F/262 Photography Award
International Competition 2026
The inaugural F/262 Photography Award invites photographers from around the world to share their most powerful single images. This international competition celebrates visual storytelling, contemporary themes, and diverse creative perspectives.
Open to professionals, amateurs, and emerging talents, the Award aims to discover and promote new voices in photography. Finalists will have their work printed and exhibited during the 2026 edition of the F/262 International Photography Festival in Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, Portugal.
Key Dates
Submissions open: Soon
Deadline: 25 February 2026 (23:59 GMT)
Selection results: April 2026
Exhibition: Summer 2026
Print collection: October 2026
Exhibition Format
Selected works will be printed at no cost to the photographer by the F/262 team, using archival-quality materials.
Images will be displayed in outdoor modular structures, transforming the streets, parks, and public spaces of Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos into open-air galleries.
Each photograph will be presented with:
Photographer’s name
Country of origin (code)
Website and/or social media handle
AWARDS & CATEGORIES
Winners of the F/262 Photography Award will receive the Zé Award, the festival’s emblematic prize inspired by the cultural figure of Zé Povinho, reimagined as a symbol of resilience, humor, and creativity.
The 2026 Awards include:
Gold Award – presented to the overall winner of the competition
Silver Award – presented to the second place photographer
Bronze Award – presented to the third place photographer
Creativity Award – honoring originality and experimentation in the photographic medium
Special Award: Image of Water – highlighting the sub-theme of water, central to the 2026 edition of the festival
All winners will receive:
The Zé Award trophy
An official certificate
Global press exposure
Feature in the F/262 Festival Catalogue
Inclusion in the official exhibition during the festival
Promotion across F/262 online platforms
Entry Fees
€10 per image
A maximum of 10 images per participant
Reduced or waived fees may be available for underrepresented groups and for verified educational or NGO collectives (inquiries must be made before submission).
Entry fees are non-refundable.
Submission Platform
All entries must be submitted through the official F/262 online submission platform.
Submissions via email or file transfer services will not be accepted.
Why the ZÉ Award?
At F/262, Zé is more than a symbol; he is the spirit of the award. Rooted in the cultural identity of Caldas da Rainha, Zé embodies resilience, humor, and the people’s voice. With a camera in hand and a fist raised, Zé becomes the emblem of the artist: questioning, resisting, and creating.
The Zé Award is a physical, meaningful trophy that connects the artist to both place and story. Inspired by the figure of Zé Povinho and reimagined through the spirit of our city, the award is at once playful and profound a reminder that photography belongs to everyone, from the streets to the galleries.
Presented in Gold, Silver, Bronze, and a special Zé, the award honors not only excellence but also the value of participation itself. Beyond cash or gear, we believe in the power of recognition. You can hold something artists will remember and celebrate.
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Rules & Conditions
This is a fully digital competition: all registration, payment, and image submission must be completed online.
Images must be original works created by the submitting photographer.
Entries must not infringe third-party rights and must not contain offensive, discriminatory, or illegal content.
Files must be JPEG, sRGB, max 5MB.
Selected photographers may be asked to provide a high-resolution or RAW file for printing.
Each image can only be submitted once; duplicate entries will be disqualified.
Prints will not be returned. Finalists may collect their prints in October 2026; unclaimed works will remain in the festival archive.
JURY
Entries will be judged blindly by an independent, international jury composed of photographers, editors, curators, and cultural leaders.
The jury will be announced closer to the deadline. All jury decisions are final.
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Selection & Notification
Finalists will be notified by email in April 2026.
Winners will be announced during the official opening ceremony of the festival.
Finalists may be featured in festival communications, press, and online channels, always with proper credit.
Copyright & Usage Rights
Photographers retain full copyright of their submitted work.
By entering, participants grant F/262 a non-exclusive licence to exhibit, print, and promote selected works for up to three (3) years after the 2026 festival.
Usage includes exhibitions, festival catalogue, website, press coverage, and social media promotion.
No commercial use will be made without separate written consent.
F/262 will make every reasonable effort to ensure images are properly credited whenever used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, as long as each submission follows the rules of its category.
No. This award is for single images only.
No, attendance is encouraged but not required.
Unclaimed prints will remain in the festival archive and will not be shipped.
Copyright © 2026 by João Carlos