Summary
- The 10th CYKLOPS photography competition is themed “Moment” and offers €6,000 across three prizes.
- Entry is free for photographers aged 18 and over.
- Each entrant may submit up to three new photographs taken after 19 September 2026.
- Entries close on 31 July 2027.
Event Details
A perfectly timed photograph could earn its maker up to €3,000: the Drama-based nonprofit CYKLOPS has opened its 10th photography competition, themed “Moment”, with €6,000 in total cash prizes.
The free competition welcomes amateur and professional photographers from Greece and abroad. It looks for images in which a gesture, glance, encounter or fleeting change in light creates a moment with meaning.
Who can enter and which photographs qualify
Entrants must be at least 18 years old and may submit up to three original photographs each. Crucially, the images must have been taken after 19 September 2026, the competition announcement date specified in the rules. Older images are not eligible, however closely they fit the theme.
Until the results are announced, entered photographs must not have appeared in print or online media or been submitted to another photography competition. Board and committee members of CYKLOPS and the first-degree relatives identified in the rules are ineligible.
File requirements and editing limits
Colour and black-and-white entries are accepted in JPG format, at least 3,000 pixels along the longest side. Modest brightness and contrast adjustments, black-and-white conversion, cropping and edits comparable to traditional darkroom work are allowed.
Composites, merged photographs, added or removed objects, local adjustments, selective desaturation, digital borders and watermarks are prohibited. The image should stand on the moment actually captured, rather than a scene reconstructed afterwards.
How to enter by 31 July 2027
Send entries by Saturday, 31 July 2027 to [email protected]. Photographs should be grouped in a folder bearing the photographer’s full name, while image filenames must use the photographer’s name in correctly accented Greek characters, as specified by the organiser.
A Word document must accompany the files, stating the entrant’s full name and father’s name, telephone number, postal address and email. A title or caption is optional. The organising committee sends confirmation of receipt and valid entry; this is separate from an automatic notification issued by any file-transfer service.
The full rules and the parental consent form are available on the official competition page.
Prizes and judging
- First prize: €3,000
- Second prize: €2,000
- Third prize: €1,000
A three-member jury assesses relevance to the theme, composition, originality, use of colour and artistic merit. Submissions are presented anonymously to the judges under reference numbers. Each photographer can receive only one prize, even if several of their images score highly.
Winners will be notified by email by 31 August 2027, with the awards ceremony planned for September 2027. The competition continues CYKLOPS’s photography programme in Drama, where the 2025 awards ceremony also marked the opening of a museum of photographic cameras.
Copyright, publication and consent
Photographers retain authorship and copyright but, by entering, grant CYKLOPS permission to use their photographs for publication, exhibition and printing, excluding commercial exploitation and with creator attribution. The rules also provide for all entries to be displayed digitally on the organiser’s website and for photographs to be exhibited publicly more than once.
Recognisable people must have consented to being photographed for this use. Where a minor is pictured, written parental or guardian consent is required under the rules. The organiser may also request an original image file from a winner if authorship or rights are challenged.
What we think
“Moment” is an appealing brief because it does not automatically favour the most spectacular landscape or the most expensive kit. A street scene or wildlife encounter can work just as well when the photographer recognises the instant that gives the picture its character. Observation, timing and patience matter.
If you want to enter, start making fresh images specifically for this competition. Do not rely on an older favourite: the capture-date rule is explicit. And think twice before sharing your potential entry on social media, since the rules prohibit prior publication until the results are announced.
We would also read the usage and consent provisions closely, especially when photographing people or children. The publication permission given to the organiser is broad, even though commercial exploitation is excluded; it is worth knowing where your work may appear.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit a photograph taken before September 2026?
No. Submitted photographs must have been taken after 19 September 2026.
Can I post my photograph to Instagram before the results?
No. The rules prohibit prior publication in print or online media until the results are announced.
Is there an entry fee?
No. Entry is free for eligible photographers aged 18 or over.
