Landscape
International Landscape Photographer of the Year
The Top 101 book gives this award a concrete purpose. It suits photographers who value a judged selection of landscape work and understand that the main photographer title requires several strong images, a paid entry and no expectation of commercial return.
Our assessment · Recommended for the right photographer
A serious landscape showcase with room for creative editing and a US$100 portfolio budget
Our editorial judgement: worth a place on a selective landscape photographer’s competition shortlist. A published judging method and illustrated independent coverage support its credibility. Decide first whether one exceptional photograph or a varied set is your real strength; the two titles reward different achievements. Treat the fee as discretionary spending, not a purchase of publicity or a predictable investment in your business. [5][6]
A good fit for
- Landscape photographers comfortable with expressive post-production, including composites made from their own photographs; the brief accommodates interpretation as well as faithful observation. [4]
Think carefully if
- Anyone seeking a strict documentary nature competition. Permitted editing is unusually broad in scope, so an unaltered photograph competes alongside constructed images. [4]
- Entrants who would resent buying a printed book after selection: Top 101 recognition includes a downloadable book and certificate, while physical books are prizes for the named award winners. [3]
Photo Competitions’ editorial judgement · 2026 competition · Reviewed 4 Oct 2026
What you will actually pay
Entry costs, explained.
US$25 per image; four images cost US$100. A fifth is free through 24 October.
| Entry route | Cost | Who and what it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Single photograph | US$25 | One image can qualify for the book and Photograph title; no free standalone route is advertised. [1] |
| Photographer title | US$100 minimum | At least four different images. Four paid entries unlock a fifth free through 24 October 2026. [2] |
| Final week / additional images | US$25 each | 25–31 October: the fifth-image offer has ended; no overall image limit. [2] |
The useful question is whether a fourth image strengthens your submission enough to justify the portfolio spend. A bonus fifth image should already deserve consideration; buying a larger entry simply to dilute the unit price is a weak reason to enter. [1]
There is no required book purchase stated. Prize recipients bear currency-conversion charges and any import duties or taxes on physical prizes; those costs sit outside the entry fee. [2]
Landscape as photographic art
The organiser’s definition reaches beyond mountain vistas: cityscapes, aerial views, seascapes, buildings and intimate details can qualify. This opens space for a recognisable personal approach. In our view, an unusual subject is useful only when the picture still makes a convincing landscape; technical novelty alone does not provide that connection. [4]
Each image receives five judges’ scores, reported to entrants as an average percentage. The leading 20 images undergo another assessment. Portfolio judging takes the entrant’s four highest-scoring eligible pictures, requires one in the Top 101 and selects ten portfolios for further consideration. Near-duplicates can be excluded, so diversity is practically important. [5]
Evidence of recognition
PetaPixel’s December 2025 illustrated report named J. Fritz Rumpf as Photographer of the Year and Lukas Trixl as the single-image winner, showing their photographs alongside runners-up and special awards. That is tangible coverage outside the organiser’s website. It establishes that winning work has reached a photography publication; it does not establish readership numbers, sales leads or publicity for every selected entrant. [6]
The 2026 award is its thirteenth edition. The panel includes David Burnett, Jim M. Goldstein, Kaye Davis, Tim Parkin and the previous winner, with Peter Eastway chairing. The book is the recurring exhibition space at the centre of the proposition, rather than a promised commission. [1]
Cash awards versus the total pool
The US$12,500 is the combined cash pool. The Photographer title pays US$5,000, with US$1,000 and US$500 for second and third. The Photograph title pays US$2,000, then US$1,000 and US$500. Five special awards—black and white, seascape, snow and ice, cloud, and night—pay US$500 each. Named winners also receive trophies and printed books. Top 101 selection alone brings a PDF certificate and downloadable book, not a cash prize. [3]
Eligible work and authorship
Professional and amateur photographers worldwide may enter. Original exposures must date from 1 January 2021 onwards; composites must have been created since that date, though components can be older. Entrants must own their images and permissions and may be asked for raw files. [2]
You must do the processing yourself. Your own photographed replacement sky, blending and stacking are allowed; stock skies and AI-generated subject matter are not. Minor retouching and denoising are distinguished from inventing new content. Keep the component originals as carefully as the final composite. [4]
The competition-related licence
Copyright stays with you. The organiser and partners may use entries for judging and competition promotion. Winning work can appear in books, exhibitions and future award publicity, with press sublicensing; no end date is stated for winners. Non-winning promotional use is capped at three years. Credit is promised, with a correction provision for omissions. [2]
Preparing the 2026 submission
Entry closes 31 October 2026. The pages reviewed give no precise closing hour or time zone, so submit early. Follow the official site’s Entrants Login link to its entry system. This is an open 2026 competition, not an assumed future edition. [1]
Prepare 4,000–5,000-pixel JPEGs at 300 dpi in AdobeRGB, keeping within 12 MB. Do not add a visible watermark or signature; identifying metadata can remain. Check the upload preview and preserve the full-resolution originals. Our practical advice is to inspect edge artefacts, blended transitions and fine detail at full size before paying. [4]
Details still worth checking.
The deadline’s exact hour and time zone are not stated in the reviewed pages. Do not plan a last-minute upload around an assumed local midnight. [1]
The evidence behind this review
Sources & last checked.
Fees, rules and prize details come from the organiser. Independent reporting supports our assessment of reputation; it does not guarantee publicity or a return on your entry fee.
- 2026 International Landscape Photography AwardsOrganiser source · Checked 4 Oct 2026
- 2026 competition rules and licenceOrganiser source · Checked 4 Oct 2026
- 2026 award cash and book prizesOrganiser source · Checked 4 Oct 2026
- Entry file and image-processing FAQOrganiser source · Checked 4 Oct 2026
- The published scoring and judging processOrganiser source · Checked 4 Oct 2026
- PetaPixel coverage of the 2025 winning photographsIndependent reporting · Checked 4 Oct 2026
Dates, fees and terms can change. Read the current rules on the official competition website before entering.