FAQ

1. What is the Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition?

The “Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture” is a biennial programme created to honour the legacy of Luis Ferreira Alves. It invites photographers from around the world to explore distinctive perspectives on architecture, reflecting the profound relationship Ferreira Alves maintained with the works he photographed.

2. Who can participate in the competition?

The competition is open to all, without restriction as to nationality. Eligibility for the Portuguese Emerging Photography Award is restricted to Portuguese participants, in accordance with the specific conditions established for that Award. Entries may be submitted individually or collectively, with only one project permitted per participant or group.

3. What are the competition’s key dates?

The 2nd edition follows this timetable:

Open Call launch: 25 September 2026
Open Call closes: 1 January 2027
Selection and announcement of finalists: February – March 2027
Prize winners announced: 25 April 2027
Exhibition and prize-giving ceremony: July 2027

4. How do I submit my work?

Projects must be submitted exclusively through the Picter platform, on the LFA AWARD page indicated on the official website, by the closing of the Open Call on 1 January 2027 at 23:59 (mainland Portugal time). Entries must follow the platform instructions and include the requested profile and project information.

5. What should my submission include?

Each entry must include a series of 9 to 11 photographs and a project statement of no more than 2,000 characters. Images must be submitted in digital format and must not contain digital signatures, logos or watermarks.

6. Can I submit a project that has already won an award elsewhere?

Submitted images must not previously have received an award in another competition. Participants are required to declare this as part of their entry.

7. What are the evaluation criteria?

The Jury will assess entries on the basis of:

Quality and poetic content of the visual narrative
Technical quality of the photographs
Artistic and visual quality of the photographs
Originality
The ability of the series to present the architectural work in a distinctive way, through a visual discourse that explores relevant concepts of the work, the architect and the context, and in which the images relate to one another through order, sequence or cumulative effect

8. Who will be on the jury?

The Jury for the 2nd edition comprises João Pedro Serôdio, architect; Valeria Carullo, curator and researcher; and Paolo Rosselli, photographer and architect.

9. What are the prizes?

The three highest-ranked projects will receive:

1st Prize — €10,000, provided by an organisation to be announced in due course;
2nd Prize — €4,000, sponsored by la Caixa” Foundation / BPI
3rd Prize — a €1,500 voucher for the purchase of photographic equipment, provided by an organisation or brand of recognised relevance in the field of photography, whose association with the Award will be announced in due course.
Portuguese Emerging Photography Award — a €1,500 voucher for the purchase of photographic equipment, provided by an organisation or brand to be announced in due course.

The Jury may also award up to two Special Mentions. Finalists and distinguished authors will be included in the official exhibition and publication; distinguished authors will receive a certificate. Authors ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd will also receive three copies of the official catalogue.

10. Will my images be used by the competition organizers?

Yes. Participants retain full copyright in the images and projects submitted. By entering, they grant the LFA AWARD Organisation and Cityscopio — Associação Cultural / scopio® a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence, limited to the purposes of the Award, to reproduce, publish, exhibit, communicate and disseminate the submitted materials in connection with the competition and directly associated initiatives.

11. What quality should the images be in?

Authors of projects selected for the final stages, exhibition and/or publication must, when requested, provide TIFF files suitable for printing — Adobe RGB (1998), 8 or 16 bit, 300 dpi — together with colour proofs or other technical materials deemed necessary.

12. How will I know if my project has been shortlisted or selected as a winner?

All entrants will be notified of the competition results via the email address provided in their entry. Finalists will be announced in February–March 2027 and prize winners on 25 April 2027 through the official LFA AWARD channels.

13. Where will the winning works be exhibited?

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners, all remaining finalists, the recipient of the Portuguese Emerging Photography Award, and any Special Mention recipients will be included in the official exhibition. The venue will be announced in due course.

14. Can jury members or organizers participate in the competition?

No. Members of the Jury and persons directly involved in organising the LFA AWARD may not submit entries to the competition.

15. What happens to my images after the exhibition?

Physical copies produced by the Organisation for the purposes of in-person assessment and/or exhibition may, after the exhibition and any subsequent touring, be incorporated into the LFA AWARD documentary archive. This concerns only the physical copies produced and does not entail any transfer of copyright in the images.