Banff Centre Mountain Photo Essay Competition

The 2025 Banff Mountain Photo Essay Competition is Open!

The goal of the competition is to showcase the best mountain-themed photo essays, recognizing extraordinary stories told through a series of images. We invite photographers to submit photos that illustrate mountain-related stories, including those focused on culture, adventure, wildlife, sport, environment, or natural history.

The jury is looking for sequences of images that are technically and aesthetically outstanding, capable of telling a story or conveying a compelling message – with each image strong enough to stand on its own while contributing to a broader narrative when viewed in the photographer’s desired sequence.

Professional-quality images will be accepted from both amateur and professional photographers.

The competition format is the photo essay. At its simplest, a photo essay is a collection or series of photographs intended to tell a story or evoke emotions in the audience.

Entry Guidelines

• Submit three (3) to five (5) images that tell a story (maximum file size: 2MB per image).
• Include a brief description of the photo essay.
• Submission Deadline: May 5, 2025.
• Prize: 3000 CAD.

CEWE Photo Award

The sixth edition of the CEWE Photo Award, the largest international photography competition in the world, brings together photography enthusiasts from all over the planet to celebrate the beauty of our Earth. Until May 31, 2025, participants can submit up to 100 photos in 10 different categories, including "Nature & Wildlife," "Landscapes," "People," and "Food & Cooking."
Participation is free, and for every photo submitted to the contest, CEWE will donate €0.10 to the SOS Children's Villages charity.
Prizes worth a total of €250,000 will be awarded to the top 1,000 winners. Additionally, for the first time, there will be the "Young Talent Award," a prize dedicated to young photography enthusiasts between the ages of 16 and 25.