Explore a curated selection of photomanipulation contests, and prestigious awards designed for digital artists and photographers who blend reality with imagination. At Deartline, we compile photomanipulation awards, open calls, and creative challenges that celebrate surreal, conceptual, and digitally altered art. Discover deadlines, submission tips, and inspiration to elevate your work in contemporary photomanipulation competitions make it shine.
Next photomanipulation contest
Chromatic Awards 2025
List of Photomanipulation competitions
Our updated list organizes global contests by deadline, making it easy to plan submissions. From prestigious photomanipulation awards to smaller online competitions. New opportunities are added periodically, so be sure to check back regularly.
Do you know of a digital art contest that is not on our list? Send it to us.
What is Digital Photo Manipulation?
Digital photo manipulation is the craft of altering or combining images to create different or impossible realities. Unlike basic photo editing, it involves layering elements—photos, digital painting, textures—, introducing external components or deforming reality to build narratives that challenge perception. Think of a floating cityscape grafted onto a desert or a portrait where skin dissolves into blooming flowers.
Only you are responsible for deciding how far you can go. Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to show your art is to confront it with that of others through photomanipulation awards like the ones you can find on this page.
Why Compete in Photomanipulation Contests?
Participating in digital art competitions opens doors to professional growth and global visibility. These contests attract jurors from leading galleries, tech companies, and media outlets, offering winners features in publications or collaborations with brands. Others simply come with a substantial financial award.
Beyond recognition or awards, these events challenge you to innovate. Different themes and photography edditing contests push artists to experiment with mixed media, 3D integration, or analog-digital hybrids. Competitions also can foster community with platforms that spark collaborations between artists who share a passion for bending reality.
Crafting Award-Winning Surreal Art
To stand out in international digital art contests, focus on these principles:
Concept Over Complexity
Jurors in prestigious competitions usually value originality above technical prowess. A simple but striking concept can outshine overly intricate work. Start with a question: What story do I want to tell?
Master the Illusion
Seamless blending requires meticulous attention to light, shadow, and perspective. If your subject stands under a streetlamp, ensure every added element reflects that warm, directional glow. Study reference photos to mimic natural interactions.
Break Conventions
Embrace asymmetry or “imperfect” compositions. Break the mold and be original. When it comes to participating in a photo editing contest, the idea behind each decision is often crucial and the more risky and original (even if it can be more dangerous) the closer you can get to standing out.
Ready to Distort Reality?
Whether you’re merging photos into dreams or critiquing the modern world through surrealism, digital art or photomanipulation contests offer a stage for your vision. Explore Deartline’s calendar of global competitions, experiment boldly, and let your art redefine what’s possible.
The next groundbreaking masterpiece could be yours.