If water has ever pulled you in as a subject, calm one day and unstoppable the next, Water: Element of Change by PhotoPlace Gallery is built for that kind of image. This juried exhibition is looking for photographs that treat water as more than scenery, whether it appears as ocean, river, rain, ice, fog, reflections, or a more interpretive and abstract presence. The deadline is March 9, 2026, and the show includes both an in-gallery exhibition in Middlebury, Vermont and an Online Gallery selection.
Up to 75 images are expected to be chosen overall, with up to 35 shown in the Middlebury gallery exhibition and another 40 featured in the Online Gallery. Chosen photographs are reproduced in a printed exhibition catalog and stay permanently on the gallery’s website, with social promotion that can link to the photographer’s own URL. If you’re browsing Deartline’s photo contests, this is one of the clearer calls to place: a single theme, a defined exhibition run, and outcomes that include cash awards and publication.
Entries cost $39 for five images, plus $6 per additional image, and submissions are handled through PhotoPlace Gallery’s online portal. Because the call explicitly welcomes approaches that range from representational to experimental, it can fit creators working in many directions, including landscape photography and more interpretive work that leans conceptual.
Contents
Prizes
Water: Element of Change by PhotoPlace Gallery combines direct cash awards with exhibition and long-term visibility benefits tied to selection and publication.
- Juror’s Award. $300.
- Director’s Award. $200.
- Honorable Mentions. Three awards of $50 each.
Beyond the cash awards, selected photographers receive inclusion in the Middlebury gallery exhibition or the Online Gallery, reproduction in a printed exhibition catalog, permanent display on the gallery’s website, and social media promotion that can link to the photographer’s URL.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
This exhibition doesn’t split entries into formal categories. It’s one theme, water, explored in any form: oceans, rivers, rain, ice, snow, fog, reflections, and more abstract interpretations. The brief leaves room for quiet images as well as dynamic work, as long as water is the thread that holds it together.
Dates and Entry Fees
This contest follows a clear schedule from submission through exhibition, with a separate print deadline for the in-gallery portion.
| Key date | When |
|---|---|
| Submission deadline | March 9, 2026 |
| Prints due (for physical exhibition selections) | April 17, 2026 |
| Exhibition dates (Middlebury, Vermont) | May 1 to May 30, 2026 |
Entry fees.
- $39 for up to 5 images.
- $6 for each additional image.
There is no stated limit on the total number of images that can be submitted.
How to Enter:
Submit digitally through the PhotoPlace Gallery entry portal linked on the contest page. First-time entrants create an account; returning entrants log in with their email. Upload JPG/JPEG files that match the gallery’s specifications, add titles as requested for cataloging and display, and complete payment for the number of images submitted. Additional images can be added before the deadline, but submitted images cannot be deleted, replaced, or swapped out after submission.
About the Jury
The juror for this exhibition is Lee Anne White. Her background combines fine art and documentary photography, with experience teaching workshops and exhibiting internationally. She has also worked extensively in publishing and editorial contexts, including a period as editor-in-chief of Fine Gardening magazine, and she has authored and photographed books related to landscape architecture and garden design. For Water: Element of Change, she will select up to 35 images for the physical gallery exhibition and another 40 for the Online Gallery.
Why Enter Water: Element of Change by PhotoPlace Gallery?
Water: Element of Change by PhotoPlace Gallery offers a straightforward theme with room for very different photographic voices, from literal studies of weather and shoreline to interpretive work built from reflection, texture, or abstraction. The structure of the opportunity is also clear. A physical exhibition runs in Middlebury, Vermont, while an Online Gallery selection expands the number of images that can be shown. Selection comes with tangible outcomes, including a printed catalog and permanent online display on the gallery’s website, plus social media promotion that can connect viewers to a photographer’s own URL.
For photographers comparing opportunities across the best photography competitions to enter, this call is especially relevant if the goal is a mix of juried selection, an exhibition context, and publication, alongside clearly defined cash awards.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the Water: Element of Change by PhotoPlace Gallery 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
Entries must be the photographer’s own work. Images shouldn’t be primarily AI-generated, though standard editing is allowed. The gallery indicates that its jurying is blind, meaning jurors do not see entrant names during selection.
Submitted images cannot be deleted or replaced after submission. You may add more images to a submission before the deadline. Images accepted to prior PhotoPlace exhibitions may not be resubmitted for three years from that earlier exhibition’s opening date.
File requirements include JPG/JPEG format, up to 5MB per file, and approximately 2100 pixels on the longest side. sRGB is recommended, and the gallery advises against watermarks or signatures. If submitting diptychs or triptychs, they should be assembled into a single image before upload.
Copyright and Image Usage
Photographers retain all rights to their images. If selected, the entrant grants PhotoPlace Gallery permission to display the work on its website and social media, include it in the exhibition catalog, and use it to promote future exhibits with credit. The gallery also indicates it will not use images for other purposes without permission and will not share personal account information.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
