Why I launched my street photography award
I explain you why i decided to launch my street photography awards.
Certainly such a thing can expose me to criticism and the arrival of haters, but i don’t care of that. There is a main reason why I decided after the first contest on this new shop to launch my own awards: I'm sick of seeing embarrassing award-winning photographs at contests that proudly bear the definition of street photography.
I believe that street photography must be re-evaluated and to do so we must start to change things by rewarding good street photography and talented street photographers. Stop seeing cucumbers skewered by a fork or laser sight roosters! Enough of seeing so much staged street photography!
I am a street photography educator and popularizer. I will be the only judge, incorruptible and only interested in showing the correct idea of street photography. The award will be held annually but keep in mind that the first edition has a very close deadline (Jan. 30th).
The first edition has a main prize that is a small 35mm plastic point & shoot camera but I am looking for sponsors interested to give away their products and making bigger this award. But going beyond the prizes will be the pride of finally winning a fair and independent contest, where friends or partisan interests will not be rewarded and only the photos that really deserve will be rewarded for trying to change the mentality and define a new seriousness in favor of the street photography movement only.
About the fee: if you think the cost of 5 US$ is high, maybe is not the award for you. We are certainly not a festival or an established institution, but we need to making sure that only street photographers who are aware of their work participate. We want to elect the best street photographers in the world.
Now you can already join the awards:
ALEX STREET PHOTOGRAPHY - SELECTION 2026
This is not an award.
There is no jury.
There is no voting process.
There is no compromise.
This is a personal selection.
Every image will be seen and judged by me alone. I take full responsibility for every choice. No filters, no committees, no safe decisions. Just my eye, my experience, and my understanding of street photography after more than 15 years working in the field as a photographer, editor, and educator.
Most submissions will fail.
That’s the point.
WHAT THIS IS
This is not about celebrating participation.
This is about identifying photographs that hold weight.
Not just well-composed images.
Not just “good moments”.
I am looking for photographs that stay.
Images with tension, ambiguity, presence.
If your work relies on aesthetics alone, it will not pass.
SUBMISSION
ONE IMAGE ONLY
No series.
No multiple entries.
No second chances.
If you don’t know which is your strongest photograph, you’re not ready.
ENTRY FEE
5 USD
Not to make money.
To create a filter.
Submitting should cost you something, even if minimal.
Because choosing one image should matter.
HOW TO ENTER
Use the form below.
Images must be:
1920 px wide, 72 dpi
SELECTION PROCESS
No shortlist.
No public voting.
No explanations.
A final selection will be made.
If your image is not selected, it simply didn’t make it.
WHAT YOU GET
Selected photographers will be proposed to get a feature in a dedicated monography.
No mass exposure.
No empty visibility.
Only context. Only meaning.
DEADLINE
Submissions will close without notice.
RIGHTS
You retain full rights to your images.
No copyright is transferred.
Your work remains yours.
