37th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest 2026

The call has gone out once again for one of the longest-running international celebrations of mountain, nature and adventure photography. The 37th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest 2026 is now open, inviting photographers and filmmakers to share distinctive images of the natural world, outdoor activity and the people connected with these environments. The competition culminates in a €5,000 grand prize for the Overall Winner, with the submission deadline set for December 1, 2026.

For its 37th edition, the contest continues with fourteen photography categories covering mountain landscapes, climbing, adventure sports, wildlife, submerged environments and the smallest details of the macro world. The 2026 Topic of the Year is The Universe, covering stars, celestial bodies and wider views that connect the night sky with scenes on Earth. This edition also introduces a dedicated award for photographers with disabilities.

Every contestant may submit a first photograph free. Adult photographers who want to enter additional photographs or videos pay a single €22 fee, which allows participation across all categories; entry is entirely free for photographers under 19 and eligible participants with disabilities. At Deartline, our best photo challenges to participate include opportunities across many genres, and the Memorial Maria Luisa combines substantial prizes with exhibitions, projections and a portfolio book devoted to awarded work.

Contest Prizes

The 37th Memorial Maria Luisa provides cash awards, equipment prizes and recognition across its photography and video sections.

• Overall Winner:
  • €5,000 cash prize.
  • Trophy.
  • Diploma.
  • Book portfolio.
  • Two invitations to the awards gala.
• Category Winners:
  • €300 cash prize for the winner of each of the fourteen photography categories.
  • Trophy, diploma, book portfolio and two invitations to the awards gala.
• Young Photographers Prize:
  • Samsung 5G tablet.
  • Trophy, diploma, book portfolio and two invitations to the awards gala.
• Award for a Photographer with a Disability:
  • Samsung 5G tablet.
  • Trophy, diploma, book portfolio and two invitations to the awards gala.
• Special Award for the Topic of the Year:
  • Citizen NY0121-09X watch.
  • Trophy, diploma, book portfolio and two invitations to the awards gala.
• Best Video, Film or Documentary:
  • €3,000 voucher redeemable for products marketed by FotoRuano.
  • Trophy, diploma, book portfolio and two invitations to the awards gala.

The jury may also award honorable mentions in the thematic categories. The major monetary awards add a significant cash prize element, while awarded photographs can also appear in competition exhibitions, projections and related publications.

Categories

The Memorial Maria Luisa continues with fourteen photography categories and a separate section for videos, films and documentaries:

• Mountain Landscape: Mountains and their natural environments.
• Alpinism: Alpinism, ice climbing, mountain skiing and other high-altitude or winter mountain activities.
• Climbing: Rock climbing, bouldering, big wall, urban climbing and the wider world of verticality.
• Adventure and Extreme Sports: Adventure activities and extreme sports practiced in mountain and natural environments.
• Man in the Mountain and/or Nature: People, travel, portraits, traditions and ways of life connected with mountain and natural environments. The category now also incorporates the traditional rural world, its landscapes, people and the consequences of depopulation and abandonment, making it relevant to people and culture photography.
• Animal World: Animals photographed in their natural environment, a central category for wildlife photography competitions.
• The World of Birds: Birds photographed in their environment.
• Vegetal World: Plants and fungi photographed in their environment.
• Submerged World: Freshwater and saltwater fauna, flora and ecosystems, including work relevant to underwater photo awards.
• Biodiversity and Geodiversity: Species in relation to their habitats, together with geological features and processes.
• Nature Landscapes: Natural landscapes outside the Mountain Landscape category.
• Creative Photo: Images in which forms, textures and colours determine the composition, including abstract and creative photography.
• Macro Picture: The smallest subjects and details, focused on macro photography.
• Topic of the Year: The Universe: Photographs of stars, celestial bodies and the wider Universe, either as close views or incorporated into terrestrial scenes.
• Videos, Films or Documentaries: Productions centered on mountains, nature, adventure and related activities.

Dates and Entry Fees

Entry fee:

• The first photograph is free for every contestant.
• Additional photographs or videos pay a single €22 fee.
• Participation is completely free for photographers under 19 as of December 1, 2026, and for eligible photographers with disabilities.

How to Enter

Online participation through the official website is the preferred submission method. After registering, photographers can upload JPEG files and assign them to the appropriate categories. Up to five photographs may be submitted to each of the fourteen photography categories.

Images should be 1,920 pixels on the longest side, no larger than 2MB and preferably use the Adobe RGB 1998 colour profile. Frames, borders and captions must not be added to the image file. Entrants should preserve the original camera file, including RAW or an accepted native file, as it may be requested during verification.

About the Jury

The panel is appointed by the Founders Board of the Memorial Maria Luisa from photographers with recognized standing in mountain and nature photography. Individual names for the 37th edition have not yet been published.

The judging itself is explicitly anonymous and individual. Each photograph receives an alphanumeric code when submitted, allowing the jury to assess the image without identifying the photographer. The organizer also states that composition, technical rigor, originality and visual impact are among the qualities considered during selection.

Why Enter Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video Contest 2026?

The Memorial Maria Luisa combines a long-running international competition with a particularly broad view of mountain and nature photography. The fourteen photographic categories range from landscapes and wildlife to climbing, culture, underwater work and creative photography, while the annual special topic creates a changing point of entry each year. For 2026, The Universe expands that scope beyond terrestrial nature.

The €5,000 Overall Winner prize is substantial, but recognition is distributed much more widely through fourteen category awards, honorable mentions, a young photographer award and the new section for photographers with disabilities. Awarded work also becomes part of the exhibition, projection and publication activity surrounding the competition.

Our list of photography competitions includes opportunities at many scales, but the Memorial Maria Luisa is particularly relevant to photographers who work consistently with mountains, wildlife, natural environments and outdoor adventure and want to enter several specialized categories through a single registration.

Rules and Copyright

We reviewed the official rules of the 37th Memorial Maria Luisa Photo and Video 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

The contest accepts photographers and filmmakers worldwide. A maximum of five photographs can be entered in each photography category. Images must reflect the photographed reality: normal digital development adjustments, particle cleaning and moderate cropping are accepted, but alterations that produce a different reality are not.

Multiple exposures are permitted when recorded by the camera in a single primary file. HDR, panoramic photography, stitching and stacking are also accepted under the conditions established by the rules. Black and white and sepia conversions are allowed, but selective monochrome conversion is not.

Images of captive animals, animal models, pets and houseplants are excluded. Entrants must preserve the original camera files and EXIF data; photographers reaching the final stages may be asked to provide the primary RAW file, and failure to provide it can result in disqualification. The rules do not separately state a policy for AI-generated or AI-assisted images.

The new disability section is for photographs made by photographers with disabilities rather than photographs merely depicting disability. Candidates for its award must provide evidence of a disability level of at least 33%, or an equivalent certification in their country.

Copyright and Image Usage

Photographers retain their legal rights to their images. For photographs receiving a prize or distinction, the organization may make the copies required for exhibitions, projections and publications related exclusively to the activities of the competition.

These rights are not limited by time, geographical territory or medium, and the photographer must always be credited. The author nevertheless remains free to exercise the legal rights to the photograph for future uses.

The organization states that it will refuse commercial requests from third parties involving the concession, loan, exploitation or sale of submitted photographs. If a third party wishes to purchase an image or its rights, the organizer will instead put that person directly in contact with the photographer.

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