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Exposure One Awards – Nature Photography Contest 2026 returns with a dedicated celebration of the natural world in black and white. Open until December 8, 2026, the competition accepts both single images and series across subjects ranging from wildlife and landscapes to aerial perspectives or more abstract interpretations of nature. More than $4,000 in cash prizes is available across the Professional and Non-Professional divisions. The monochrome requirement gives this nature photography contest a particularly focused identity.
For photographers browsing the best online photography competitions gathered on Deartline, this contest also sits naturally alongside dedicated black and white photography contests. The Early Bird pricing is available until November 11 before the final entry period continues through December 8. Beyond the cash awards, winners can receive Exposure One trophies, certificates, published interviews, press materials, Artist Directory profiles, Winner’s Gallery placement, and other promotional opportunities.
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Prizes
The Exposure One Awards – Nature Photography Contest 2026 offers more than $4,000 in cash prizes, divided between Professional and Non-Professional photographers. The awards extend beyond the monetary prizes, with different levels of recognition for contest winners, category winners, honorable mentions, nominees, and People’s Vote recipients.
Professional
- 1st place: $1,500
- 2nd place: $750
- 3rd place: $250
Professional contest winners can also receive a personalized Exposure One metal trophy, printed achievement certificate, published interview, dedicated email feature, prominent website placement, custom press release, Winner’s Gallery feature, international press exposure, Artist Directory profile, and digital winner assets.
Non-Professional
- 1st place: $900
- 2nd place: $400
- 3rd place: $200
Non-Professional winners receive a similar package of recognition, including trophies for the main contest and category winners, certificates, interviews, press materials, gallery placement, and promotional opportunities across Exposure One channels.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
The 2026 Exposure One Awards – Nature Photography Contest keeps a broad category structure while requiring every submission to work in monochrome. Images may be entered into more than one category and are judged independently within each selected category.
- Abstract
- Aerial
- Animals
- Earth’s Textures
- Humans & Nature
- Land
- Light & Shadow
- Minimalism
- Ocean
- Pattern & Form
- Underwater
- Wild Portraits
- Other
Dates and Entry Fees
The Exposure One Awards – Nature Photography Contest 2026 uses two entry periods. The Early Bird stage provides the largest discount, followed by a Regular period that continues until the final December deadline.
| Entries open | September 28, 2026 |
| Early Bird deadline | November 11, 2026 |
| Final deadline | December 8, 2026 |
| Winners announced | January 20, 2027 |
Entry Fees:
| Entry type | Early Bird | Regular |
| Professional — Single image | $25 | $27 |
| Professional — Series | $42 | $45 |
| Non-Professional — Single image | $21 | $22 |
| Non-Professional — Series | $34 | $36 |
| Student — Single image | $12 | $13 |
| Student — Series | $25 | $27 |
Exposure One Awards – Nature Photography Contest lists a 10% discount during the Regular entry period. Additional category entries receive a 50% discount, and entrants receive 5% back in Reward Dollars. Bundle packages are also available.
How to Enter
Entrants first create and verify an Exposure One account and complete their profile. Images can then be uploaded as single entries or, where applicable, as a series of two to five photographs. Files must be JPEG or PNG, measure at least 1,500 pixels on the longest edge, and remain below 10 MB. Watermarks and logos are not permitted. Payment completes the submission, after which the entry appears in the photographer’s account.
About the Jury
The Exposure One Awards – Nature Photography Contest 2026 jury brings together photography professionals working across museums, publishing, galleries, and editorial photography. The panel includes Lindsey Sharman, Curator and Writer at the Art Gallery of Alberta; Shana Lopes, Assistant Curator of Photography at SFMOMA; Susan Ciccotti, Copy Chief at Aperture; Beatrice Tamagnini, Creative Director at Vogue; and Paris Chong, Gallery Director at Leica Gallery LA.
Judging is blind and follows a two-stage process. A preliminary round determines the nominated entries in each category, followed by subsequent rounds in which the judges’ rankings are combined to determine category and overall winners. Nominated photographs may also enter the separate People’s Vote Award.
Why Enter Exposure One Awards – Nature Photography Contest 2026?
The monochrome-only format is what most clearly separates this competition from broader nature awards. Wildlife, landscapes, underwater scenes, aerial photographs, abstractions, and human relationships with nature all compete within a framework where color is removed from the equation, placing greater emphasis on light, texture, contrast, shape, and composition.
The range of recognition is also broader than the headline cash awards. Contest and category winners can receive trophies, interviews, directory profiles, press materials, certificates, and online showcases, while nominated photographs can continue into the People’s Vote. For photographers exploring other online photography contests, Deartline brings together alternatives covering different subjects, entry models, prizes, and approaches to photographic recognition.
Rules and Copyright
We reviewed the official rules of the Exposure One Awards – Nature Photography Contest 2026 to summarize the key participation requirements, copyright terms and image usage conditions. Before entering, we recommend checking the complete rules published by the organizer.
Rules
Entrants must be at least 18 years old. Professional and Non-Professional photographers are judged separately, with student pricing available to eligible students. Submitted photographs must be black and white, although sepia and single-tone images are accepted. Color images are not eligible.
Images may have been created at any time and can have been published, submitted to other competitions, or previously awarded. Exposure One does not require exclusivity. AI-generated images are not accepted, and the organizer may request proof that an image was not generated by AI as well as proof of ownership of the original files.
Copyright and Image Usage
Photographers retain copyright and moral rights to their submitted work, and Exposure One states that entries are not sold to third parties. However, participation grants Creative Resource Collective, its affiliates, sponsors, successors, and assigns a worldwide, non-exclusive, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free, sublicensable license covering permitted displays.
These permitted uses can include the Exposure One website, social media, other websites, exhibitions, digital or physical books, and public relations activity connected with Creative Resource Collective, its competitions, or promotion of the submitted work. Selected entries may also be distributed to third-party media outlets as part of press releases, with photographer credit supplied.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
