Royal Society Publishing Scientific Photography Competition 2026 by the British Royal Society

Royal Society Publishing announces its Photography Competition 2026, a competition dedicated to images that present scientific phenomena in an aesthetic and distinctive way.

The competition aims to highlight the relationship between science and photography and to encourage researchers and professionals working in scientific fields to document scientific and natural phenomena through images.

• The winner in each category will receive a cash prize of £500.
• An overall winner will be selected from among the category winners and will receive an additional £500.
• The overall winner will receive total prizes of up to £1,000.
• Winners will also receive certificates and a one-year membership in The Royal Photographic Society.

Judging Criteria

Photos will be evaluated based on two main criteria:

• The aesthetic appeal of the image.
• The ability of the image to present an interesting scientific phenomenon.

• The competition is open to individuals who are studying or working in science at postgraduate level or above.
• Postgraduate students, researchers, scientists, and academics may participate in the competition.
• The submitted image must be the applicant’s own work.
• The image must be related to a scientific phenomenon or a clear scientific topic.
• There is no specific nationality requirement for participation.
• Employees of The Royal Society, their family members, or any parties involved in managing the competition are not eligible to participate.
• Applicants must comply with the required image conditions, including not using AI-generated or AI-edited images.
• A scientific description of at least 150 words must be submitted with the image, explaining the scientific phenomenon shown in it.
• Each participant may submit up to 20 images, and each image must be submitted under one category only.

Photo Requirements

• The image must be original and the applicant’s own work.
• The image must not have been taken more than 5 years before the competition opening date.
• The image must not have previously won another competition before the competition opening date.
• The image must be captured with a camera.
• AI-generated images are not accepted.
• The use of artificial intelligence to edit images is not allowed.
• Adding or removing animals, plants, people, or objects from the image is not allowed.
• Images with false colors are not accepted.
• The file size must not exceed 10 MB.
• The image must have a resolution of at least 300 DPI.
• Images are accepted in JPEG or TIFF format.
• The image must not contain a signature, watermark, or border.

Required Image Description

Each submission must include a description of at least 150 words explaining the scientific phenomenon shown in the image. The description may include information such as the location, species, behavior, and scientific context. It must also explain how the image was technically captured and any edits made to it.

See also: Various and Outstanding International Awards and Competitions 

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