International Photography Competition · 2026
A studio nude photography competition tracing the human form through the changing light of a single day: dawn, midday, dusk, and night. Camera-made work only; AI-generated images are not accepted.
Founded in Los Angeles in 1987, Jan Kesner Gallery has long supported contemporary and conceptual photography. The 2026 competition turns inward to the studio, inviting artists to study how the quality of light at each hour of the day (its softness, angle, warmth, and shadow) reshapes the nude form.
A studio-only series exploring how light transforms the nude form across a single day. Let each hour guide your work.
Soft, low, awakening light. The body emerges from shadow into the first warmth of morning.
Hard, direct light: clarity, sharp shadow, and the unflinching honesty of the form.
Warm, fading light: transition, stillness, and the long shadows of the day's end.
A single source in darkness: intimacy, mystery, and the body rendered in pure contrast.
A total prize pool of $175,000, plus a gallery exhibition and catalogue publication for every winning entry.
Key dates for the 2026 cycle, from open call to exhibition.
Begin uploading your entries through our secure submission portal.
All entries must be received by 11:59 PM PST.
Our expert panel reviews all qualifying submissions.
Winners notified via email and announced on our website.
Grand opening at Jan Kesner Gallery, Los Angeles.
Open to all photographers aged 18+, both professional and amateur, from anywhere in the world.
Works must be previously unpublished and have not won awards in other competitions.
Up to 5 studio nude photographs per entrant, at $25 per image. Online submissions only.
No AI-generated images, no pornographic content. Camera-made artistic nude photography only.
Submission guidelines for files, formats, and authorship verification.
Lastname_Firstname_Title.jpgThe panel comprises recognized professionals across contemporary photography, curation, and studio lighting craft.
Senior Curator, Whitney Museum
Focus on body politics and conceptual image-making. Author of "The Vulnerable Frame" (2019).
Studio Lighting Director
Cinematographer and educator specializing in natural and continuous light for the figure.
Fine-Art Photographer
Hasselblad Award winner (2018). Featured in Venice Biennale (2017, 2021).
Gallery Director
Jan Kesner Gallery. Former curator at LACMA with 15 years experience.
How the jury reads each submission.
Originality, conceptual strength, aesthetics.
Engagement with light and the hours of the day.
Composition, lighting, execution.
Consent, dignity, and camera-made authorship.
Artistic nudes emphasize concept, form, and respect; pornography focuses on explicit sexual acts. Our jury evaluates works based on artistic merit and thematic relevance.
No. Every entry must be a camera-made studio photograph created by the entrant. AI-generated or AI-augmented images are disqualified, and we may request original RAW files to verify authorship.
Yes. The entrant must secure permissions from collaborators and models, and all necessary model releases must be provided.
Standard retouching is fine. Generative fill, synthetic elements, and any AI-based content are not permitted and will disqualify the work.
Yes. Count each image within the 5-work limit; note the series title in the description.