From Clay to Camera
Moldar as Margens / Shaping Shores
This festival is a response to the world we live in. It confronts the urgencies of water and environment, the need for sustainability, and the forces of adaptation and transformation. It reflects on body and identity, on culture and memory, on resilience and human connection. F/262 stands as a space of dialogue and imagination, open, critical, and alive to the challenges that shape our shared future.
What is F/262?
Creativity Between Walls and Waters
F/262 is a biennial international photography festival based in the UNESCO Creative Cities of Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, Portugal. It brings together contemporary photography in all its forms through open calls, invited exhibitions, and events across public space, cultural institutions, and galleries.
Founded by artists for artists, F/262 champions creative diversity and global perspectives while honoring the region’s legacy as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
The name F/262 carries layers of meaning.
F/262 is not just a Festival. It also stands for Photography, Focus, F-Stop, Family, Fun, Família, Friendship, Freedom — values and ideas that shape the spirit of the event.
262 may look like an f-stop value, but in truth it’s the area code of Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, the two cities that host the festival. It’s a nod to place, roots, and belonging.
Colors & Identity: Our palette is inspired by the flags of Caldas da Rainha (purple, yellow) and Óbidos (blue, yellow). We reinterpret them with blue, purple, and lens-orange — the orange drawn from camera markings, a visual wink to photography itself.
Together, these elements create more than a logo — they form a visual identity that connects photography, community, and territory.
Open Call Accepting Submissions soon
Submit your work for the 2026 edition of F/262. We welcome professionals and amateurs from all backgrounds. The main theme is open, with a recurring sub-theme: Moldar as Margens / Shaping Shores.
Discover F/262 on the InPhoto App
Explore the festival in a new way. With the InPhoto App you can scan, collect, and discover the artworks and artists of F/262 across Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos. Immerse yourself in exhibitions, save your favorites, and take the festival experience with you.
F/262: Photography, Community, and Creative Exchange
F/262 takes place on Portugal’s Silver Coast, in the UNESCO Creative Cities of Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos. Like water, our guiding sub-theme, the festival flows across spaces, transforming streets, gardens, and historic walls into places of photography, dialogue, and discovery.
The program includes large-scale outdoor exhibitions, curated shows, and an international Open Call, alongside the F/262 Analog Lab for experimental processes, the F/262 Photo Book Club dedicated to publishing and photobooks, and the F/262 CineClub bridging photography and film. Through F/SoS — Stories of Solidarity, we affirm photography’s social impact, reminding us that culture can also give back.
Beyond exhibitions, F/262 features talks, workshops, and educational encounters, creating opportunities for artists, audiences, and communities to connect. Rooted on the Silver Coast yet reaching outward, the festival shows how photography can travel like water — crossing borders, carrying stories, and shaping the world we share.
Our Networks & Partners
CC11
Lens op de Mens – Photo Festival Pelt
FEP – Federation of European Photographers
DESPHOCO
APP IMAGEM
WPC
International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA)
Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC)
ADAO - Associação para o desenvolvimento de Artes e Ofícios
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Copyright © 2026 by João Carlos