The natural world may exist in color, but that doesn't mean it can't look just as ethereal and emotive in black-and-white. That's what the folks at the Exposure One Awards say, as they've now opened their 2026 Nature Photo Contest for entries.
Photographers of all levels are invited to submit monochrome images that, in some form, incorporate the Earth as a “source of inspiration and subject matter,” including scenes of flora, fauna and even the human body.
Split into two streams, the contest selects an overall professional and an overall amateur winner, as well as winners of a host of genre categories within both streams.
Last year, the overall professional winner was Croatian equestrian photographer Lidija Novković, who captured an abstract-like scene of a muscular horse from a low-down perspective. Meanwhile, the overall amateur accolade went to US photographer Janet Gustin for her endearing frame of a mother fox and her cub.
Commenting on last year’s commended shots, the award organizers said: “The winning photographs remind us that black-and-white imagery is not always about what is removed, but about what is revealed. Mother Nature is the perfect subject for this heightened sensibility and gravitas.”
There are some healthy cash prizes on offer at this year’s edition of the photography contest, with the 2026 overall professional and amateur stream winners set to take home $1,500 (approximately (£1,100 / AU2,200) and $900 (approximately £650 / AU$1,300) respectively. All winners will also be featured in a winners’ gallery on the award website.
Visit the Exposure One Nature Photo Contest's official webpage for more information about the 2026 contest, including entry requirements and fees, as well as all the prizes up for grabs. Entry to the competition closes January 04 2027.
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