FAQ
The “Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture” is a biennial event aimed at honoring Luis Ferreira Alves’ legacy. It invites photographers from around the world to capture unique perspectives on architecture, reflecting the profound relationship that Ferreira Alves maintained with the architectural works he documented.
The competition is open to all individuals and groups globally, without any restrictions on experience level. Participants can compete as individuals or as a collective unit but must enter only one project per participant or team.
The competition follows a biennial cycle:
1st Edition:
- Announcement and opening: January 2025
- Submission deadline: 25 April 2025
- Shortlist announcement: May 2025
- Winners announcement: June 2025
- Award ceremony and exhibition: September 2025
Subsequent cycles will follow similar timelines, with details available on the official website.
Participants must submit their projects through the online platform Picter until the designated deadline (25 April 2025). Detailed instructions are provided on the platform, including profile and project information requirements.
Each submission must be a series of 5 to 7 photographs, along with a descriptive text of up to 2.000 characters that communicates the essence and concept of the architectural work depicted. All images must be in digital format without digital signatures or watermarks.
No, images or projects that have previously won awards in other competitions are not eligible.
The jury will evaluate submissions based on:
- 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 distinctively, 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
The jury comprises five esteemed professionals, including renowned figures in architecture, architectural photography, and curatorial arts.
The top three projects will receive:
- 1st Prize: €10.000
- 2nd Prize: €4.000
- 3rd Prize: Photography equipment voucher worth €1.500
Additionally, all winners receive a catalogue featuring their work, a certificate, and a copy of Luis Ferreira Alves in the Works of Eduardo Souto de Moura.
Yes, by participating, you grant permission for the organizing entities to publish and promote your images related to the competition. However, you retain copyright ownership, and no additional payment will be required for the use of images in competition-related publications and promotional events.
Winning participants will be required to provide high-resolution TIFF files for printing and exhibition. These images must be of sufficient quality to meet professional printing standards.
Notifications will be sent via email to all selected and winning participants according to the competition schedule. Announcements will also be made on the official competition page.
An exhibition showcasing the selected works will be held in Porto, celebrating the awarded projects and honoring Luis Ferreira Alves’ legacy. A catalogue featuring the winning images will also be published and made available.
No, jury members and competition organizers are not eligible to participate in the competition.
The printed images of the 1st Prize winner will become the property of the main sponsor, CIN. All other printed works will be incorporated into the Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Award archive for future educational and archival purposes.