SINGLE IMAGE – INTERNATIONAL

Deadline: October 4, 2026

Submission fee: €19 per image

Part of the Rotterdam Photo 2027 Open Call programme. Photographers may apply to multiple categories. Each submission is reviewed separately by the selection committee.

Submit your application

Theme 2027: VIBRANCE – The Pulse of a Living World

Vibrance is an exploration of energy in its many forms – from the intimate to the collective, from physical presence to digital intensity.

In a time where narratives are often shaped by crisis and fragmentation, this theme turns toward what continues to move, connect, and generate meaning. Vibrance is not only movement, but tension, rhythm, resistance, and transformation. It exists in bodies coming together, in cities in flux, in cultural expression, and in the invisible forces that shape everyday life.

We invite photographers to interpret Vibrance freely – as a social condition, emotional state, visual rhythm, or conceptual framework.

Exhibition Format

Selected works are transformed into large-scale public installations across Rotterdam Photo’s festival site.
Each image becomes a physical presence in the city, integrated into the container landscape of the festival.

-PVC print
-2.5 × 2.5 metres
-Installed on exterior container structures
-Full production covered by the festival
-Displayed in public space throughout the festival period

What selected photographers receive

Selected photographers gain visibility in one of Europe’s most accessible large-scale photography festivals.

-Submission review by professionals from the photography field
-Large-scale outdoor exhibition in Rotterdam
-Featuring across festival/partner social networks and websites (LensCulture, Dodho magazine, All About Photo)
-Opportunity to participate in the Rotterdam Photo Talks and RP networking events
-Publication and Inclusion in the Festival program
-International press exposure
-Be part of the event with 10.000 + visitors in the centre of Rotterdam

Photo by Pip Maarschalk

Photo by Pip Maarschalk

Photo by Bobbie van Leeuwen

Photo by Pip Maarschalk

Photo by Madelon van Vredendaal

Photo by Pip Maarschalk

Who can submit

Open to photographers and image-makers worldwide working across photography and visual media. The contest is open to professional and amateur International photographers. Entrants must be at least 16 years of age as of the date of entry.

Selection

Images are evaluated by a professional selection committee based on:

-Visual strength
-Conceptual clarity
-Emotional and spatial impact
-Relevance to the theme

Meet the Selection Committee 

Deadline: October 4, 2026