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Are you 16\u201321 years old and interested in photography? Do you want to develop your skills, especially in analog photography and darkroom techniques? Apply now to the Young Photographer Award 2026!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Submit your application by Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 11:59 PM.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Participation is free of charge.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Apply here \u2192<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Competition Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n The Finnish Darkroom Association and the Finnish Museum of Photography<\/a> are organising a photography competition for young people in the spring of 2026. This is the second time the competition is being organised, and it is open to all photographers aged 16\u201321 (born 2005\u20132010) who live in Finland. To participate in the competition, applicants must submit a short text (maximum length half an A4 page) describing their interest in photography along with ten to twelve photographs, which may be created using either analog or digital cameras.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n About the Festival<\/b><\/p>\n The Helsinki Analog Festival (HAF) continues the tradition of the Helsinki Darkroom Festival, held in 2022 and organized by Suomen Pimi\u00f6taiteilijat ry in collaboration with the Finnish Museum of Photography. In 2026, the festival expands beyond photography to include moving image and book arts. HAF celebrates analog and craft-based art, emphasizing materiality, embodiment, and sustainable collaboration. The festival theme in 2026 is BODY<\/em>, reflecting HAF\u2019s commitment to embodied practices and highlighting the importance of physical presence in a world increasingly dominated by virtual experiences.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 200 Years of Photography <\/p>\n The aim of the competition and awards<\/b><\/p>\n The aim of the Young Photographer Award is to inspire young people to explore the world of analog photography while also expanding their photographic expression. The competition grants its finalists the opportunity to develop their technical skills and try out different analog photography and darkroom printing techniques.<\/p>\n The jury will select three finalists, each of whom will be awarded with film photography products provided by our partners. In addition, all three finalists will receive free participation in a workshop of their choice, organized by the Finnish Darkroom Association at the M\u00f6rk<\/em> darkroom in Helsinki. One winner will be selected from the finalists who will be awarded with the Young Photographer Award Diploma<\/i>. The works of the three finalists will be published on the social media channels of the Finnish Museum of Photography and the Finnish Darkroom Association (Facebook and Instagram).<\/p>\n The partners of the competition are JAS Tekniikka Oy<\/a>, Suomen Interfoto Oy<\/a>, Telefoto Oy<\/a>, Rajala Pro Shop<\/a>, Kameratori Oy<\/a> and Lomography<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Important dates<\/b><\/p>\n Submission deadline Decisions made Announcement of Finalists and Award Ceremony<\/strong> <\/p>\n Jury and Evaluation<\/strong><\/p>\n The jury encourages applicants to present their work with courage, originality, and compelling narrative approaches. It is especially important that the applicant\u2019s artistic vision and personal voice are clearly expressed in the portfolio. The jury hopes that the portfolio reflects the applicant\u2019s views, interests, questions, or thematic concerns, but a cohesive theme is not required. In the evaluation process, attention will also be given to the applicant\u2019s expressive potential and motivation to develop as a photographic artist.<\/p>\n The jury evaluates each portfolio as a whole. The photographs in the portfolio do not have to be from a single series, but the jury hopes the photographs are qualitatively consistent. The works do not need to relate to the festival\u2019s theme of BODY.<\/p>\n The content of the portfolio is more important than the technical execution of the photographs, which is why the works may be created using either digital or analog cameras. The competition focuses on photography based on the applicant\u2019s own photographic and working process. Works containing images produced by artificial intelligence (AI), or substantially generated with the assistance of AI, will not be accepted.<\/p>\n The jury of the competition is:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Copyright and liability<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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The festival celebrates 200 years of photography: the first surviving photograph was created in 1826, when Nic\u00e9phore Ni\u00e9pce successfully produced a permanent image using the heliography process on a bitumen-coated plate. This moment is considered the birth of photography. In Finland, the history of photography began in 1842, when district physician Henrik Cajander photographed the Nobel House in Turku in November. This marked the beginning of Finnish photographic practice, which has since grown into a significant part of the national cultural heritage and the international field of visual arts. The Young Photographer Award aims to showcase young people\u2019s contemporary perspectives on photography and its significance in their lives.<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>22 March 2026 at 23.59<\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Beginning of April<\/p>\n
April 18, 2026, at Oodi Central Library<\/p>\n\n
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