How to Enter
Who Can Enter
Entry is open to:
- Amateur, student, and professional photographers may enter the competition.
- Australian and international photographers may enter the competition. There are separate prizes for Australian and International entrants.
- At the time of entry, entrants provide their address. "Australian" entrants are entrants who usually reside in Australia. “International” entrants are all other entrants.
When
- Entries open 9am 2 April 2026
- Entries close 5pm 31 May 2026
- Live judging will take place 8 - 31 July 2026 on Youtube live stream
- Winners will be announced from 5pm 13 August 2026 on Youtube live stream and website
All dates and times are Australian Eastern Standard Time and are subject to change
STEP 1: Read the Rules
Before entering the 2026 Australian Photographic Prize, entrants MUST ensure they have fully read and understood the rules and requirements of the Categories they are entering
STEP 2: Purchase Entries in the Shop
STEP 3: Prepare Your Files for upload
- Resize: Between 3000px and 5000px on the longest side (e.g. 4800 x 2800). The shortest side can be any length less than (or equal to) the longest side.
- sRGB: Convert to sRGB colour Profile
- JPEG: Save as maximum quality JPEG
- Filename: No special requirements
STEP 4: Original Capture (RAW) Files
- What are RAW files? RAW image files are the original, unprocessed image files captured by your camera. RAW file names usually have extensions like .CR2 or .CR3 (Canon), .NEF or .NRW (Nikon), .ARW (Sony), or .ORF (Olympus). Many photography competitions require RAW files for verification. If you’re not already shooting in RAW, we recommend setting your camera to capture both RAW+JPEG for competition entries.
- Why do we need RAW files? We only request RAW files if we need to verify that your image complies with the rules. By comparing the original file to your final submission, we can confirm that edits are within the allowed guidelines. If needed, we’ll contact you during the competition. You’ll have 24 hours to provide the RAW files, if available. If you know you’ll be unavailable during the competition, you’re welcome to upload your RAW files and share a link when you enter your images so we can access them if needed. Entries in the In-Camera Artistry category are required to provide RAW files on entry.
- What if I don't have RAW files? You're absolutely welcome to enter the competition even if you don't have RAW files (except for In-Camera Artistry which requires RAW files). If we need to verify your entry and you can’t provide a RAW file, we will try to validate your image using whatever files you can provide us with. In the very rare case that your image is a finalist, appears not to comply with the rules, and no original files can be provided, your entry may be disqualified.
- Upload your RAW files Upload your RAW files to Dropbox using the link provided.
STEP 5: Uploading Your Images
- My Account: Uploading is done through the "My Account" page (little blue person icon top right of screen)
- Changes: You can upload your image, change your image, or change your category at any time before entries close
