RPS International Photography Exhibition 168
RPS International Photography Exhibition 168 is now open for entries!
Competition Details
Brief Overview
The RPS International Photography Exhibition 168 invites photographers and image-makers worldwide to explore contemporary photography through an open call welcoming every subject, genre and approach, from traditional techniques to experimental image-making.
Competition Details
The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) is inviting entries for the International Photography Exhibition 168, continuing an exhibition history that began in 1854.
The open call welcomes all subjects and photographic approaches, with no set theme or predefined categories, embracing traditional processes, alternative techniques and experimental work.
Emerging and established image-makers can present individual photographs or a coherent series, offering different ways to express a personal vision of contemporary photography.
Selection is anonymous and takes place in two stages: an initial assessment of digital submissions followed by a final selection from prints supplied by shortlisted photographers.
New entries close on 15 December 2026 at 23:59 GMT, while existing submissions can be edited and finalised until 16 December 2026 at 23:59 GMT.
Submission requirements
Entries must be uploaded through the official online submission platform: participants may submit one single image free of charge, or choose a paid entry containing four individual photographs or a series of four images.
Images must be JPEG files in sRGB colour space, no larger than 10 MB each, with a title and any relevant caption or series statement. To preserve anonymous selection, names must not appear in image titles, descriptions, statements or watermarks.
There is no restriction on when photographs were taken, and collaborative projects are accepted. Work incorporating generative AI, in whole or in part, is not eligible, and images previously selected and exhibited in RPS exhibitions cannot be entered.
Shortlisted entrants will be asked to provide unframed prints for the final selection and should have access to high-resolution files suitable for printing.
Eligibility
Open worldwide to photographers and image-makers of all ages and levels, including students, amateurs and professionals; RPS membership is not required.
Benefits
The IPE Award and the Under 30s Award each offer £1,000 and one year of free RPS membership to support the recipients’ photographic practice.
Around 100 photographs will be selected for a touring exhibition at RPS partner venues, with mounting and framing arranged by the RPS at no additional cost to exhibitors. A selected photographer will also receive a two-week solo exhibition, with RPS support to develop and deliver the presentation.
Further opportunities include four RPS Journal features and five Selectors’ Spotlights, accompanied by statements explaining why the work stood out. Selected photographers receive a digital copy of the IPE Journal edition, while shortlisted photographers benefit from visibility through RPS online channels, with Instagram takeovers available to a selection of photographers.
Entry fees
One single image is free for everyone; each additional four-image entry costs £35, reduced to £27 for RPS members or £20 for entrants under 30.
