2026 Photo Contest: “250 Years of Religious Diversity” (US)

Deadline: 06-Oct-2026

Partners for Sacred Places is inviting amateur and professional photographers who reside in the United States to enter a national photo contest celebrating religious diversity and the role of historic religious buildings in American communities. The contest offers prizes of up to $500 and accepts eligible photographs taken in the United States within the past five years that feature or relate to purpose-built religious buildings more than 50 years old.

About the Partners for Sacred Places Photo Contest

Partners for Sacred Places is organizing a national photography contest as part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The contest aims to highlight the country’s religious diversity and showcase the cultural, architectural, artistic, and community importance of historic religious buildings. The competition invites photographers to document how religious places continue to contribute to American communities and everyday life.

Eligible subjects may include historic:

Churches Synagogues Meetinghouses Temples Mosques Other purpose-built religious buildings more than 50 years old Contest Theme and Purpose The contest focuses on the relationship between religious diversity, historic sacred places, culture, architecture, and community life. Photographs should help demonstrate the ways historic religious buildings have shaped American communities over generations. Landscapes and open spaces associated with religious buildings. The continuing role of sacred places in local communities. Photo Contest Categories

Participants can submit photographs in four categories

Spiritual Moments This category focuses on photographs that capture spiritual experiences, religious practices, reflection, worship, or meaningful moments connected to sacred spaces. Community This category highlights the role of historic religious buildings as places where people gather, build relationships, provide services, and participate in community life. Photographs in this category may showcase artistic and cultural traditions associated with religious places, including music, visual arts, performance, craftsmanship, and religious artistic expression. Architecture & Open Space This category focuses on historic religious architecture and the surrounding spaces, including buildings, architectural details, landscapes, gardens, grounds, and other significant physical features. Who Is Eligible? The contest is open to both amateur and professional photographers.

Applicants must:

Reside in the United States. Submit photographs that meet the contest’s eligibility requirements. Ensure submitted photographs were taken within the United States. Submit photographs taken within the last five years. Ensure photographs feature or relate to an eligible purpose-built religious building more than 50 years old. Professional photography experience is not required, so amateur photographers are also encouraged to participate. Photo Eligibility Requirements Submitted photographs must meet the contest’s specific requirements.

Eligible photographs must:

Have been taken in the United States. Have been taken within the previous five years. Feature or relate to a purpose-built religious building that is more than 50 years old. Reflect the overall contest theme. Be created by a human photographer. Not be edited or generated using artificial intelligence. The contest therefore specifically excludes AI-generated or AI-edited photographs. Submission Limits Each entrant may submit up to 10 photographs. However, an individual entrant can win only one prize in one category. Participants should therefore select photographs that best represent their strongest work and closely match the category and contest theme. Photo Releases and Depicted Individuals Photographers are responsible for obtaining required releases when recognizable minors appear in submitted photographs. Participants should ensure that photographs comply with all applicable consent and release requirements before submission. This is particularly important for photographs showing children or other recognizable individuals in community or religious settings. Prizes The contest offers several awards.

Grand Prize: $500 for the photograph selected as the overall winner by the jury.

Jury’s Choice: $200 for the selected winner in each of the four categories.

People’s Choice: $200 for the winner in each category selected through public voting.

The overall Grand Prize winner will be selected from among the photographs recognized by the jury. People’s Choice winners will be determined separately through public voting. How the Photo Contest Works The contest follows a straightforward submission and judging process.

Step 1: Select eligible photographs

Choose photographs taken in the United States within the last five years that meet the historic religious building and contest-theme requirements.

Step 2: Choose the appropriate category

Decide whether each photograph fits best under Spiritual Moments, Community, The Arts, or Architecture & Open Space.

Step 3: Check AI and editing requirements

Ensure the submitted photographs are human-created and have not been edited using artificial intelligence.

Step 4: Check consent requirements

If recognizable minors appear in a photograph, obtain the required release before submitting the image.

Step 5: Submit online

Submit up to 10 photographs through the contest’s online submission system during the official application period.

Step 6: Jury evaluation

A jury will review submissions and select the leading photographs and category winners.

Step 7: Grand Prize selection

The Grand Prize winner will be selected from among the photographs recognized by the jury.

Step 8: Public voting

The public will vote to determine the People’s Choice winner in each category. Application Timeline

Submissions are accepted from:

August 3, 2026, to October 6, 2026. Photographers should submit their entries before the closing date and ensure that al