Allora Gallery invites photographers from around the world to submit work for our international photography competition, "Black & White."

Colour draws the eye, but black and white photography reveals something deeper — the underlying structure of the world, stripped of distraction. Without colour, light becomes the subject itself: the way it falls across a face, sculpts a landscape, or catches the edge of an object in motion. Shadows gain weight. Textures become tactile. Contrast tells stories that colour sometimes obscures. Black and white photography is not an absence — it is a different kind of seeing.

We seek photographs that use the full range of tone and light to reveal what colour might conceal. How does removing colour change the mood of a portrait? What does a landscape become when reduced to light and shadow? Can the absence of colour make an image feel more immediate, more timeless, more true? We're looking for images where the choice to shoot in black and white is not a stylistic habit but a considered decision — one that makes the photograph stronger.

We welcome portraits that use tone and shadow to reveal character, landscapes transformed by the absence of colour, street photography where contrast defines the moment, architectural images that emphasise form and geometry, abstract work exploring light, texture, and pattern, long exposures that turn movement into atmosphere, and any photograph where black and white is not simply a filter but the foundation of the image.

What does the world look like when you remove colour from the equation? How does working in black and white change what you notice, what you photograph, and how you see? We're looking for images that demonstrate the power and discipline of monochrome — photographs that prove some visions are strongest when rendered in light and shadow alone.

🏆 Competition Awards:
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Grand Prize Winner:
- Solo exhibition at Allora Gallery (scheduled for October 2026)
- Email promotion to our mailing list
- Social media promotion across Allora Gallery platforms
- Digital certificate of achievement

Honorable Mentions (4 winners):
- Free participation in a future Allora Gallery exhibition OR free entry to a future Allora Gallery competition (within 12 months)
- Email promotion to our mailing list
- Social media promotion across Allora Gallery platforms
- Digital certificate recognising Honorable Mention

All Selected Finalists (up to 30 photographers):
- Featured in the group exhibition "Black & White"
- Social media promotion across Allora Gallery platforms
- Digital certificates of participation

📌Details:

Entry fees:
- £7 — up to 2 photographs
- £12 — up to 4 photographs
- £16 — up to 6 photographs
‍
- Participation fee for selected finalists: Free
- Deadline to submit: 27 July 2026
- Exhibition dates: 17 August – 17 September 2026
- Juried by: Oksana Bochina, founder of Allora Gallery

Step 1: Pay the entry fee for your chosen number of photographs via PayPal

‍Step 2: Send your submission to info@alloragallery.com

Include:
- Up to 6 images (JPEG, 2000px wide, 4 MB or less each)
- Your name
- Country
- Website and/or Instagram
- Short bio (max 100 words)
- Artist statement (max 100 words)
- PayPal payment confirmation or transaction ID
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Subject line: Black & White Submission – [Your Name]
File naming: Name Surname - Title (e.g., John Smith - Morning Light)

We are open to submissions from photographers of all levels and backgrounds