This Is Why I Changed the Alex Street Photography Awards
Important communication
Something became very clear to me during the last edition.
Not because of what happened.
But because of what didn’t happen.
And that matters more.
Over the years, I’ve seen thousands of street photographs.
Workshops, editing sessions, submissions, portfolios.
You start recognizing patterns. Not just in images, but in the way people approach photography.
And lately, something feels off.
There is more photography than ever.
More cameras, more access, more visibility.
But not necessarily more clarity.
Not necessarily more intention.
At some point, I realized that continuing with the same structure didn’t make sense anymore.
Not because the project failed.
But because it risked becoming just another contest.
And that was never the idea.
So I made a decision.
Not to stop.
But to change its nature.
The Alex Street Photography Award is no longer an award.
There will be no winners.
No rankings.
No first, second, or third place.
From now on, this project is a selection.
What does that mean, exactly?
It means that instead of choosing “the best” in a competitive sense, I will select a small number of photographs that I believe truly stand.
No comparison.
No podium.
Each selected image exists on its own.
The process is simple:
Each photographer can submit one image only.
Not a series.
Not multiple attempts.
Just one photograph that represents your work at its strongest.
All submissions will be reviewed personally.
From those, I will make a final selection.
That selection will be published in a dedicated format.
That’s it.
If your image is not selected, it simply didn’t make it.
No feedback.
No justification.
Why this change?
Because I’m not interested in seeing more images.
I’m interested in seeing images that hold.
And that requires a different approach.
From me, and from you.
This is not a reaction.
It’s a direction.
Submissions are now open again under this new format.
We’ll see who shows up.
Alex Coghe, 2026
You can already read the new rules and submit your photo here:
