contests
Admin · 2026-07-11 19:30
UNESCO Photo Contest for Young People: A Professional Camera as a Prize
NESCO invites young photographers from around the world to participate in the international competition “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads 2026.”
🇱🇻 Young people from Latvia are also welcome to participate.
✅ Participation is free of charge.
📷 The main prizes are digital cameras.
The theme of the 2026 competition is:
“Living Heritage along the Silk Roads”
or “Living Heritage in the Silk Roads Regions.”
Can I participate from Latvia? Yes.
The contest is open to young people from any country, regardless of where they live. However, the submitted photographs must be clearly related to the contest theme—traditions, communities, and living cultural heritage in the Silk Road regions.
Who can participate?
The contest has two age categories:
* 14–17 years old;
* 18–25 years old.
Participants under the age of 18 must have written permission from a parent or legal guardian.
📸 What can you photograph?
The contest theme is broad. It may include:
* traditional crafts, weaving, embroidery, ceramics, and pottery;
* music, dance, and oral storytelling;
* traditional sports and games;
* culinary traditions and food preparation;
* festivals and community events;
* portraits of people and communities;
* the passing down of knowledge and skills to future generations.
Participants from Latvia do not have to live in the Silk Road region. Photos taken during a trip or as part of a longer-term project may also be submitted, provided they accurately reflect the theme.
📮 What should be submitted?
Each participant may submit between 1 and 20 photographs.
Key technical requirements:
* JPEG or JPG format;
* at least 1,500 pixels wide for horizontal images or 1,500 pixels tall for vertical images;
* each photo must be accompanied by a description in English;
* Only minor adjustments to color, exposure, and framing are permitted;
* The use of artificial intelligence to generate or enhance images is not permitted.
🏆 Prizes
Three winners will be selected in each age category.
🥇 1st place — a professional camera
🥈 2nd place — a semi-professional camera
🥉 3rd place — a standard digital camera
Approximately 60 of the best photographs will be published in the professional photo album “Youth Lens on the Silk Roads” and may be included in international exhibitions.
⏳ Submission Deadline
Entries may be submitted until July 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. GMT+2.
Why should young photographers from Latvia participate?
Key benefits:
✅ Free participation
✅ Open to participants from Latvia
✅ Up to 20 photos may be submitted
✅ Two separate age categories
✅ Cameras as prizes
✅ a chance to be featured in a UNESCO photo album
ProPortfolio.lv’s Review
We definitely recommend this contest to young photographers whose portfolios contain high-quality stories about traditions, culture, and communities.
The most important thing is not to simply submit a beautiful travel photo. The image and its description must demonstrate a clear connection to living cultural heritage.
👉 Official information and registration: unescosilkroadphotocontest.org/en/node/3
ProPortfolio.lv — a place where Latvia’s creative professionals come together.
🇱🇻 Young people from Latvia are also welcome to participate.
✅ Participation is free of charge.
📷 The main prizes are digital cameras.
The theme of the 2026 competition is:
“Living Heritage along the Silk Roads”
or “Living Heritage in the Silk Roads Regions.”
Can I participate from Latvia? Yes.
The contest is open to young people from any country, regardless of where they live. However, the submitted photographs must be clearly related to the contest theme—traditions, communities, and living cultural heritage in the Silk Road regions.
Who can participate?
The contest has two age categories:
* 14–17 years old;
* 18–25 years old.
Participants under the age of 18 must have written permission from a parent or legal guardian.
📸 What can you photograph?
The contest theme is broad. It may include:
* traditional crafts, weaving, embroidery, ceramics, and pottery;
* music, dance, and oral storytelling;
* traditional sports and games;
* culinary traditions and food preparation;
* festivals and community events;
* portraits of people and communities;
* the passing down of knowledge and skills to future generations.
Participants from Latvia do not have to live in the Silk Road region. Photos taken during a trip or as part of a longer-term project may also be submitted, provided they accurately reflect the theme.
📮 What should be submitted?
Each participant may submit between 1 and 20 photographs.
Key technical requirements:
* JPEG or JPG format;
* at least 1,500 pixels wide for horizontal images or 1,500 pixels tall for vertical images;
* each photo must be accompanied by a description in English;
* Only minor adjustments to color, exposure, and framing are permitted;
* The use of artificial intelligence to generate or enhance images is not permitted.
🏆 Prizes
Three winners will be selected in each age category.
🥇 1st place — a professional camera
🥈 2nd place — a semi-professional camera
🥉 3rd place — a standard digital camera
Approximately 60 of the best photographs will be published in the professional photo album “Youth Lens on the Silk Roads” and may be included in international exhibitions.
⏳ Submission Deadline
Entries may be submitted until July 28, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. GMT+2.
Why should young photographers from Latvia participate?
Key benefits:
✅ Free participation
✅ Open to participants from Latvia
✅ Up to 20 photos may be submitted
✅ Two separate age categories
✅ Cameras as prizes
✅ a chance to be featured in a UNESCO photo album
ProPortfolio.lv’s Review
We definitely recommend this contest to young photographers whose portfolios contain high-quality stories about traditions, culture, and communities.
The most important thing is not to simply submit a beautiful travel photo. The image and its description must demonstrate a clear connection to living cultural heritage.
👉 Official information and registration: unescosilkroadphotocontest.org/en/node/3
ProPortfolio.lv — a place where Latvia’s creative professionals come together.
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