Botanicals by NYC4PA

Botanicals by NYC4PA is now open, and it is the kind of themed call that can easily slip under the radar until the deadline is suddenly close. Organized by the New York Center for Photographic Art, this international juried photography competition focuses on the world of botanicals, from flowers and trees to fruit, leaf patterns, vines, and forest growth. The deadline is Jun 7, 2026, and the contest offers a total of $4,000 in cash awards, along with online exhibition, catalog publication, and homepage placement for the Grand Prize image. For readers browsing photography contests and challenges, this is a tightly themed call with a clear visual direction and a straightforward submission model.

The contest is open worldwide and accepts work made with any photographic process, including traditional and experimental approaches, as long as the final result is two-dimensional. That gives Botanicals by NYC4PA a wider creative range than its title might first suggest. Images can move from descriptive studies of flowers and foliage to more interpretive work shaped by texture, process, or monochrome treatment. It also sits naturally alongside other nature photography contests, especially for photographers who want a theme specific enough to guide an edit without becoming overly narrow.

Entry is paid, with a fee of $40 for the first three images and $10 for each additional image. Winners are featured in the NYC4PA Online Gallery and Award Winners Catalog, while the top image is also displayed on the organization’s homepage. With a single subject focus, international eligibility, and a blind jury process, the contest offers a clear route for photographers working with botanical subjects in both documentary and more interpretive styles.

Prizes

The prizes in Botanicals by NYC4PA combine cash awards with visibility through the organizer’s online platforms and catalog.

• The Grand Prize is awarded to one photographer, who receives $1,100. The winning image is also featured on the NYC4PA homepaget.
• First Prize is awarded to three photographers, with each receiving $400.
• Second Prize is awarded to three photographers, with each receiving $325.
• Third Prize is awarded to three photographers, with each receiving $250.

In addition to the ten cash prizewinners, the contest also names 20 Juror Selections and 20 Honorable Mentions. All prizewinners are included in the online gallery and the winners catalog, and they receive an award certificate as well.

Categories

Botanicals by NYC4PA does not divide entries into formal categories. Instead, it is built around a single theme: botanicals in the broadest sense. The call refers to flowers, trees, fruit, vines, leaf patterns, forests, gardens, and other plant-based subjects, whether found locally or encountered through travel. That gives photographers room to work descriptively or more freely, from close studies and layered textures to color-rich floral images and black and white interpretations.

Dates and Entry Fees

Botanicals by NYC4PA has a single submission deadline and a simple fee structure.

• Deadline: Jun 7, 2026.
• Notification: About three weeks after the deadline.

Entry fee:

• $40 for the first three images.
• Additional images: $10 per image.

How to Enter:

Submissions are made through NYC4PA’s online entry system. The organizer asks entrants to upload JPG files, and notes that file sizes under 1MB are acceptable. Each image should have a unique and relatively short title so it can be identified easily during notification and administration. Filenames with special characters may not load properly, so simple naming is preferred.

About the Jury

The juror for Botanicals by NYC4PA is Dan Burkholder, founder of Month of Photography Denver. His background includes long-running work across photographic practice, publishing, alternative processes, and digital image making. The contest page highlights his books on digital negatives, post-Katrina New Orleans, and mobile photography, as well as his academic training in photography.

The call also states that NYC4PA uses a blind jury process. Images should not include signatures or watermarks, and artist names should not appear in image titles. That detail matters because it points to an evaluation process centered on the submitted work rather than on name recognition.

Why Enter Botanicals by NYC4PA?

Botanicals by NYC4PA is relevant for photographers who want a themed contest with a clear concept but flexible visual interpretation. The subject is focused enough to help shape an edit, yet broad enough to include flowers, trees, edible plants, leaf structures, and more experimental photographic responses to plant life. Because all 2D photographic processes are accepted, the call is not restricted to a single style or technical approach.

There is also a practical reason to keep this competition in view. It offers a defined cash award structure, online gallery exposure, catalog inclusion, and homepage visibility for the top image. For photographers comparing it with other trending photo challenges online, it stands out as a subject-based international call that is easy to understand, professionally framed, and open to both conventional and experimental botanical photography.

Rules and Copyright

This section about the rules and image rights of the Botanicals by NYC4PA 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 contest is open worldwide.

Only two-dimensional photographic work is eligible.

Any photographic process may be used, including print-based and transfer-based methods, encaustic work, black and white, color, and experimental approaches.

Images that have won an NYC4PA prize within the past two years are not eligible. Images that were submitted previously and not selected may be entered again.

The jury process is blind, so entries should not contain signatures, watermarks, or artist names in the image title.

JPG files are preferred for submission.

Copyright and Image Usage

Entrants attest that the submitted images are their own work and that there has been no copyright infringement.

NYC4PA states that it will not be held liable for any infringement issues that emerge during jurying or display.

By submitting, photographers grant NYC4PA the right to use entered images for the promotion and advertisement of NYC4PA.

If an image is selected as a prizewinner, Juror Selection, or Honorable Mention, it may also be included in the NYC4PA catalog.

The contest page also notes that international cash winners outside the United States may be responsible for wire transfer costs if PayPal is unavailable, and that certain tax withholdings may apply depending on residency.

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