soul Beneath the Paint has picked up another major award. The image of a young boy has now been named the Grand Winner of the Black and White category at the Pure Street Photography Awards 2026.

Simioni captured the moment during Lambe-Sujo e Caboclinhos – a traditional street theater deeply rooted in the northeastern state of Sergipe. At the center of the photo, a young boy stares directly into Simioni's lens, creating a striking focal point.

The annual manifestation tells a painful but powerful story about Brazil's history, depicting the escape of enslaved people and the formation of quilombos – communities founded by escaped enslaved people and their descendants.

Originally from Italy, Simioni has lived in Brazil since 1998, developing a documentary-style photography practice focused on the country's people, traditions and popular culture.

Largely self-taught, he found his visual voice while documenting religious festivals and rural communities, where his sensitive approach brings identity, heritage and everyday life into focus.

His photography has since earned recognition in major national and international competitions.

Grand Winner: 'Soul Beneath the Paint'

In the festival itself, the Lambe-Sujos are painted black with sugarcane molasses and charcoal, representing Black quilombolas searching for freedom. The red-painted Caboclinhos, meanwhile, represent Indigenous people historically recruited by plantation owners to pursue and recapture those who escaped.

"A cultural legacy passed down from generation to generation," Simioni explains. "At the heart of the Lambe Sujo and Caboclinhos Festival in Sergipe, a young boy looks out at the world through the lens of his heritage.

"Surrounded by his elders, he carries on his skin and in his expression the resilience, pain, and beauty of one of Brazil's most powerful folk traditions."

Internationally Acclaimed Street Photographer and judge Rui Palha says about the award-winning image, "Indeed this is a great photograph. Humanism is one of the characteristics very important of street photography.

"It's a very impressive image. The black and white is perfect, as well as the composition and the light measurement. As dear Dimpy used to say, as well as me, this is a 'Oh my goodness, wow'. Congratulations to this deserved award."

Pure Street Photography Awards

Founded by award-winning photographers and curators Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao, Pure Street Photography is an international platform dedicated exclusively to street photography, offering awards, exhibitions, grants, memberships, interviews and educational initiatives.

With a global audience of more than 300,000 photographers and photography enthusiasts, the platform champions both emerging and established photographers through thoughtful curation, meaningful recognition and long-term artistic development.

For more information, visit the Pure Street Photography Awards website.

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When London, England-based documentary and street photographer Chris Mozyro was walking through Westminster, one scene immediately caught his attention: a group of young submariners connecting just hours after taking part in a solemn remembrance ceremony.

The contrast between duty and friendship inspired Mozyro's From Salute to Cheers, a photograph that has won First Place in the Black and White category at the Pure Street Photography Awards 2026.

The latest accolade marks the image's fourth major international award, following First Place, Black & White Photo of the Year at the MonoVisions Awards, First Place at the ND Awards, and a Silver Prize in the Street Photography category at the Exposure One Awards.

This time the image stood out among 1,582 entries, with judges praising its authentic storytelling, natural composition and emotional depth.

Known for his unobtrusive documentary style, Mozyro captures genuine moments of human connection, an approach that has earned him an impressive collection of international photography awards.

First Place: 'From Salute to Cheers'

"Seeing the young submariners together in such a relaxed, unguarded moment drew me in," Mozyro explains.

"It was as though the weight of their morning obligations had been lifted, replaced by the simple joy of friendship and shared experience.

"This image captures something deeply human – the need for connection after moments of reflection and duty.

"Just hours earlier, these young submariners had marched with solemnity and precision, paying tribute to those who had gone before them.

"The shift from ceremony to celebration was palpable. The removal of formalities gave way to authentic, unguarded moments of laughter, storytelling and shared reflection.

"The clinking of pints, the warmth of friendship and the glow of pride in service filled the air."

Jury's comment

"This is a great example what street photography should be, in spite of so many ways to obtain a street photograph," says Rui Palha, internationally acclaimed street shooter.

"Not posed, at all, the location of the subjects is perfect, the black and white is excellent, as well as the lighting measurement.

"My sincere congratulations. Long live street photography."

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Shutter speed can make all the difference between getting the shot and getting a disappointingly blurry rendition of the same scene.

And by opting for a 1/1,400 sec, Sydney-based photographer Emma Parker captured the precise moment an opportunistic Australian pelican caught a fishy treat in crisp clarity.

“Whilst I was photographing this scene, out of nowhere a fisherman tossed a rejected fish and I captured the moment in an almost perfect freeze frame and a classic Australian coastal scene,” she told the event organizers.

"Fishermen's Friend" by Emma Parker (honorable mention at the APA 2026)

Parker used a Nikon Z9 paired with a Nikkor Z 135mm f/1.8 S Plena lens. Her settings were: 1/1,400 sec, f/2.8, and ISO 1,600.

Parker shot the freeze frame in 2025 and it became a standout wildlife image in her home country, going on to be commended at this year’s Australian Photography Awards (APA), where she received an honorable mention in the “Open” category.

2026 marked the 10th edition of the awards and the first time an “Open” category was included, with a view of creating a category which did not limit entries to specific labels, broadening the range of visual narratives.

Along with the effective use of shutter speed, I think the judges would’ve been impressed with the angle of the frame as well as the use of textures.

Parker captured the pelican “under a stormy sky on an almost moonscape rock face” and, the way she’s enhanced the crater-ridden surface and the moody clouds in post-production almost helps you feel these textures. She also brought out the detail in the pelican’s feathers, no doubt helped by the Nikon Z9’s 45MP sensor.

The low-down angle of the image also creates a dramatic effect, in my view. By putting the subject smack bang in the middle of the frame and angling the camera up toward it, to me, Parker creates a greater sense of action.

While the fast shutter speed was the key ingredient to this image’s success, it’s a fantastic frame all round, and definitely deserved an honorable mention at APA 2026.

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Storytelling. Storytelling. Storytelling. You always hear this in photography, but what does it actually mean? Well, just take a look at this image, which was recently selected as an honorable mention at the Australian Photography Awards 2026, and it’ll become clear.

Taken by Carly Earl, best known for being The Guardian Australia’s picture editor, every element of the composition and edit adds a chapter of the narrative, completing the story in a single frame.

The story revolves around the subject: Riley, a young drover at the end of a hard day’s work on the side of the dusty rural Roma Road in Queensland, Australia. Earl stuck to the rule of thirds and opted for an f/5.6 aperture, choosing to focus on Riley’s poignant stare as he smokes a rolled cigarette.

Above: Honorable Mention at the 2026 Australian Photography Awards

Earl used a Canon EOS R5 paired with a Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens. She opted for 1/1000 sec at f/6.3, ISO 800.

This creates the perfect level of subject-background separation, making clear who the story is about, while leaving space in the frame to bring in wider context, like Riley’s colleague and truck, which our eyes piece together step by step.

At the same time, it leaves room for questions. While the image gave me an almost complete picture, I wanted to know exactly what these guys were working on and where they were heading seemingly in the middle of nowhere.

In fact, the picture encapsulates what the late, legendary street photographer Robert Doisneau meant when he said, “Let the person looking at the photograph go some of the way to finishing it.”

Then there’s the lighting and post-production touches that add the cinematic feel. I don’t know at what time Earl took the photo, but she chose the perfect moment. The soft, golden light illuminates Riley’s face, and Earl has effectively dodged and burned, paying particular attention to the shadows, so that our eyes are directed to Riley’s.

Carly Earl’s photo is the perfect example of visual storytelling, as every choice made added to the narrative she was trying to convey. I’m even going to go as far as saying that this is one of the best images I’ve ever seen.

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“Street photography begins with honesty. It doesn’t wait for perfection or performance. It asks us to notice what everyone else walked past,” explains Dimpy Bhalotia, Co-founder and Creative Director, Pure Street Photography.

Since its launch in 2020, the Pure Street Photography Awards have quickly become one of the world’s leading competitions dedicated exclusively to street photography. Now the prestigious awards have announced their 2026 winners – eight outstanding street shots across the Open and Black and White categories.

After last year's success, when more than 25,000 people visited the winners' exhibition in Mumbai in six days – making it India's first dedicated street photography exhibition – this year's winners' images alongside 158 finalists' photos will be exhibited from November 20 to 22 at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, India.

Open Category

Grand Winner

Chantilly June 2025 by Daniel Kashi (France)

Judge’s Comment: "I was really drawn to the abstract nature of this image of reflection. It’s a complex, atmospheric clash of activity and the band of clouds captured at the top of the frame gives it a surreal, Daliesque quality." – Fiona Shields, Head of Photography, The Guardian


First, Second & Third Place

Black and White Category

Grand Winner

Soul Beneath the Paint by Cesare Simioni (Brazil)

Judge's Comment: "Indeed this is a great photograph. Humanism is one of the characteristics very important of Street Photography. It's a very impressive image. The black and white is perfect, as well as the composition and the light measurement.

"As dear Dimpy used to say, as well as me, this is a 'oh my goodness, wow'. Congratulations to this deserved award." – Rui Palha, Internationally Acclaimed Street Photographer

First, Second & Third Place

Pure Street Photography Awards

Founded by award-winning photographers and curators Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao, Pure Street Photography is an international platform dedicated exclusively to street photography, offering awards, exhibitions, grants, memberships, interviews and educational initiatives.

With a global audience of more than 300,000 photographers and photography enthusiasts, the platform champions both emerging and established photographers through thoughtful curation, meaningful recognition and long-term artistic development.

For more information, visit the Pure Street Photography Awards website.

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I absolutely love this scene captured by Indian photographer Manas Khasnabish, who was a finalist at the inaugural edition of the Living With Wildlife Photography Competition last year.

Entitled Monkeys in the Window, the scene depicts a young boy taking an online class at home via his cellphone during the COVID-19 pandemic, while a group of curious primates also attend from the window ledge just outside.

Khasnabish’s image was highly commended in the “Life on The Edge: Where People and Wildlife Meet” category and, although he didn’t win it, this year you might, as the competition has returned for a second year and is accepting entries until August 16.

Above: Khasnabish used a Canon EOS 80D and an Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens to capture his commended scene. He opted for 1/40 sec, f/5.6, and ISO 1000 exposure settings

From agricultural workers interacting with animals on the job, to wildlife venturing into urban jungles, the awards celebrate visual stories of coexistence between humans and wildlife, with a view of promoting conservation.

Photographers (18+) of all abilities are invited to submit up to five photos across three categories covering a range of themes including the challenges of living in wildlife hotspots and conserving natural habitats.

Jamma Conservation & Communities, the event organizers, are looking for “authentic, respectful, and powerful images,” so be sure not to enter staged or sensationalized scenes. You should also know that only basic editing is allowed, so no AI-generated or heavily manipulated images either.

Category winners will take home $1,000 cash (£745 / AU$1,420) each along with $500 (£370 / AU$710) for donation to a community-based initiative of your choosing.

As well as the cash prizes, winners get a place on a fully funded trip to the awards evening at the 15th Oppenheimer Research Conference, which is scheduled for October at the Randjesfontein Cricket Ground, Midrand, South Africa.

For more information on the competition, including entry requirements, competition timelines, and prizes, and to enter, head to the official event webpage.

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When photographer and visual artist Callie Soden (US) crafted the composite scene of her dog praying at an altar, she may well have envisioned the canine pleading with God for her to win the 2026 International Pet Photography Awards.

Well, it seems like these prayers were answered as, over the weekend, Soden was crowned this year’s competition queen.

Announced at the Zoom finalists ceremony on Saturday 01 August, Soden was made International Pet Photographer of the Year 2026 thanks to her series of five doggy depictions, which also included an atmospheric scene of her howling pet on a rocky beach, that won the “Creative” and “Studio” categories.

The eighth installment of the competition – which accepts standard as well as composite imagery, predominantly of dogs, cats, and horses – received a record 4,220 entries from 48 countries spread across 12 categories.

In the “Commissioned Portfolio” category, Canadian photographer Shandess Griffin placed first with her cinematic series of a golden retriever on a scenic stroll in the magnificent British Columbia backcountry.

And German photographer Linda Glomb won the “Action” category for her excellently composed image of a jumping dog almost standing straight in the air, mirroring the stone building support columns in the background.

Laura Brockhoff from Austria won the “Equine Portrait” category with a documentary-style black-and-white scene of a curious horse interacting with an old US police car parked next to its field. Over in the “Feline Portrait” category, Australia’s Belinda Richards took first place with a seemingly mischievous cat poking its cute white head through a hole in the wall.

All category winners took home US$250 (£185 / AU$357), a trophy, certificate, plus a one-year membership to professional photography networks. As the 2026 International Pet Photographer of the Year, Callie Soden won an additional $500 (£370 / AU$715). If I were her, I'd have my dog back at the church altar howling the Lord’s praise in no time.

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Whether you're a seasoned photographer, a beginner just getting started or someone who loves capturing beautiful moments, submitting your images to photo competitions is one of the best ways to gain exposure and recognition.

Entering competitions isn't just about winning – 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. 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 – there's something for everyone. So, here's a list of photography competitions with open calls that are accepting submissions from August 2026 until January 2027. It's a small selection to spark inspiration, but there are countless others out there...

Living with Wildlife Photography Competition

Deadline: August 16

Open to: Photographers of all levels aged 18+

Fee: Free

Categories: Life on the Edge – where people and wildlife meet, Reality Check – the challenges of living with wildlife, Custodians of the Land – community conservation in action

Prizes: Overall winner: $1,000 + $500 community donation + fully funded trip to the awards even in South Africa for winner and one guest. Two runners-up receive $300 each

RMetS Weather Photographer of the Year 2026

Deadline: August 20

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Free

Categories: Weather Photographer of the Year (most striking weather images in action), Mobile Weather Photographer of the Year (must be captured on a smartphone or tablet), Climate Award (a compelling story about our changing climate)

Special: Public Favourite Award – decided by a global public vote

Prizes: £2,000 prize pool; winning work is showcased by media partners The Royal Meteorological Society, My Modern Met and ITV Weather

Ilminster Arts Centre Photography Open Competition

Deadline: August 29

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Requirement: Photographs must have been taken within the last 24 months in the UK

Fee: £10 Student/Graduate: 2 new pieces + 1 mounted browser work + proof of eligibility, £20: 1 new piece + 1 mounted browser work, £30: 2 new pieces + 2 mounted browser works

Theme: Open to all photography styles and subjects

Prizes: Exclusive exhibition

Brian Black Memorial Award

Note: The Digital Camera World team will join the judging panel

Deadline: August 30

Open to: Photographers of all levels living in the UK

Fee: Free

Theme: "Our Inspiring Seas"

Categories: Adult photo competition, Article competition, Junior photo competition (under 16 years)

Prizes: £3,000 prize pool – Winning article: £1,500 cash prize, publication in Yachting Monthly (print+online), interview on The Sailing Podcast; Adult photo competition: camera equipment worth £750; Junior photo competition: camera equipment worth £500

Charity contribution: The Black Memorial Award donates £500 to Sea-Changers.

Botanical Photographer of the Year

Deadline: September 30

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Free

Focus: Britain and Ireland's wild plants

Categories: Intrepid: Plants in wild, hard-to-reach, or dramatic landscapes, Inquisitive: Close-up shots highlighting the fascinating and minute features that are often used in ID, Inclusive: People interacting with plants, urban botany, or community recording, Open: For entries that fall outside the above.

Special: Young Botanical Photographer of the Year for an entry into any category, aged 18 or under

Prizes: To be announced

Travel Photographer of the Year

Deadline: October 12

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: From £14, entry is FREE for young photographers aged 18 and under

Portfolio categories: Adventures & Journeys, Cultures, Traditions & Celebrations, Landscapes – Nature & Urban, Wildlife, Sealife, Birdlife

One Shot categories: In Nature, People of the World, Street, Travel in Black & White,

Special Awards: Travel Photographer of the Year, Young Travel Photographer of the Year, Travel Image of the Year, Rising Talent Award, People’s Choice Award

Prizes: Cash prizes from £1,000 to £200, industry portfolio reviews, media exposure, and more

Wellcome Photography Prize

Deadline: October 21

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Free

Focus: Issues on health, science, and the human experience

Categories: Striking solo photography, A storytelling series, The marvels of scientific and medical imaging

Prize: £10,000 for each Category Winner, 22 entries from across the three categories will be awarded £1,000 each, extensive international media coverage

Insta 360 Global Awards

Deadline: October 30

Fee: Free

Open to: Photographers and videographers of all levels

Requirement: Entries must be shot on Insta360 or Antigravity products

Format: Videos: 30sec-3min MP4/MOV, single image only under 20MB

Categories: Street, Travel, Life, Portrait, Sports, Night

Prizes: $150,000+ prize pool with over 100 winners to be announced

Sony World Photography Awards

Deadline: November 27 (Student), January 5 (Youth + Single Images), January 12 (Series)

Fee: Free

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Competitions: Series (previously Professional competition), Single Image (previously Open competition), Student, Youth

Categories: up to 10 different categories depending on competition

Prizes: Cash prizes up to $25,000, top-tier Sony equipment, and global exhibition opportunities

OPPO Photography Awards

Deadline: December 31

Open to: Photographers and videographers of all levels, shooting with OPPO, OnePlus, or realme devices

Fee: Free

Theme: "Super Every Moment"

Categories: Me, Journey, Video, Zoom, Live, Snap

Prizes: $76,500 prize pool across 38 awards

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As a photographer, creating an image that has never been made before is a career-defining moment. For Gonzalo Javier Santile, Valle de la Luna, Universo Triasico Ischigualasto represents exactly that: the first photograph showing a complete Milky Way Arch above Parque Provincial Ischigualasto, known as Valle de la Luna, in San Juan, Argentina.

The landscape is one of the Earth's most significant geological sites, shaped over 200 million years by ancient river systems and preserving the only complete sequence of the Triassic Period visible anywhere on the planet.

Santile's achievement was recognized as his image was selected for Capture the Atlas' 2026 Milky Way Photographer of the Year collection, which celebrates exceptional night-sky photography from around the world.

But creating the image required far more than technical skill. Working alongside a local guide, Santile used an astro-modified DSLR, a wide-angle lens and a star tracker to capture the sweeping Milky Way arch above Ischiqualasto's unique landscape.

How 'Valle de la Luna, Universo Triasico Ischigualasto' was photographed

Tech info
Gear: Nikon D750 (astro-modified) + Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2
Accessories: No filters, iOptron SkyGuider Pro
Exposure: Sky: 90s, f/2.8, ISO 2000, foreground: 20s, f/2.8, ISO 6400
Frames: 20-frame panorama
Technique: Ground-based star tracker for sky exposures

The story behind the still
Santile explains, "This photograph captures the first full Milky Way arch ever taken at this location, a site of exceptional scientific and cultural significance.

"Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its geological importance lies in being the only place on Earth where the complete sequence of the Triassic Period can be observed, preserving key fossils from the earliest dinosaurs and earning its place among the most valuable geological heritage sites in the world.

"Located in Valle Fértil, this landscape was shaped more than 200 million years ago by powerful river systems. Today, it continues to attract geologists and paleontologists from around the globe, further highlighting both its importance and its fragility.

"While photographing in the area known as Cancha de Bochas, I felt an unprecedented sense of responsibility. Guided by local experts, accessing the site required extreme care.

"Every movement had to be deliberate to avoid damaging this irreplaceable environment, turning the experience into a challenge that went far beyond the technical aspects of photography.

"In the end, this was not just about capturing an image, but about connecting with the deep past of our planet. Places like this remind us that beyond appreciating them, we also share the responsibility of preserving them.

"This photo is a reminder that magic often hides in the most unexpected places. All it takes is a little patience, planning, and passion."

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Once in a while you see an image that just stops you in your tracks. It makes you put on the brakes, drop whatever it is you were doing and just look. This image of a solitary mangrove tree silhouetted against the glistening Milky Way night sky while being reflected in the shallow tidal water is one of those.

It must have had a similar effect on the judges at the 2026 Mangrove Photography Awards – a competition that draws attention to these vital marine ecosystems and their conservation – as it won first place in the Landscapes – On The Ground category.

For me, everything about this image – taken in Indonesia by Japanese photographer Ryuhei Suguri – is spot on. The mangrove is placed perfectly in the center, with just enough space dedicated to its reflection in the water while leaving ample space to masterfully juxtapose the tree against the star-abundant expanse above.

“Although small against the vast scale of the universe, mangrove forests play a critical role in protecting coastlines and supporting biodiversity,” Suguri told the competition organizers.

“By placing the tree beneath the Milky Way, I wanted to express a sense of connection between the ancient rhythms of the cosmos and the fragile ecosystems along Earth's shores.”

Surprisingly, Suguri didn't take the overall competition crown with this shot. He faced stiff competition at the 2026 edition of the awards, with the title of Mangrove Photographer of the Year going to Gaurav Patil. His frame of a UV light-illuminated “ghost fishing” net caught on a mangrove embodied a strong composition and conservation narrative.

Still, Suguri's photo is second to none in my eyes – and it can't have been easy for the judges when choosing who to crown as the overall winner for 2026.

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Four years after documenting one of Sri Lanka's most heartbreaking conservation tragedies, photographer Easa Lebbe Muhammed Jamsith (Muhammed) has once again been recognized on the international stage.

His photograph of a female Asian elephant dying after consuming plastic waste at a garbage dump received an honorable mention in the Last Wild Places category of the Patagonia Photo Contest. For Muhammed, however, this latest accolade is bittersweet.

"I kept pursuing this path because I believed this level of recognition could create real impact and eventually lead to a solution. That's why, even now, I continue to put this image forward,” he said.

“But it remains a deep sorrow to me that while the photograph itself continues to be recognized again and again, no actual solution has come from it.”

His photograph has already become one of Sri Lanka's most internationally recognized conservation images, in 2022 winning the Grand Prize at the Environmental Photography Award and coming runner-up in the Earth.org Photography Competition. Yet the environmental disaster it documents remains an ongoing reality.

Open garbage dumps are a deadly hazard for Sri Lanka's wildlife. Attracted by rotting food, elephants and other animals consume plastic bags, food packaging and hazardous waste, which can cause bowel obstructions, toxic poisoning and, ultimately, death.

Dogs, cats, birds and other wildlife are also regularly affected, but Asian elephants have become one of the crisis' most visible victims.

The photograph traces back to the morning of January 05 2022, when Muhammed rushed to a garbage dump on the edge of the forest in Oluvil (a village on Sri Lanka's eastern coast) after hearing reports that an elephant was dying there.

He had intended to help the stricken animal, bringing his camera only in case it was needed. Instead, he found himself documenting what would become one of the defining conservation photographs of his career.

“When I arrived and saw the scale of what she was suffering, and the scale of the dump around her,” said Muhammed. “I felt this had to be documented not as art, but as evidence of something that needed to be seen.”

A veterinarian later examined the female elephant and discovered her esophagus was blocked by plastic wrapped around food scraps she had eaten. Although she was still alive when Muhammed arrived, her condition was beyond saving.

“I went closer, and in that moment she looked directly at me with tears in her eyes,” he recalled. “I remember feeling helpless. I had come hoping there was something I could do, but all I could do was be present and document her suffering.”

Three days later, despite receiving veterinary treatment, the elephant died, becoming one of around 20 elephants known to have died in Sri Lanka after consuming plastic at garbage dumps between 2016 and 2022.

Photographically, Muhammed chose to document the scene with a Canon EOS 80D paired with a Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens (f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO 100, 18mm).

By opting for a wide-angle perspective, he emphasized the overwhelming scale of the garbage surrounding the elephant, allowing the composition itself to communicate the imbalance between wildlife and human waste.

“That contrast – a living, suffering animal dwarfed by waste – became the composition without me consciously designing it,” he said.

Now, four years after it was taken, the photograph continues to resonate with judges around the world. Yet for Muhammed, the image's repeated recognition means little unless it ultimately contributes to meaningful action.

“If this photograph and its recognition can push authorities and communities toward better waste management near these habitats, then it will have done its job. More than anything, I hope that this, at last, brings about a lasting solution to this crisis – one that has taken far too many lives already.”

As the image continues to collect international awards, the crisis it depicts remains unresolved. For Muhammed, it was never meant to be remembered simply as an award-winning photograph but as evidence of a preventable tragedy – and a call for action that he still hopes will one day be answered.

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Best known for his 44-year collaboration with David Bowie, including the iconic Heroes album cover shoot, Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita has created some of the most recognizable images in music history.

His era-defining portraits of Iggy Pop, Marc Bolan, Joe Strummer and many more artists helped shape the visual identity of generations of musicians.

Sukita has now been announced as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Abbey Road Music Photography Awards, delivered by DHL – a prestigious honor celebrating a lifetime of influence in music photography.

Born in 1938 in a small coal-mining town in northern Kyushu, Japan, Sukita's creative journey was shaped by early memories of his father taking photographs before his death on the front line in China during World War II, as well as cinema trips with his uncle.

Those experiences inspired a lifelong fascination with storytelling through images, eventually placing some of the world's most iconic musicians in front of his lens.

The making of a music photography legend

In the early 1970s, Sukita immersed himself in the creative energy of New York and London, drawn to the connections between art, film and music.

In New York he photographed Jimi Hendrix in the months before his death, while in London he captured the rise of artists including Marc Bolan and T Rex.

His career changed forever in 1972 when he first met David Bowie, after being drawn to a concert poster before even hearing his music.

A portrait session followed that summer, beginning a remarkable 44-year collaboration between the two artists. In 1977, Sukita created his most famous image of Bowie: the iconic cover photograph for the Heroes album.

Beyond Bowie, Sukita photographed generations of influential musicians including Yellow Magic Orchestra and The Sex Pistols, while continuing his work across fashion and advertising.

His photographs have been exhibited around the world, including the record-breaking David Bowie Is exhibition at London's V&A museum, cementing his legacy as one of music photography's defining figures.

A lifetime capturing music history

"Masayoshi Sukita is one of the true visionaries of music photography," explains Abbey Road’s director of marketing & creative, Mark Robertson. "His images have not only documented some of the most influential artists of our time, they have helped define how we see them.

"Sukita created photographs that have become part of cultural history, with work that is timeless, intimate and instantly recognisable, demonstrating the power of photography to shape the identity of artists and entire eras. His influence and legacy continue to inspire across music, fashion and visual culture."

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This image of a luminous fishing net engulfing a mangrove in the dead of night is more than just an eerie yet interesting composition; it sheds light on the growing problem of “ghost gear,” discarded fishing equipment that’s polluting marine ecosystems and threatening wildlife.

Captured by Indian photographer Gaurav Patil, the image was taken near Nandgaon village, Maharashtra, south of Mumbai, and has just been announced the overall winner of this year’s Mangrove Photography Awards. Patil takes home the $1,000 (approximately £750 / AU$1,400) prize but, on a grander scale, has played a role in raising awareness of mangrove conservation.

“I have been watching ghost nets getting trapped in mangroves for the last several years, and I wanted to document it in an artistic manner to grab the attention of the viewers,” Patil told the Mangrove Action Project, the competition organizers.

Mangroves are critical coastal ecosystems that protect shorelines from extreme weather and erosion and serve as essential nurseries for marine life, but are facing a severe and growing threat from ghost nets.

These abandoned fishing nets physically entangle wildlife, alter local hydrology, and can break down into microplastics, which animals consume.

The photography competition aims to draw attention to these essential waterborne ecosystems, which experts say are at risk of collapse by 2050.

The organizers invite photographers to submit entries across a range of categories, including the relationship between locals and mangroves, stories of their conservation, and how they support wildlife.

Notable category winners at the 2026 awards included Lucas Gonçalves' aerial depiction of the Tejipió River in Recife (Brazil) separating shrimp ponds forming a natural tapestry from a vast mangrove forest.

There was also Ryuhei Suguri’s (Indonesia) mesmerizing long exposure of a single mangrove below the star-filled night sky.

The 12th edition of the Mangrove Photography Awards saw over 5,000 entries from 87 countries, and you can see the entire winners gallery here.

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The career of Marilyn Stafford (1923-2025) began in an unusual way. In 1948, friends making a film about the famous scientist Albert Einstein needed someone to photograph him, and Stafford, despite having no professional background, was the one who picked up the camera.

What followed was three decades documenting refugees, slum communities, fashion houses and heads of state, guided early on by Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson in Paris. She became one of only a handful of women working in London's Fleet Street newspaper district, at a time when that wasn't a small thing to be.

This September, that legacy gets a proper weekend. POST, Brighton and Hove's new photography centre, is hosting three days marking the tenth anniversary of the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award, the prize set up in her name to support women telling documentary stories through photography.

Organized by FotoDocument and backed by Nikon, the event runs from September 18-20 and brings together past winners, jury members and some of the most respected names in the field.

For anyone shooting documentary work, or simply trying to build a career in an industry that still skews heavily male, this is worth a visit.

It's less a single exhibition, more a working weekend: retrospectives to study, panels to peruse, and a portfolio day with actual feedback attached.

Friday evening opens with the launch of When the Earth Gives Birth, the new body of work from Johanna Alarcón, this year's award winner.

It sits alongside a retrospective pulling highlights from a full decade of winning projects, giving visitors a rare chance to trace how the award's documentary style has shifted since it launched.

A parallel display of Stafford's own photographs and books runs throughout, including work from her time covering Algerian refugees in Tunisia and her portraits of Indira Gandhi during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

There's also a first look at a forthcoming documentary about Stafford's life, with a trailer screening and a Q&A with director Ellie Emptage of Tara Films.

It's a rare bit of moving-image context for a photographer whose stills have mostly had to speak for themselves.

Veterans and industry access

The panels are where this weekend earns its keep for anyone in the trade.

Natalya Saprunova, the 2022 award winner, joins jury members and veteran documentary photographers Andrea Bruce and Donna DeCesare for a broader discussion on where women stand in contemporary documentary photography today, alongside Laura El-Tantawy and Neo Ntsoma. Carol Allen-Storey adds a book talk and signing with GOST Books, useful for anyone weighing up self-publishing versus a small press.

Sunday closes the weekend with something very practical: Nikon-run workshops and one-to-one portfolio reviews for students and recent graduates, hosted by Nikon ambassador Carolyn Mendelsohn. It's the kind of access that's hard to come by outside a festival setting, and worth booking early given the format.

Nina Emett, director of FotoDocument and co-director of POST, says the weekend is as much a tribute to Stafford's adopted hometown as to her career.

Given how much of that career was spent working around (and often against) the industry's usual gatekeeping, a weekend built on access rather than spectacle feels like the right way to mark it.

The Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award tenth anniversary weekend runs at POST, Brighton and Hove, from September 18-20. Tickets are available now.

In 2025, 16-year-old photographer Anwen from South Wales captured Golden Hour, a striking image of a puffin bathed in warm evening light with a beak full of sand eels. The photo won The Week Junior Science+Nature Scavenger Hunt Photo Contest, earning her Canon camera equipment and a coveted spot on the magazine's front cover.

"I had been dreaming of a photo of a puffin during golden hour ever since I started wildlife photography," said Anwen, "and this evening I was able to capture my vision." Her image was praised for its beautiful light, technical skill and perfect timing, standing out among more than 1,000 entries from young photographers across the UK.

Now, a new generation has the chance to follow in Anwen's footsteps. The Week Junior Science+Nature Scavenger Hunt Photo Contest 2026 is officially open, inviting young photographers aged 16 and under to put down their screens, explore the outdoors and capture the beauty of nature for the chance to win prizes, Canon camera gear and even a future magazine cover.

Now open for your entries: The Week Junior Science+Nature Photo Contest 2026

Who can submit images?
The Week Junior Science+Nature Photo Contest 2026 invites young photographers aged 16 and under across the UK to submit their best shot.

Is it free to enter?
Yes, the free-to-enter competition encourages young photographers to complete an official nature scavenger hunt before submitting their favorite photographs.

What is the competition's theme?
This year's theme, Focus on Nature, celebrates everything from wildlife in back gardens and local parks to forests, coastlines and other wild places.

When is the deadline?
Entries are open now and close at midnight on August 23, 2026.

What can I win?
The overall winner will have their image featured on the front cover of The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine, while ten winners and runners-up will share more than £2,500 worth of prizes, including Canon camera equipment, nature book bundles and tickets to see their photographs exhibited at The Photography & Video Show 2027.

How can I enter?
To enter, download the official Scavenger Hunt Checklist (available on the website), search for 10 hidden treasures in nature and submit your favorite image via the entry form before the deadline.

Find more information on The Week Junior Science+Nature magazine website.

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The International Pet Photography Awards has announced its 2026 finalists, and the commended images capture scenes ranging from the downright adorable to outright bizarre, or hilarious, depending on how you look at it.

Now in its eighth year, the renowned awards celebrates pet photographers around the world, championing standard imagery as well as creative composite photos predominantly of cats, dogs, and horses, while prohibiting the use of generative AI.

The standout for me among this year’s overall competition Pet Photographer of the Year (PPOTY) finalists is Callie Soden’s depiction of her dog praying at a church altar as angelic light illuminates a stained-glass window. The image, which I believe is a composite – although this is yet to be confirmed by the competition organizers – is also commended in the Creative category.

Other finalists vying for the overall competition crown include Inge Heimensen’s cute yet story-driven scene of a chick standing among a line of eggs in eggcups, Mirka Koot’s unbelievable (potentially composite) shot of a friendly feline seemingly in conversation with a crow, as well as Katie Brockman’s Vogue-esque black-and-white profile of a stocky canine.

The overall finalists were chosen from images entered across the 12 different categories, with each category also crowning a winner. Kelly Borger’s funny frame of a dog contemplating crossing a rope bridge made the cut in the Documentary category, while Betty Brodie’s picture-perfect cat wandering a snow-covered landscape was commended in the Feline Portrait category.

This year’s competition drew over 4,000 entries from 48 countries across 12 categories, of which Commissioned Portfolio, In-Camera Artistry, Phone, and Studio were new for 2026. Photographers were allowed to submit photos to multiple categories, with category and overall PPOTY finalists chosen by combining scores of individual images.

The countdown to the awards ceremony, when the winners will be announced, is now on, with the event to be held over Zoom on August 1, 2026, at 6am AEST (that's July 30 4pm EST / 9pm BST). For more information, head to the International Pet Photographer of the Year Awards website.

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