Photo East 2026

Themes and Sections

 Photographs may be entered in the following sections:

•  Open Color
•  Open Monochrome
•  People – color or monochrome

  Rules and Conditions

•  All photographs must originate from photographic captures made on film or digitally.
•  Photographs must not display the author’s name, logos or identifying marks.
•  Adjustments to color, contrast and cropping, as well as minor retouching, are permitted. Manipulations that alter the essential nature of the photographic record are not allowed.
•  Each photograph must have a unique title.
•  The same or a very similar photograph may not be entered more than once in the competition, whether in the same section or in different sections. Color and monochrome versions of the same capture are considered the same photograph.
•  Photographs generated wholly or partly using artificial intelligence (AI) are not permitted. Every element of a submitted photograph must originate from photographic captures personally made by the author, who must hold the copyright to the submitted work.

 Technical Specifications

•  Number of photographs: a maximum of 4 per section and 12 in total per entrant.
•  Format: JPEG (.jpg). Maximum file size: 4 MB.
•  Dimensions: maximum 1920 px on the longest side, at 300 dpi.
•  Authors whose works are selected for the physical exhibition will be contacted to provide full-resolution photographs for printing.

 Definition of Monochrome Photography

According to the FIAP standard, a black-and-white photograph encompasses shades from black to white, including all shades of gray. A photograph toned entirely in a single color is still considered monochrome. A photograph that is partially colored or contains multiple color tones is considered a color image.

 Definition of the People Section

This section includes photographs in which one or more people are the main subject. Individual and group portraits, street photography, and scenes depicting everyday life, work, leisure, customs, social events and human relationships are welcome. People should be central to the photograph’s content, rather than merely incidental elements in the frame.
Both color and monochrome photographs are permitted. The competition’s general rules on authorship and permitted image editing apply to this section.

 Participation

The competition is open to all photographers, both amateurs and professionals, regardless of gender, age or nationality. All photographs must be the entrant’s own original work. Digital editing and adjustments are permitted within the scope of artistic expression, subject to the competition rules and conditions.

Entrants retain copyright to their photographs. However, the organizer may use submitted photographs to promote the exhibition through the catalogue, website, social media and other media, without payment and with credit to the author.