The Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Award 2026 is accepting entries for the second edition of its international architectural photography competition, A Contemporary Look at Architecture. Established in memory of Portuguese photographer Luis Ferreira Alves, the biennial award invites photographers worldwide to explore architecture through their own visual perspectives. The competition is promoted by Porto City Council and Cityscopio, a Portuguese cultural association.
Participants must submit a coherent series of 9 to 11 photographs interpreting a single architectural work or a group of buildings. Entries can approach architecture through documentary, artistic or experimental photography, exploring the relationship between buildings, their surroundings and the people who experience them. The jury will assess the originality of each project, its technical and artistic quality, and how effectively the photographs work together to tell a visual story.
Both colour and black-and-white photographs are accepted, whether captured digitally or on film. Submissions must be made through the Picter platform and include a project statement of no more than 2,000 characters. Images must be submitted digitally, without signatures, logos or watermarks. The international jury comprises architect João Pedro Serôdio, curator and researcher Valeria Carullo, and photographer and architect Paolo Rosselli. Finalists will be announced in February or March 2027, with the winners revealed on 25 April 2027.
Entry fee: Free to enter. Each individual or collective may submit one project comprising 9 to 11 photographs.
Eligibility
Open to photographers worldwide, individually or in groups, with one project per participant or collective; entrants must hold the necessary rights to their photographs, which must not have previously won another competition or contain prohibited generative-AI content or substantial alterations; organisers and jurors are excluded, and the Portuguese Emerging Photography Award is reserved for Portuguese participants.
Prize
The first prize is €10,000, sponsored by Robbialac, and the second prize is €4,000, sponsored by the la Caixa Foundation / BPI. The third prize is a €1,500 voucher for photographic equipment. A separate Portuguese Emerging Photography Award offers an additional €1,500 equipment voucher, while the jury may also award up to two Special Mentions. The three main prize winners, other finalists and recipients of additional distinctions will have their work included in the official exhibition and publication, scheduled for July 2027. Distinguished photographers will receive certificates, and the first, second and third prize winners will each receive three copies of the official catalogue.