The Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective is now open for entries, inviting photographers from around the world to explore the expressive power of monochrome. Organized by The Motif Collective, this monthly competition focuses on a single, timeless theme: black and white photography. From realism to abstraction, the contest celebrates the art of contrast, light, and shadow in its purest form. With cash prizes of up to $10,000 and additional sponsor awards, the contest offers both recognition and reward for compelling visual storytelling in black and white.
This edition of the contest is open now and runs until May 7, 2025, offering participants the opportunity to submit up to six entries with progressively discounted fees. Winners will be announced shortly after the closing date, on May 14, 2025, and the top three will receive cash awards that scale based on the number of entries received. In addition to financial prizes, first place also takes home a license for ON1 PHOTO RAW, and all top three winners will receive premium retouching software from Retouch4Me. Winning images will also be featured in The Motif Collective’s Artist Showcase Gallery and promoted across their social media channels.
The competition theme, “Black and White,” encourages entrants to focus on the fundamentals of photography: form, tone, and composition. This month’s challenge aims to capture the aesthetic intensity and emotional depth of monochrome imagery, allowing participants to explore everything from stark realism to interpretive abstraction. There are no separate categories within the contest; the single-theme format encourages a wide range of stylistic interpretations, making it especially appealing to creatives who work well within broad thematic boundaries.
To enter, photographers must submit their images via the contest’s official form on The Motif Collective’s website. Entry fees start at $12 for one image, with discounts for multiple submissions (up to six entries for $36). Submissions are open internationally to individuals aged 18 and older. The file size limit is 1MB, and all entries must be in JPG format.
Overall, Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective is a strong option for photographers looking to engage with meaningful thematic work, gain international exposure, and potentially earn significant cash rewards. This contest is a worthwhile opportunity—especially for those passionate about black and white photography competitions and looking to add to their creative portfolio.
The Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective Prizes
Prize incentives are central to the Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective, reflecting both artistic merit and the competitive nature of the submission process. Cash awards are distributed among the top three entries and are funded directly by entry fees—meaning the more people who participate, the higher the payout, up to a total of $10,000.
Here’s what’s on offer:
1st Place: 25% of all entry fees (up to $10,000 total), a full license for ON1 PHOTO RAW, and three premium plugin licenses from Retouch4Me.
2nd Place: 15% of all entry fees, plus three Retouch4Me plugins.
3rd Place: 10% of all entry fees, plus three Retouch4Me plugins.
All winners will also be featured in The Motif Collective’s Artist Showcase Gallery and receive targeted promotion via social media.
The Categories of the Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective
This competition focuses exclusively on the theme of Black and White, encouraging diverse interpretations within that unified framework.
Participants are invited to submit images that embody the essence of monochrome photography, whether they choose abstract compositions, documentary-style realism, or creative photo manipulation. The judging process emphasizes creativity, quality of execution, and uniqueness of vision, making the format ideal for those with a distinct photographic voice.
Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective Dates and Entry Fees
Participation in the Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective is straightforward, with clear deadlines and affordable entry fees.
Key Dates:
| Phase | Date |
|---|---|
| Submissions Open | Now |
| Submission Deadline | May 7, 2025 |
| Winners Announced | May 14, 2025 |
Entry Fees:
| Number of Entries | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1 Entry | $12 |
| 2 Entries | $18 |
| 3 Entries | $24 |
| 4 Entries | $28 |
| 5 Entries | $32 |
| 6 Entries | $36 |
Why Enter Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective?
With black and white photography requiring a deep understanding of light, shadow, and form, the challenge itself is inherently artistic and intellectually engaging. For those who already explore monochrome in their practice—or for those looking to experiment—this competition provides both motivation and reward.
The transparent prize structure is another attractive aspect. Since the prize pool grows with each new entry, participants are incentivized not just to join but to spread the word. This creates a sense of community while maintaining individual recognition. The sponsor software awards, such as ON1 PHOTO RAW and Retouch4Me, also add genuine value for working photographers looking to streamline or improve their post-processing workflow.
For those exploring black and white photo competitions as part of their creative journey, Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective is a solid choice. It also contributes to our curated list of the best photography challenges online, offering photographers a reliable space to test their skills and gain visibility.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the Black and White 2025 by The Motif Collective 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
Open internationally to individuals 18+ years of age.
Entries must follow the black and white theme.
Submissions must be original photographs (no AI content).
JPG format only, max 1MB, approximately 1200×900 pixels.
No watermarks allowed.
Entries cannot have previously won a cash prize in a Motif Collective contest.
Copyright
Photographers retain full copyright over their submitted work.
The Motif Collective is granted a non-exclusive, revocable license to use submitted works for promotional purposes only.
Proper credit will be given wherever works are published.
The photographer must be the sole copyright holder and ensure all necessary permissions for any recognizable persons in the image.
Entries must not infringe on any third-party trademarks, contracts, or rights.
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For more information and to enter the competition, visit: the oficial website.
