6th Washington International Mobile Photography Awards 2026
Theme: Home
Submission Deadline: December 31, 2026
Eligibility: International
Entry Fee: First two entries are free; entries 3–6 cost US$10 each
Total Cash Awards: US$5,600
Organizer: Washington Cultural Arts Foundation (WCAF)
About the Competition
The Washington International Mobile Photography Awards is an international photography competition for amateur and professional photographers who create images using mobile devices. The sixth edition invites photographers worldwide to tell stories, explore everyday life, and express their creativity through photographs taken with a phone or tablet.
The main theme for 2026 is “Home.” Participants are encouraged to explore home as more than a physical place, reflecting on culture, memory, family, identity, shelter, and a sense of belonging. The competition also includes open categories for nature and landscape photography, as well as artistic and creative photographic work.
Competition Categories
1. Theme Group: Home
- Single Photo: One photograph exploring the meaning of home, family, culture, memory, the surrounding environment, or belonging.
- Photo Series: A series of 4–6 photographs on a common subject. Each participant may submit up to three series.
2. Open Group
- Nature & Landscape: Photographs focusing on natural elements, animals, plants, natural phenomena, or landscapes.
- Art & Creativity: Open to any subject, including creative, experimental, abstract, and artistic photographic work.
Each category is judged and awarded separately.
Awards
Each of the four categories offers:
- Gold Award: One winner — US$500
- Silver Award: Two winners — US$300 each
- Bronze Award: Three winners — US$100 each
- Honorable Mention: Certificates of Honor for multiple recipients
The total cash prize pool across all four categories is US$5,600.
Eligibility and Entry Requirements
- The competition is open to participants worldwide.
- All entries must be original photographs taken by the entrant using a mobile phone, tablet, or iPad.
- Each entrant may submit up to six works in total. Each photo series submitted to the “Home” theme counts as one work, and no more than three series may be entered.
- Both color and black-and-white photographs are accepted.
- Images must be submitted in JPEG format, with a minimum long-edge dimension of 1,024 pixels and a maximum file size of 10 MB.
- Watermarks, signatures, and borders are not permitted.
- Each entry must have a title. A brief description is encouraged.
- There is no restriction on when the photograph was taken.
- Works that previously received an award in a Washington Mobile Photography Awards competition are not eligible.
- Participants under 18 must have a parent or adult legal guardian submit on their behalf.
- If a photograph includes an identifiable person, the entrant is responsible for obtaining the necessary permission and respecting that person’s privacy and portrait rights.
Artificial Intelligence and Editing Rules
Images containing visual elements created wholly or partly with generative AI are not accepted.
In the Home category, standard adjustments such as exposure, contrast, white balance, color, sharpness, cropping, horizon correction, and noise reduction are permitted. Certain AI-assisted tools, such as denoising, masking, and subject selection, may be used in accordance with the rules. However, generative AI may not be used to create new visual elements or change the content of the original scene.
In the Nature & Landscape category, entrants may not alter the original scene by adding, removing, or moving elements.
The Art & Creativity category allows broader creative editing and artistic reinterpretation, but works created wholly or partly by AI remain ineligible.
Entry Fees and Submission
- First two entries: Free
- Entries 3–6: US$10 per entry
- Maximum: Six works per entrant
Entries opened on November 1, 2026, and close on December 31, 2026, at the end of the day in U.S. Eastern Time. This corresponds approximately to 8:00 a.m. on January 1, 2027, in Türkiye. Participants are encouraged to submit well before the deadline.
International entrants outside mainland China should use the online submission system. A separate submission method is provided for participants in mainland China.
Image Rights and Important Information
By entering, participants authorize the Awards and the organizing committee to use their submitted works free of charge for promotional purposes and display. Entries will not be returned. The organizers may request original files and complete photographic information to verify the authenticity of submitted works.
Contact
Email: info.wcaf@gmail.com
