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DELOITTE FOUNDATION PHOTO GRANT OPEN CALL 2026 

Application Deadline: June 14, 2026

LOCATION: Italy

The theme of the 2026 edition of Deloitte’s Photo Grant is Proximities, an invitation to tell and investigate the new forms of distance that characterize our era, a distance that is not only physical but also arises from economic polarization, technological mediation, and social fragmentation. The theme also invites reflection on what holds communities together despite the pressures of the present and how photography can make these forms of proximity and distance legible.

ELIGIBILITY:

An open call is to be held for this section and will be open to all amateur and professional photographers under age 35. Entrants will be required to submit an idea for a project related to the theme of the award.

The submitted projects will be selected by an international panel made of renowned professionals.

The project idea consists of a description of the project for a maximum of 1,500 characters and a budget estimate of the project itself for a maximum of 1,500 characters, both to be entered in the respective fields of the participation form. The images that make up the portfolio of 10 photos (for a maximum of 10MB and in jpg, pdf or tiff format) can relate to both the project idea itself (which thanks to the Prize can be expanded and extended), and other projects.

The photographs must be unpublished and must not have been awarded in other competitions or made public during other events.

The single photographer can participate only once and by submitting only one project idea.

Images produced with AI will be accepted as long as it is explicitly stated in the accompanying text that they have been created this way.

BENEFIT:

The winner of this section will receive a mention in the exhibition dedicated to the winner of the nomination section and €25,000 towards the execution of their project idea. The resulting work will become an exhibition when the next edition of the award is held.

APPLY

SPIE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF LIGHT PHOTO CONTEST

Application Deadline: 16 September, 2026 (11:59 PM PST)

LOCATION: USA

The SPIE International Day of Light Photo Contest is held annually to raise awareness about the International Day of Light and to demonstrate the impact that light has on cultural, economic, and societal aspects of our world. Amateur and professional photographers alike are encouraged to submit photos for a chance to win cash prizes.

ELIGIBILITY:

The 2026 SPIE International Day of Light Photo Contest is open! Help us showcase the transformative and awe-inspiring impact of light on our lives, communities, and planet by submitting your eye-catching images. A special “Judges’ Choice for the Best of Science” prize will be offered this year. 

Theme: The contest aims to showcase the transformative and awe-inspiring impact of light on our lives, communities, and planet.

The photo contest is open to adults aged 18 and up, both amateur and professional photographers, except employees of SPIE and optics.org, their immediate families, the contest judges, and consultants/contractors of SPIE. Immediate family is defined as all grandparents, parents, spouses, siblings, children, grandchildren, in-laws, or anyone living in the SPIE or optics.org employee’s household. Entrants are subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. The contest is void where prohibited by law.

How to Enter:

Digital photographs, photo titles, and artist statements must be submitted online via the form on the SPIE.org website.

Entries submitted through mail will not be accepted. Photo Type, Size, Format, and Resolution Photographs depicting the vital role that light and light-based technologies play in daily life must be in digital format, suitable for public exhibition and printing at high resolution.

All images must be 300 dpi or more and at least 3,000 pixels on the longest side. File size should be no less than 5MB and no greater than 20MB. TIF and JPEG/JPG are the ONLY accepted formats.

Please submit the highest quality images that meet these requirements. Images that don’t meet these criteria will not be judged.

Timeframe New for 2026: Photos must have been taken within the past two years, after 16 May 2024.

Re-submissions will not be considered.

Photo Alterations Only limited enhancement of the original photograph is permitted for the purpose of improving brightness and contrast or removing minor cosmetic flaws.

Black and white images are acceptable.

Required Information The photographer’s name, address, telephone number, email address, a title, and an artist statement must accompany each entry.

The artist statement should include the subject of the image, the location and date the image was taken, the 3 of 4 equipment used to capture the image, any adjustments made to the image, a description of how it is tied to the contest’s theme, and any other interesting details about the photo.

Submissions and photo titles to be in English, if possible.

Limit of Entries Each person may submit a maximum of two (2) entries.

Contestants should enter one photo per entry form.

BENEFIT:

Awards:

First Prize: US $2,500

Second Prize: US $1,000

Third Prize: US $500

Judges’ Choice for Best of Science Prize: US $1,000

APPLY