The call has gone out once again for one of the world’s most distinguished celebrations of mountain, nature, and adventure photography. The 36th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest is now open, inviting photographers and filmmakers to share their most innovative and evocative images of the natural world. This competition is not just a contest, it’s a global benchmark for excellence, culminating in a grand prize of €4,000 for the Overall Winner. With the submission deadline set for December 1, 2025, this is your chance to become part of a legacy that honors both the beauty of our planet and the talent of those who capture it.
For its 36th edition, the contest continues to evolve, featuring fifteen dynamic categories that cover everything from majestic mountain landscapes and thrilling extreme sports to the delicate details of the macro world. This year introduces a special theme focused on “Traditional Rural World Photography”, adding a new layer of storytelling to the competition. A single entry fee of €22 allows photographers to compete across all relevant categories, while participation remains completely free for entrants under the age of 19. At Deartline, we pride ourselves on highlighting the best photo challenges to participate in, and the Memorial Maria Luisa unquestionably sits at the pinnacle of that list.
Winning this award is a monumental achievement that offers more than just substantial cash prizes. The selected works gain immense international visibility through a prestigious traveling exhibition and a high-quality commemorative book, a stunning publication prize that serves as a testament to the year’s best photography. It’s a platform that has launched and solidified careers, offering artists a chance to have their work seen and celebrated on a global stage.
Contents
The 36th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest Prizes
The prize structure for the 36th edition is designed to generously reward excellence across the board, providing significant financial awards and prestigious recognition.
- Overall Winner: The competition’s highest honor includes:
- €4,000 cash prize
- Trophy
- Diploma
- Book portfolio
- Two invitations to the awards gala
- Category Winners: The winner of each of the fourteen photography categories will receive:
- €300 cash prize
- Trophy
- Diploma
- Book portfolio
- Two invitations to the awards gala
- Young Photographers Prize: The best photograph submitted by a contestant under 19 years old will be awarded:
- Samsung 4G tablet
- Trophy
- Diploma
- Book portfolio
- Two invitations
- Special Award for the Theme of the Year: The winner of this category will receive:
- Citizen BN0151 Watch
- Trophy
- Diploma
- Book portfolio
- Two invitations
- Award for Best Video, Film, or Documentary: This prize includes:
- €3,000 voucher
- Trophy
- Diploma
- Book portfolio
- Two invitations to the awards gala
Related Photo Contests
The Categories of the 36th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest
The Memorial Maria Luisa is renowned for its comprehensive and engaging categories that encourage a deep exploration of the natural world and our relationship with it.
- Mountain Landscape: Captions showing mountains and their environment.
- Alpinism: Images showing alpinism, climbing on ice, mountain ski, and the world of heights.
- Climbing: Images related to rock climbing, bouldering, big wall, and urban climbing.
- Adventure and Extreme Sports: All types of adventure activities and extreme sports practiced in nature.
- Man in the Mountain and/or Nature: Photos showing people, their customs, traditions, and ways of life in mountain or natural environments. This is a perfect category for people and culture photographers.
- Animal World: Any wild animal photographed in its environment. A classic for wildlife photography competitions.
- The World of Birds: Any bird photographed in its environment.
- Vegetal World: Any vegetal species photographed in its environment, including fungi.
- Submerged World: The flora and ecosystems characteristic of submerged areas, both freshwater and saltwater. Don’t miss these underwater photo awards.
- Biodiversity and Geodiversity: Images showing animals or plants in their natural habitat, or the geological features that shape them.
- Nature Landscapes: For landscapes not included in the Mountain Landscape category.
- Creative Photo: Where forms, textures, and colours are determining in the composition, including abstract and creative photography.
- Macro Picture: The world of the smallest ones, focused on macro photography.
- Topic of the Year: Traditional Rural World Photography: Anything related to the traditional country folk and countryside landscape.
- Videos, Films or Documentaries: Mountain, nature, or adventure films.
36th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest Dates and Entry Fees
Here is the schedule and cost to participate in this year’s edition.
- Submission period opens on: September 1, 2025
- Submission period closes on: December 1, 2025
- Winners will be notified on: March 2, 2026.
The entry fee is €22, which allows you to compete in all categories, including videos and films.
Participation is free for photographers under 19 years old (as of December 1, 2025).
How to Enter:
To enter, you must register on the official website. After registering, you can upload your digital files in JPEG format. You can submit up to five photos for each category.
About the Jury
The panel of judges will be designated by the Founders Board of the “Memorial Maria Luisa”. It is composed of prestigious nature photographers of recognized international standing. The judging process is anonymous, with each photograph assigned a random code to ensure that the work is assessed purely on its own merits.
Why Enter 36th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest?
To participate in the Memorial Maria Luisa is to engage with the elite of nature and mountain photography. The contest’s long history and the exceptional quality of its submissions have built an unmatched reputation. The prizes are substantial, but the real value lies in the prestige and exposure that come with being selected. Having your work published in the annual book and showcased in the international exhibition places you among the best in the field. Our list of photography competitions features many great opportunities, but few carry the weight and honor of this legendary event.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the 36th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest 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 contest is open to all photographers and filmmakers, amateur or professional, from anywhere in the world. Images must be submitted in JPEG format, preferably with an Adobe RGB 1998 color profile, and be 1,920 pixels on the longest side. A maximum of five photographs may be submitted to each category. Digital adjustments are limited to basic processing (white balance, exposure, levels, etc.). Alterations that create a different reality from the photographed one will not be admitted. Images of captive animals or pets are not permitted.
Copyright and Image Usage
The authors of the photographs retain all legal rights to their works. By submitting, you grant the organization the right to make copies of the award-winning photographs for promotional purposes related exclusively to the contest’s activities, such as for exhibitions, projections, or publications. This use will always be non-commercial and will always credit the author. The organization will refuse any request for images from third parties with commercial interests.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
