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Land / Sea by Solas / Shadow asks photographers to explore the meeting point between two environments that are constantly shaping one another. The international open call accepts submissions until October 29, 2026. There is no fee to submit up to five images, but photographers selected must pay a participation fee of £16 for one selected image or £22 for two or more.
The theme can be approached through the stability of land, the movement of the sea, or the coastline that connects them. Photographers can focus on either environment or explore the tension and transition between the two, including the point at which one appears to end and the other begins.
Selected photographers will be included in the online exhibition, receive a digital certificate of participation, and have their work featured through the gallery’s social media, YouTube channel, and exhibition catalog. For photographers exploring Deartline’s all photo competitions, Land / Sea by Solas / Shadow offers a focused opportunity for work connected with coastlines, water, landscape, transition, and the relationship between natural environments.
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Prizes
Photographers selected for Land / Sea by Solas / Shadow receive a combination of online exhibition, publication, and promotional opportunities through Solas / Shadow.
- Online exhibition: selected photographs will be displayed in the Land / Sea exhibition on the Solas / Shadow website.
- Exhibition catalog: selected work will be included in the exhibition catalog, available in PDF and physical formats.
- Digital certificate: participating photographers receive a certificate of participation.
- Social media: selected work may be featured through the gallery’s social channels.
- YouTube feature: participating work may also appear on the Solas / Shadow YouTube channel.
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Categories or Themes
There are no separate categories. The exhibition is built around the relationship between Land / Sea, with photographers free to concentrate on one side of that polarity or explore both within the same submission.
The brief considers land as a place of solidity and stillness and the sea as an environment characterized by movement and continual change. The coastline becomes the point where these conditions meet, creating possibilities for images concerned with boundaries, transition, tension, safety, instability, and the interaction between different natural environments.
The theme makes the call particularly relevant to photographers working with landscape and seascape photography, while leaving room for documentary, abstract, conceptual, or more experimental interpretations.
Dates and Fees
Land / Sea by Solas / Shadow has a straightforward schedule, with submissions closing in late October ahead of the February 2027 online exhibition.
| Submission Deadline | October 29, 2026 |
| Exhibition Begins | February 2027 |
Entry Fee:
- Free to submit up to 5 images.
- Photographers selected for the exhibition are asked to pay a participation fee based on the number of images accepted:
- 1 image: £16.
- 2 or more images: £22.
How to Enter
Photographers may submit up to five JPG images using a file-transfer service such as Smash, SwissTransfer, or WeTransfer and send the download link to the gallery at submissions@solas-shadowgallery.com.
Files should be named using the photographer’s name followed by a number, for example Ann-Smith1 and Ann-Smith2. The submission email should include the photographer’s full name, location or nationality, social media or website links, a short biography of no more than a couple of sentences, and image titles where applicable.
Why Enter Land / Sea by Solas / Shadow?
The strength of Land / Sea by Solas / Shadow lies in a theme that is specific enough to create a coherent exhibition while remaining open to very different photographic approaches. A dramatic coastline, a quiet study of land, abstract patterns created by water, human relationships with the shore, or more conceptual investigations of boundaries and transition can all respond to the same central idea.
Solas / Shadow is an international online photography gallery built around curated exhibitions exploring visual and conceptual contrasts. For photographers comparing the best photo contests for their own work, Land / Sea provides a free initial submission process and a clearly defined exhibition theme, with publication and online presentation for photographers selected to participate.
Rules and Copyright
We reviewed the official rules of Land / Sea by Solas / Shadow 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
The call is open to photographers worldwide aged 18 or older. Each photographer may submit up to five JPG images responding to the Land / Sea theme. Submission does not guarantee inclusion in the exhibition, and Solas / Shadow’s curatorial team may select all, some, or none of the submitted work.
Submitted photographs must be original work belonging to the photographer and must not infringe copyright, trademark, privacy, or other third-party rights. The gallery may reject images that do not meet its technical or quality requirements and prohibits illegal, defamatory, obscene, discriminatory, or otherwise infringing content.
Copyright and Image Usage
Photographers retain copyright and ownership of their submitted work. By submitting, they grant Solas / Shadow a non-exclusive license to display, promote, and feature their images in connection with the exhibition and the gallery’s activities.
Permitted uses include the Solas / Shadow website and online galleries, social media, promotional materials, newsletters, press announcements, and digital publications. Images may be resized or formatted for consistent online presentation, and photographers are credited when their work is displayed.
Solas / Shadow states that it will not sell or commercially exploit submitted photography without the photographer’s explicit permission. No specific duration for the license or separate sublicensing terms are stated.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
