Grid Photo Gallery presents Animals 2026, an international open call dedicated to photographic works that explore the presence, meaning, and visual power of animals within the image.
The theme is open to a wide range of approaches, including wildlife, documentary, portraiture, fine art, conceptual, studio, domestic, urban, and experimental photography. Animals may appear in natural habitats, human environments, staged scenes, symbolic compositions, or unexpected encounters. What matters is not the genre, but the way the image uses animal presence to create meaning, emotion, atmosphere, or visual tension.
This call invites photographers to look beyond animals as simple subjects of observation. Their presence can suggest intimacy, distance, fragility, instinct, companionship, survival, or mystery. They may become central figures, quiet details, symbolic elements, or forces that transform the rhythm and interpretation of the photograph.
Animals 2026 seeks works with a clear visual intention, sensitivity of approach, and strong photographic awareness. Selected images will be presented in a curated global online exhibition, accessible worldwide, bringing together diverse perspectives on how animal life is seen, imagined, and represented in contemporary photography.
Deadline : August 15, 2026
Entry fee
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.
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.
Eligibility
Entrants must be at least 18 years old. Open to photographers worldwide.
