reFocus Awards: Color Photography Contest 2025

The reFocus Awards: Color Photography Contest 2025 is now open for entries, and it’s capturing the attention of photographers from around the globe. With over $4,000 in cash prizes and a platform that celebrates vibrant, expressive color imagery, this is one of the standout contests of the year. The deadline to submit entries is June 3, 2025.

Submissions are accepted in both single-image and series formats, across an expansive range of genres including architecture, portrait, abstract, and nature. Winners not only receive monetary awards but also gain valuable exposure through the reFocus Artist Directory, a dedicated Winner’s Gallery, and customized promotional tools. This makes it a strong contender among photography contests to enter in 2025.

Whether you’re an established professional or an emerging talent, the reFocus Awards: Color Photography Contest 2025 offers a chance to gain international recognition, backed by an expert jury and a clear focus on visual storytelling through color. It’s a solid opportunity to elevate your career and be part of a global showcase of photographic excellence.

The reFocus Awards: Color Photography Contest 2025 Prizes

The contest offers over $4,000 in cash prizes, divided into professional and non-professional categories:

• Professional Category:
  • 1st Place: $1,500
  • 2nd Place: $750
  • 3rd Place: $250
• Non-Professional Category:
  • 1st Place: $900
  • 2nd Place: $400
  • 3rd Place: $200

In addition to cash awards, winners will receive a custom-designed trophy, be featured in an artist interview, and included in the reFocus Artist Directory and online Winner’s Gallery—valuable exposure tools for building a career in photography.

The Categories of the reFocus Awards: Color Photography Contest 2025

This competition includes a wide selection of categories tailored to various photographic styles. Participants can submit work in :

• Abstract
• Aerial
• Architecture
• Conceptual
• Domestic Animals
• Event
• Fashion & Beauty
• Film/Analog
• Fine Art
• Landscapes
• Minimalism
• Nature
• People
• Photojournalism
• Portrait
• Still Life
• Street
• Travel
• Underwater
• Wildlife

There is no thematic restriction other than a focus on color photography, making it suitable for anyone working across different genres, from creative portraits to expressive street photography or conceptual color compositions.

reFocus Awards: Color Photography Contest 2025 Dates and Entry Fees

Submission Deadline: June 3, 2025

Entry Fees:

• Single Image — $25 (Non-Professional), $30 (Professional)
• Series — $40 (Non-Professional), $50 (Professional)

How to Enter:

To participate, photographers must register on the reFocus Awards website, complete a short artist profile, upload their image(s), select the category, and finalize payment. Submissions are only accepted through the contest’s official online platform.

About the Jury

The listed jurors on the reFocus Awards website include:

• Irene Opezzo (Robb Report)
• Carol Olona (BBC World Service)
• Gary Hershorn (ABC News, also a PetaPixel contributor)
• Karin Mueller (Conde Nast Publications Ltd / Conde Nast Traveller magazine UK)
• Daniel Melamud (Rizzoli)
• David Y. Lee (National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.)

This esteemed panel brings a wealth of experience from diverse areas of the visual arts, ensuring a comprehensive and discerning evaluation process for the submitted color photographs.

Why Enter reFocus Awards: Color Photography Contest 2025?

There are several objective reasons to consider entering this contest. First, the reFocus Awards offers a meaningful platform with international reach. Winners receive not just cash, but long-term visibility through professional artist pages and press coverage. Second, the contest is focused specifically on color, offering a niche that highlights chromatic storytelling. Finally, its inclusive categories and dual-tiered professional structure make it accessible for photographers at all stages of their careers. It’s an excellent choice to explore among the best photography contest listings this year.

Rules and Copyright

This section about the rules and image rights of the reFocus Awards: Color Photography 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

Participants must be 18 years or older. Only original photographic work is accepted; AI-generated imagery is not allowed. Each image must fit within one of the available categories and comply with submission guidelines regarding size, format, and captioning.

Copyright and Image Usage

Photographers retain full copyright ownership of all submitted images. However, by entering the contest, they grant the organizers a non-exclusive license to display the images for promotional purposes related to the reFocus Awards, always with proper credit to the author.

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