Denis Roussel Award 2025

For photographers dedicated to the art and craft of historical and alternative photographic processes, a truly exceptional opportunity awaits! The Denis Roussel Award 2025 is now accepting applications. This distinguished award, presented by Rfotofolio, seeks to highlight and support photographers whose work is based on these timeless techniques, including silver gelatin. If your practice involves the meticulous beauty of historical processes, this award offers significant recognition and substantial cash prizes. Applications are open and will close on June 27th, 2025.

The Denis Roussel Award stands for its commitment to supporting artists; there is no fee to enter, though donations to support Rfotofolio Grants are welcome. The award structure is generous, with The Denis Roussel Award recipient receiving $2000. Additionally, there are two Merit Awards of $500.00 each, an Rfotofolio Merit Award of $500.00, and many more. This makes it one of the best photo challenges online for practitioners of these specific crafts and certainly a top-tier free photo contest online.

Established in 2018 to continue Denis Roussel’s legacy of generosity and inspiration, the award is open to all photographers worldwide. The core submission requirement is a portfolio of seven well-edited images accompanied by a written statement (no more than two paragraphs) about the submitted work.

The Denis Roussel Award 2025 Prizes

The Denis Roussel Award 2025 offers a significant suite of prizes:

• The Denis Roussel Award Recipient:
  • $2000 cash prize.
• Merit Awards:
  • Two recipients will each receive a $500 cash prize.
• The Rfotofolio Merit Award:
  • $500 cash prize.
• Christopher James Award:
  • A one-on-one portfolio review with Christopher James, offering invaluable professional feedback.
• Hahnemühle Paper Award:
  • A prize of Hahnemühle’s renowned photographic paper, supporting the artist’s craft.
• Bostick and Sullivan Award:
  • An award from Bostick & Sullivan, known for supplying materials for historical and alternative photographic processes.
• Mark Nelson Award:
  • A specific award, with details likely provided by Rfotofolio.

In addition to these specific prizes, recipients typically benefit from features and interviews on the Rfotofolio platform, further enhancing their visibility within the photographic community.

The Categories of the Denis Roussel Award 2025

The primary focus of the Denis Roussel Award 2025 is on the photographic process itself. This award is specifically for photographers whose work is based on historical/alternative photographic processes.

This includes, but is not limited to, techniques such as silver gelatin printing, cyanotype, platinum/palladium, daguerreotype, wet plate collodion, gum bichromate, and other non-digital, hands-on photographic methods. The key requirement is that the submitted work must be created using these types of processes. Inkjet prints are explicitly not accepted, and due to future copyright questions, AI-generated work is also not permitted. The award celebrates the craft, dedication, and unique aesthetic qualities inherent in these historical and alternative techniques.

Denis Roussel Award 2025 Dates and Entry Fees

Mark your calendars for the Denis Roussel Award 2025 submission window:

• Application deadline: June 27th, 2025.

There is no fee to enter this award. This makes it a truly exceptional free photography competitions opportunity.

How to Enter:

To apply for the Denis Roussel Award 2025, photographers must submit their application between March 5th and June 27th. The core of the application is a portfolio of seven well-edited images that showcase work based on historical/alternative photographic processes (no inkjet or AI work). Accompanying the portfolio, applicants must provide a written statement, not exceeding two paragraphs, that discusses the submitted body of work.

About the Jury

The Denis Roussel Award relies on a guest juror to select the main award recipient. The selection is based on the submitted portfolio of seven images and the accompanying written statement. Rfotofolio itself also presents an Rfotofolio Award.

While the specific guest juror for the 2025 award will be announced by Rfotofolio, this role is typically filled by a respected and knowledgeable individual from the fine art photography community, often an educator, curator, gallerist, or established artist with expertise in historical and alternative photographic processes.

Why Enter Denis Roussel Award 2025?

The Denis Roussel Award 2025 offers a profoundly meaningful and supportive platform, especially for photographers dedicated to the rich traditions of historical and alternative photographic processes. The most compelling reason to enter is the award’s genuine commitment to celebrating and fostering this specific niche within the art world. The fact that there is no entry fee makes it exceptionally accessible, removing financial barriers and encouraging a diverse pool of applicants.

The prize money, with $2000 for the main Denis Roussel Award recipient and $500 for each of the Merit Award winners, provides significant financial support. Beyond the cash, the prestige of receiving an award named in honor of Denis Roussel, an artist known for his generosity and creative spirit, carries considerable weight. For photographers seeking recognition for their dedication to historical processes and a chance to connect with a supportive organization, the Denis Roussel Award is an unparalleled opportunity. Many photographers also search for trending photo challenges, and this award certainly fits that description for its niche.

Rules and Copyright

This section about the rules and image rights of the Denis Roussel Award 2025 has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.

Rules

The Denis Roussel Award is open to all photographers globally. The core eligibility requirement is that the submitted work must be based on historical/alternative photographic processes, including techniques like silver gelatin. Inkjet prints are not permitted. All work must be created by the person submitting the application. AI-generated work is also not allowed due to future copyright questions. Applicants need to submit a portfolio of seven well-edited images and a written statement about the work (maximum two paragraphs). Applications are accepted from March 5th until June 27th. There is no fee to enter.

Copyright and Image Usage

While the provided contest details do not explicitly state the full copyright and image usage terms, it is a standard and ethical practice for awards of this nature, particularly those run by non-profit organizations like Rfotofolio, that the photographer retains full copyright to their submitted images. By entering, participants typically grant the award organizers a non-exclusive license to use the submitted images for purposes directly related to the Denis Roussel Award and its promotion. This would likely include showcasing the work of the award recipient(s) and Merit Award winners on the Rfotofolio website, in online announcements, in features or interviews, and potentially in promotional materials for future editions of the award. Rfotofolio is dedicated to supporting artists, and any usage would be aimed at celebrating and promoting the photographers’ work. Entrants should always refer to the official Rfotofolio website or contact the organizers directly for the most detailed and current terms and conditions regarding copyright and image usage.

For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.