People 2026

Grid Photo Gallery announces its 2026 open call, People, inviting photographers from around the world to submit work engaging with the human figure across all photographic approaches. The call is open to portraits, documentary projects, street photography, photojournalism, and studio-based or constructed work. No restrictions on style, process, or context.

Rather than defining people through a single visual or conceptual framework, this edition approaches the theme as an open field of interpretation. People may appear posed or unposed, isolated or collective, observed or imagined. The human figure can function as subject, structure, presence, or formal element within the image. Grid Photo Gallery is interested in how photographers choose to frame, organize, and articulate human presence—whether through narrative, gesture, composition, surface, or spatial relationships—allowing meaning to emerge through photographic decisions rather than prescribed themes.

For People 2026, the gallery seeks work that demonstrates clarity of intent and visual coherence, regardless of genre or production method. Selection will focus on images that sustain attention through form, idea, or internal logic, without privileging one photographic tradition over another. The selected works will be presented in a curated global online exhibition, accessible worldwide. Photographers are invited to submit work that reflects their individual approach to depicting people, contributing to a diverse and nuanced contemporary photographic dialogue.

Prizes

Selected photographs will be displayed in an online exhibition at Grid Photo Gallery.

In addition to this:

1st Place (“Photographer of the Month”)

• Featured prominently in our virtual exhibition
• Profile interview published on Grid Photo Gallery
• Priority placement on promotional banners and posters
• One free entry in the next open call

2nd & 3rd Places

• Highlighted in the virtual exhibition

All Selected Entries

• Displayed in our main-page exhibition for at least one month, then kept online permanently
• Promoted via our social-media channels
• Digital certificate of participation
• Personal profile page on our platform, including a link to your website
• The top three photographs from the Open Call will be eligible for the title “Photography of the Year”

Selected works will be published in a printed catalog available for purchase. Depending on circumstances, this catalog might feature various exhibitions or its publication schedule may vary.

Dates

• Entry opens: February 1, 2026
• Submission Deadline: March 15, 2026
• Announcement of Winners: April 1, 2026

Entry Fees

The participation in the contest has a single fee of 7€ per image.
There is no limit to the number of images you can submit. Please note that entry fees are non-refundable.

How to Enter?

Participating in this open call for photography is very easy:

1. Click on the “Upload images Here” button a little above.
2. Register or log in to the platform.
3. Upload your photos following the specifications indicated in the rules (format, size, etc.).
4. Pay the entry fee to confirm your participation.
5. Done! Your art will be considered.

At Grid Photo Gallery, we are eager to discover the many ways in which black and white photography can tell a story, spark a memory, or shift a point of view. Share your vision and be part of our next virtual exhibition!

We are waiting for your breathtaking images—of every kind!