The 2026 Prix Camera Clara — €8,000 prize for photographers working with large-format cameras
Photographers working with large-format cameras rarely find competitions created specifically for their practice. Prix Camera Clara is one of the few international awards dedicated exclusively to this field. The winner receives €8,000, the opportunity to participate in an exhibition, and professional recognition for an authorial series created using a large-format camera.
Established in France in 2012, the prize is intended for photographers who use large-format photography as a fully developed artistic medium. The organisers are interested not in individual successful images, but in complete projects where the photographic process becomes an integral part of the artist’s visual statement.
What the Winner Receives
The Prix Camera Clara laureate receives:
— an €8,000 cash prize
— the opportunity to participate in an exhibition of the winner and finalists
— international professional recognition
— visibility among curators, galleries, and collectors
— the opportunity to present their project to a wider audience
For many photographers, the exhibition component of the prize is particularly valuable. Large-format projects often take years to develop and rarely find specialised venues for presentation, making opportunities like this especially rare.
Who Can Apply
The competition is open to photographers of any nationality aged 18 and over. Only artists working with large-format cameras (view camera photography) are eligible to apply. Applicants are asked to specify the equipment used in their project.
Only original projects that have not previously been published or exhibited may be submitted. The jury pays particular attention to the coherence of the series, the artistic concept, and the relationship between content and form. An important condition of the competition is that the image content must not be retouched or digitally altered.
What Kind of Projects the Jury Is Looking For
Prix Camera Clara is aimed at artists who use large-format photography not as a technical feature, but as an essential part of their artistic language. The organisers are interested in series where the chosen photographic method helps develop the project’s theme and becomes a meaningful part of the visual narrative.
Projects may explore memory, territory, architecture, nature, urban environments, identity, or documentary research. The main requirement is to present a complete and coherent photographic series that can be evaluated as a unified artistic work.
What Materials Are Required for the Application
To apply, participants must prepare:
— 10 photographs from the series
— a project description in French or English
— a CV in French and English
— a copy of a passport or identity document
— signed competition documents
All materials must be uploaded through the official online application platform. After the first selection stage, shortlisted candidates will be required to send a physical print of their work for the jury’s final review.
Why Consider Prix Camera Clara
Most international photography competitions welcome all photographic techniques and genres. Prix Camera Clara takes a different approach by supporting only artists working with large-format photography. As a result, projects are evaluated within the context of the practice itself, with full consideration of its unique challenges, limitations, and artistic possibilities.
For photographers using large-format cameras, this is more than an opportunity to win a prize. It is one of the best-known international awards where the photographic technique itself is recognised as an important component of artistic expression and receives dedicated professional attention.
The deadline for applications is 31 July 2026.
