LCE Photographer of the Year 2027 is open for entries, and it’s free to enter, so you’ve no excuse not to throw your lens hood into the ring. The competition, run by popular UK-based camera retailer London Camera Exchange, runs from October 12, 2026 to January 20, 2027 and is open to anyone aged 18 or over, with prizes limited to residents of the UK.
What I’ve always liked about this competition is that it’s designed to be as accessible as possible. Not only is it free to enter, but it’s also not bogged down by endless restrictions. Images can be taken anywhere in the world, on almost any camera device (including smartphones and drones), and as you’d expect, AI-generated imagery is strictly prohibited.
Entrants are invited to submit one image per category, of which there are 14, ensuring that all major genres are catered for. This will once again include Emerging Talent and ‘People’s Choice’ categories, with the former dedicated to photography students studying in the UK, and the latter open to the voting public to crown their winner.
LCE POTY 2027: Categories...
- Action
- After Dark
- Birds
- Creative
- Emerging Talent
- Events
- Landscape
- Macro
- People’s Choice
- Pets
- Portrait
- Street
- Travel
- Wildlife
Prizes and judging panel
A total prize kitty worth £10,000 ($13,400)is up for grabs. Each category winner will receive £500 ($670) in LCE vouchers as well as a trophy, while the Emerging Talent winner’s place of study will also receive a further £500. The overall LCE Photographer of the Year will receive an additional £2,500 in LCE vouchers.
Entries can be submitted online or, thanks to a particularly charming quirk of the competition, in-person at any of LCE’s 26 stores. Finalists will be invited to the LCE Photographer of the Year awards ceremony at next year’s Photography & Video Show, taking place at ExCeL London from March 13 to 16, 2027. Their work will also be displayed in an exhibition at the show’s entrance.
The judging panel consists of four industry experts: SheClicks founder Angela Nicholson, award-winning pro and YouTuber Jimmy Cheng, acclaimed street photographer Peter Dench, and Digital Camera World’s very own content director and Bokeh Face: The Digital Camera World Podcast regular, Chris George.
According to the managing director of LCE, Lee Harasyn: “London Camera Exchange is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2026, so we are aiming for this year’s competition to be our biggest and best yet.”
You might also like...
Want more competitions to enter? All award-winning photographers started somewhere – enter these 10 photography contests to get your work noticed this October. And to find out more about last year's incredible LCE winner: This amateur photographer beat 14,500+ entries to win top prize with this playful portrait of a Vietnamese fisherman. Plus, check out the latest camera news.
