Overview
The "Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture" is a biennial programme. It aims to honour the person and the work of this outstanding photographer, who bridged the gap between analogue and digital photography and whose work is recognised both nationally and internationally.
Luis Ferreira Alves' photographic work demonstrates a remarkable ability to create a unique perspective, both "objective" and "subjective", on the work of various renowned Portuguese architects, including Álvaro Siza Vieira and Eduardo Souto de Moura. His images convey an intimate understanding of these architects—both Pritzker Prize winners—and the architectural spaces they designed. While it is true that Luis Ferreira Alves offers us visually striking documents of architectural spaces and forms, his perspective, shaped by centuries of visual culture since the Renaissance, goes beyond mere representation. His work reveals a deep understanding and appreciation of architecture due to his close relationship with the practice and discipline itself.
Participants stand to gain significant recognition, with awards of €10,000, €4,000, and a €1,500 photography equipment voucher for the top three projects, respectively. Winners also receive copies of “Luis Ferreira Alves in the Works of Eduardo Souto de Moura” and have their work featured in an exhibition and published in an exclusive catalogue. Select works will be preserved in the “Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Award” collection, adding to a growing archive that celebrates architectural photography.
The Prize is based on the "Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture," which, through a protocol, includes the heirs of Luis Ferreira Alves and the promoters of the competition, namely Porto City Council (CMP), Casa da Arquitectura (CA) and Cityscopio-Associação Cultural (CCA). The competition integrates other significant institutional partners and sponsors, such as the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRN), the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP), the Marques da Silva Foundation Institute (FIMS) and the Order of Architects (OA); groups of great relevance, such as the CIN brand in the coatings market and widely recognised internationally and one of the largest companies in Europe and the world in the sector. Other notable partners include BPI, a financial institution focused on banking services in Portugal and controlled by CaixaBank Group, an economic leader in Spain, and Canon, one of the largest camera manufacturers in the world. We also have the Metro do Porto support in communicating and publicising the Competition - a light rail network essential to the city's public transport system.
Timeline
Start of submission entries
Deadline for submission entries
Shortlist announcement
Announcement of the 2025 winners
Awards ceremony for 2025
Exhibition of the 2025 winning projects,
and presentation of a catalogue with the selected works
Quick Info
Open to all individuals worldwide, including university students, researchers, and professionals in architecture, photography, and related fields.
Entries may be submitted individually or as a group (groups must register as a single competing unit).
Each participant or group may submit only one project.
Entries must be original and must not have previously won awards in other competitions.
Photographic Series: Submit a series of 5 to 7 images that cohesively present a work or series of architectural works.
Descriptive Text: Include an explanatory text (up to 2,000 characters) that conveys the conceptual and visual intentions behind the work alongside the series.
File Format: Images must be submitted digitally in JPEG format for the initial entry phase.
Resolution: High-quality images (minimum 300 dpi) suitable for printing, should your work be shortlisted.
Watermarks: Images must not contain any digital watermarks, signatures, or logos.
All projects must be submitted via the competition platform: https://site.picter.com/luis-ferreira-alves-photoaward-2025.
Deadline: April 25th (11:59 p.m. Portugal Time - Greenwich Mean Time) of the respective competition year.
Profile Details: First and last name, date of birth, gender, nationality, postal address, telephone number, email, and a biography (up to 1,500 characters).
Project Details: Project title, year of creation, place of creation, and the descriptive text (up to 2,000 characters).
Image Details: Title, year of creation, and place of creation for each photograph.
High-Resolution Files: Finalists will be required to provide high-resolution TIFF files and colour proofs for printing and exhibition.
Quality Assurance: Winning images will be printed and included in an exhibition and published in the competition catalogue; as such, they must meet professional standards for display quality.
Only entries complying with all submission guidelines will be considered.
The competition reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not meet these criteria.
Winners may have their works archived in the “Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Award” collection, with rights reserved for promotional use by the competition’s organizing entities.
Quality and poetic content of the narrative Technical quality of the photographs
Artistic and visual quality of the photographs Originality
The series’ ability to present the architectural work in a distinctive way, using a visual narrative that explores the concepts behind the work and the architect, where the images relate to each other either through sequence or cumulative effect.
1st Prize – €10.000, sponsored by CIN.
2nd Prize – €4.000, sponsored by BPI.
3rd Prize – voucher for photographic equipment worth €1.500, sponsored by Canon.
All prize winners will receive the book “Luis Ferreira Alves in the Works of Eduardo Souto de Moura”.
All prize winners will receive a certificate.
The winners will be entitled to 3 (three) copies of the exhibition catalogue.
Registration and submission of content for the competition will be carried out through the https://site.picter.com/luis-ferreira-alves-photoaward-2025
For other contacts and information, please use the following addresses:
Email: info@luisferreiraalvesphotoaward.com
Website: luisferreiraalvesphotoward.com
Instagram: @lfaphotoaward
Postal address CTT: PO BOX 001601, 4108-007 Porto, Portugal