If your camera roll is full of sun lotion shine, tourist rituals, and little summer absurdities, SUNBURNED STORIES: A Summer Tale in Pictures is built for that exact kind of storytelling. This open call selects nine photographs for a group exhibition in Belgrade, Serbia, presented inside the Radisson Collection Old Mill Hotel as part of the Бартcелона pop up program. The deadline is 26 March 2026, with selected artists contacted on 1 April 2026.
The project takes its cue from the spirit of Martin Parr’s “Life’s a Beach”, with a clear focus on vivid everyday moments and the strange theatre of summer leisure. Submissions are digital, with up to four images per photographer, and entries are emailed directly to the organizer. Participation is listed as free, which will matter to photographers browsing free photo competitions, although a production fee applies only if an image is selected for the exhibition.
For Deartline readers who keep track of popular photo competitions, this call stands out for its exhibition outcome and its very specific brief, summer as a loud, colourful stage. It will particularly appeal to photographers already exploring travel photography contests, where place, behaviour, and atmosphere matter as much as the “scene” itself.
Prizes
This SUNBURNED STORIES: A Summer Tale in Pictures open call is structured around exhibition selection. The main reward is public presentation, plus practical production support for the final show.
Selected work (9 photographs).
Nine photographs will be chosen for a group exhibition at Radisson Collection Old Mill Hotel in Belgrade (room 147), shown as part of Бартcелона pop up 147 and within the Belgrade Photo Month Book Week program.
Visibility and follow-on opportunities.
After the exhibition, prints are kept in the Бартcелона archive for a possible future group exhibition at no additional cost. If a collector shows interest in a work, the organizer states it will connect the collector and the artist and handle delivery logistics, while payment and negotiation remain strictly between artist and buyer, with no commission taken from sales.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
This open call does not list separate categories. Instead, SUNBURNED STORIES: A Summer Tale in Pictures revolves around a single creative direction, summer life as a visual “stage”.
Dates and Entry Fees
Here are the key dates and costs as provided by the SUNBURNED STORIES: A Summer Tale in Pictures.
- Submission deadline: 26 March 2026, 23.50 local time.
- Selection notification: 1 April 2026.
- Exhibition dates: 26 April to 31 May 2026.
- Exhibition location: Radisson Collection Old Mill Hotel, Belgrade (room 147), within the Бартcелона pop up 147 program.
Entry fee: Free to submit.
Fee if selected: €40 printing-cost fee applies only to the nine photographs selected for the exhibition.
How to Enter
Submissions are accepted digitally by email. Each photographer may submit up to four photographs, prepared as high-resolution JPG files suitable for fast printing if selected. File naming follows this format: lastname-firstname1.jpg, lastname-firstname2.jpg, and so on.
The email should include the photographer’s name and surname, birth date, nationality, phone number, email address, and relevant social links (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, website, etc.), plus a short statement about the photographs.
Why Enter SUNBURNED STORIES: A Summer Tale in Pictures?
SUNBURNED STORIES: A Summer Tale in Pictures offers a clear, exhibition-first outcome, with nine selected images installed in a defined space and timeframe, and with framing handled by the organizers. For photographers building a track record of exhibitions, the structure is straightforward: submit up to four images, and if selected, the work appears in a curated group show in Belgrade’s hotel-room setting, tied to a broader photo-month book-week program.
The theme is also unusually specific in a helpful way. Instead of a vague “open theme”, the call asks for the behaviours and visual noise of summer leisure, which can suit photographers whose work sits between observation and storytelling. That makes it a relevant option for those comparing other similar photo challenges online, especially if their portfolio already leans toward street photography or travel-focused documentary scenes. And for anyone scanning free photography contests, the no-cost submission stage may make it easier to apply early and decide later if selection and production fees fit their plans.
Finally, the prize here is a show, a physical installation, and a pathway for interested collectors to reach artists directly, with the organizer stating it does not take commission on sales. Photographers who prefer clarity on how work is displayed and how inquiries are handled can weigh those practical details alongside the brief.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the SUNBURNED STORIES: A Summer Tale in Pictures 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
Eligibility is limited to photographers aged 18 and over. Each participant may submit a maximum of four photographs, and submissions must be digital, high-resolution JPG files. If selected, the organizer notes it may request film photography to ensure compliance with the rules. The organizer states that the nine selected photographs pay a €40 printing-cost fee, while framing is provided free of charge. Prints used for the exhibition are kept in the organizer’s archive after the show for potential future exhibition opportunities, and high-resolution files and prints are stated to be destroyed two years after the end of the exhibition.
Copyright and Image Usage
The organizer states that artists retain copyright and remain the owners of the works. Any use of images by the organizer should include photographer credit. The organizer describes usage rights that include promoting the exhibition, display on its website, and inclusion in an exhibition catalog. It also states it may use submitted entries for marketing and promotional purposes across media without monetary compensation, while also stating it will not commercially exploit the exhibited works and will not profit commercially from them.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
