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.
Navigating the F/262 program
What is F/262?
Photography Shaping Culture and Territory
F/262 is a biennial international photography festival based in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The festival brings together contemporary photography in all its forms through open calls, invited exhibitions, and events presented across public space, cultural institutions, and galleries.
Founded by artists for artists, F/262 champions creative diversity and global perspectives while celebrating the region’s cultural identity and its role within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PARTNERS
APLM
ÁGORA
Associação de Defesa do Paul de Tornada - PATO
ECO FILM GREENER
LINDO MAR
Regen Waves
Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC)
Brigada Do Mar
Our Networks & Partners
International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA)
Lens op de Mens – Photo Festival Pelt
ThePhotoCloser.com | PROJECTIONS NYC (New York, USA)
FEP – Federation of European Photographers
WPC
APP IMAGEM
CC11
ADAO - Associação para o desenvolvimento de Artes e Ofícios
DESPHOCO
ipf
OSSO
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.
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 is the area code of Caldas da Rainha, the city that hosts the festival. It is a nod to place, roots, and belonging.
Colors & Identity: Our palette is inspired by the colors of Caldas da Rainha, particularly purple and 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.
Member of the International Photography Festival Association (IPFA)
F/262 – Festival Internacional de Fotografia is a member of the International Photography Festival Association (IPFA), a global network that connects photography festivals, curators, and cultural organizations around the world. Through this membership, the festival contributes to an international dialogue on photography, cultural exchange, and collaborative programming, strengthening connections between artists, audiences, and institutions across different territories.
F/262: Photography, Community, and Creative Exchange
F/262 takes place on Portugal’s Silver Coast, in the UNESCO Creative City of Caldas da Rainha. 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.
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. Immerse yourself in exhibitions, save your favorites, and take the festival experience with you.
FAQ
F/262 is an international photography festival dedicated to sustainability, creativity, and social impact.
It brings together artists, scientists, activists, and communities to explore how visual storytelling can shape a more sustainable and inclusive future.
The festival runs from May 15 to September 25, 2026, across Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos (UNESCO Creative Cities).
F/SOS stands for “Stories of Solidarity.”
It’s the non-profit arm of the festival, supporting social and environmental causes through art.
F/SOS provides visibility, collaboration, and micro-grants to projects that use photography as a tool for awareness, education, and positive change.
To inspire action through art.
We believe photography can do more than capture moments it can create movements.
Our mission is to connect people and ideas, amplify voices that matter, and use visual storytelling to promote sustainability, inclusion, and human dignity.
F/262 and F/SOS are non-profit initiatives supported through partnerships, cultural grants, and donations.
Our team and contributors work with a shared commitment to transparency, collaboration, and public access.
The festival is free for the public, and part of our funding supports local NGOs and community programs.
Through F/SOS, we support photographers, educators, and grassroots organizations whose work aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — from climate action and ocean protection to inclusion, equality, and mental health awareness.
We believe in collaboration over competition and in amplifying stories that bring people together.
F/262 isn’t just a festival, it’s a way of seeing.
The “F/” pays tribute to photography itself — to Focus, Family, Freedom, Friendship, Fun, and Família values that define our community.
And “262”? It may look like an f-stop, but it’s actually the telephone area code for Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, the two cities that host the festival.
It’s a nod to place, roots, and belonging a reminder that every great story begins with connection.
Our colors draw from those same roots: inspired by the flags of Caldas da Rainha (purple, yellow) and Óbidos (blue, yellow), reimagined with blue, purple, and lens-orange the orange echoing the markings found on camera lenses, a subtle visual wink to photography itself.
Together, these elements form more than a logo they create a visual identity that connects photography, community, and territory.
F/262 and F/SOS are based in Portugal, with headquarters in Caldas da Rainha and Lisbon, and a growing international network of collaborators, partners, and artists from around the world.
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Produced by F/262 & Associação F/SOS
With the support of:
May 15 – September 25, 2026 Caldas da Rainha & Óbidos, Portugal · View map
About F/262
F/262 is an international photography festival rooted in Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, Portugal.
Through exhibitions, talks, education, and public installations, the festival engages contemporary photography with place, community, and the world we share.
©2026 F/262 – Festival Internacional de Fotografia
Produced by Associação F/SOS – Fotografia, Solidariedade e Obras Sociais
English (UK)