COMPETITIONS
OPEN FOR ENTRIES
The award is made up of 12 monthly competitions – each judged by an industry leader with a wealth of experience and expertise.
CLOSING SOON
COLORS
Judge: Alixandra Fazzina
Deadline: 31 March 2025
THE BRIEF:
“A photographer must choose a palette as painters choose theirs.” – Joel Sternfeld
Life is a stream of color. Red, blue, yellow, and a billion pigments in between! We are looking for color-inspired photographs…literally and figuratively. A scene, a detail, a narrative or mood. A single tone or a technicolor daydream. New images or ones from your archives, taken by any type of photographer with any type of camera.
Urban street scenes, portraits, travel adventures, landscapes, editorial, conceptual, still life… Color our lives.
COLORS INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY
IMAGES (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) © MAX STURGEON, ASH DANIELSEN, ELLEN JANTZEN, FINN EVANS, KILLA SCHUETZE, GILI BENITA, ARIE BOTBOL, VIKRAM KUSHWAH.
IMAGES (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) © MAX STURGEON, ASH DANIELSEN, ARIE BOTBOL, GILI BENITA, ELLEN JANTZEN, FINN EVANS, KILLA SCHUETZE, VIKRAM KUSHWAH.
COMPETITION JUDGED BY ALIXANDRA FAZZINA
Alixandra Fazzina is a British/ Irish photographer and author renowned for her compassionate and deeply human approach to documenting the lives of displaced individuals and the consequences of war. A graduate of fine arts, her work focuses on underreported humanitarian crises, often in remote and dangerous regions such as Somalia, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Pakistan. Her book A Million Shillings is a powerful account of the perilous journeys of Somali migrants and refugees across the Gulf of Aden in search of a better life. It was shortlisted for the Prix Pictet and the prestigious Pictures of the Year International Best Photography Book of the Year Award.
Her fearless and tireless dedication to humanitarian documentary has won her the Nansen Refugee Award from the UNHCR. A member of NOOR photo agency, she continues to tell these important stories, while teaching masterclasses and workshops for organisations that have included World Press Photo, Reporters Without Borders and The Royal Photographic Society.
IMAGES © ALIXANDRA FAZZINA
BLACK & WHITE
Judge: Larry Louie
Deadline: 30 April 2025
THE BRIEF:
“I see more in black and white – I like the abstraction of it.” – Mary Ellen Mark
Color photography may dominate in today’s world, but there remains a special place for black and white. Purity, simplicity, profundity… It is said that constraints fuel creativity, and stripping away color can bring focus to contrast, texture, shape and form. The best black and white photography allows us to see more sharply and feel more deeply.
From the great masters to you – the history of black and white photography is long, but it continues to be written. New or from your archives, of any style and genre, and taken with any camera. Open to all – this month we want to see images where black and white makes them magical.
BLACK & WHITE INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY
OPEN CALL INSPIRATIONAL IMAGES (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) © MARKETA ZVELEBIL, JAMES MUNK, PETER FRANCK, BROOKE BOUSQUET, ARGUS PAUL ESTABROOK, BONGANI TSHABALALA, MAISHA QURAISHI, TANJA WILLEKENS.
OPEN CALL INSPIRATIONAL IMAGES (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) © MARKETA ZVELEBIL, JAMES MUNK, MAISHA QURAISHI, BROOKE BOUSQUET, ARGUS PAUL ESTABROOK, BONGANI TSHABALALA, PETER FRANCK, TANJA WILLEKENS.
COMPETITION JUDGED BY LARRY LOUIE
Larry Louie is an award-winning Canadian photographer whose work masterfully blends his dual careers as an optometrist and documentary photographer – two very different but complementary fields of visual perception. Focusing on marginalized communities, particularly in developing countries, his work examines the impact of globalization, poverty, and human rights, presenting both the challenges and strength of the people he documents.
His series have taken him to countries like Nepal, Myanmar, and India, where he captures the lives of people in remote villages, slums, and factories. Louie’s photography has earned him international recognition, including multiple Lucie Awards for humanitarian photography, the Traveler of the Year award, and the National Geographic Photo Essay Award. His powerful black-and-white images invite viewers to truly see: to confront social inequalities while celebrating human dignity and spirit.
IMAGES © LARRY LOUIE
YOUTH
Judge: Smita Sharma
Deadline: 31 May 2025
THE BRIEF:
“Youth is a dream, a form of chemical madness.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
We don’t arrive fully formed. From birth to toddler to child, teen and pre-adult – life is an exploration and we’re moulded in our youth. Dreams, fears, freedom, experimentation, play… The theme is as broad as you want it to be. The only limitation is to capture a scene or a detail that shows habits, experiences or behavior of the young.
Portraiture, studio, candid, conceptual, documentary, street. All genres welcome. Show us youthhood, from any perspective!
YOUTH INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY
IMAGES (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) © GIEDO VAN DER ZWAN, LARS JUST, JUSTIN KEENE, VIKRAM KUSHWAH, MITCH CULLIN, STEFFEN JUNGHANβ, KRISTIAN LEVEN, PIOTR CHROBOT.
IMAGES (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) © GIEDO VAN DER ZWAN, LARS JUST, KRISTIAN LEVEN, VIKRAM KUSHWAH, MITCH CULLIN, STEFFEN JUNGHANβ, JUSTIN KEENE, PIOTR CHROBOT.
COMPETITION JUDGED BY SMITA SHARMA
Smita Sharma is an acclaimed Indian photojournalist and TED Fellow whose work focuses on human rights, gender issues, environment and social justice, particularly in South Asia. Known for her powerful storytelling, Sharma brings attention to sensitive and often underreported issues, such as human trafficking, sexual violence, and the plight of marginalized communities.
She has been on assignment for many leading international media outlets, including Human Rights Watch, National Geographic Magazine and TIME, The New York Times and featured by BBC and Channel 4. Her long term project on cross border trafficking of underage girls which is also a photobook – We Cry In Silence – has earned her widespread recognition, including awards from Amnesty International, Lucie Book Award and the Fetisov Journalism Award. Her empathetic approach, combined with her commitment to uncovering truths in challenging environments, has positioned her as a leading voice in visual storytelling that advocates for human dignity and justice, and that strongly believes in the potential of our youth to bring about positive change.
IMAGES © SMITA SHARMA
PRIZES &
BENEFITS
Win cash prizes, global exposure and professional feedback
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Monthly |
Monthly |
Other |
All |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,000 monthly cash prize | ||||
| Your image exhibited in three global exhibitions | ||||
| Your image in the Life Framer Photobook | ||||
| Online exposure | ||||
| Personal feedback | ||||
| Submission to The Collection | ||||
| Submission to #lifeframerstories |
Life Framer Profiles
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Feedback
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UPCOMING COMPETITIONS
COLORS – March 2025
BLACK & WHITE – April 2025
YOUTH – May 2025
OPEN CALL – June 2025
PLANET EARTH – July 2025
COLORS – August 2025
PORTRAITS – September 2025
BLACK & WHITE – October 2025
CITIES – November 2025
HUMANS – December 2025
WINNERS EXHIBITIONS
TBA – January 2026
TBA – February 2026
