Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition

The Prize is based on the “Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture,” which, through a protocol, includes the heirs of Luis Ferreira Alves and the promoters of the competition, namely Porto City Council (CMP) and Cityscopio-Cultural Association (CCA). The competition also has other important institutional partners, distributed between the organising committee – as the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Porto (FAUP) – and the group of strategic and sponsoring entities, as Casa da Arquitetura (CA) and the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDRN), the Marques da Silva Foundation Institute (FIMS) and the Order of Architects (OA); groups of great relevance, such as the CIN brand in the coatings market and widely recognised internationally and one of the largest companies in Europe and the world in the sector. Other notable partners include BPI, a financial institution focused on banking services in Portugal and controlled by CaixaBank Group, an economic leader in Spain, and Canon, one of the largest camera manufacturers in the world. They also have the Metro do Porto support in communicating and publicising the Competition – a light rail network essential to the city’s public transport system.

Prize Information

• The top three projects will receive a monetary award and professional photography equipment, as follows:
  • 1st Prize: €10.000, sponsored by CIN.
  • 2nd Prize: €4.000, sponsored by BPI.
  • 3rd Prize: Voucher for photographic equipment worth €1.500, sponsored by Canon.
  • All prize winners will receive the book “Luis Ferreira Alves in the Works of Eduardo Souto de Moura”.
  • All prize winners will receive a certificate.
  • The winners will be entitled to 3 (three) copies of the exhibition catalogue.

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to all individuals worldwide, including university students, researchers, and professionals in architecture, photography, and related fields.
• Entries may be submitted individually or as a group (groups must register as a single competing unit).
• Each participant or group may submit only one project.
• Entries must be original and must not have previously won awards in other competitions.

Judging Criteria

• The winners will be selected based on five evaluation criteria:
  • Quality and poetic content of the narrative Technical quality of the photographs
  • Artistic and visual quality of the photographs Originality
  • The series’ ability to present the architectural work in a distinctive way, using a visual narrative that explores the concepts behind the work and the architect, where the images relate to each other either through sequence or cumulative effect.

Application Requirements

• Project Requirements:
  • Photographic Series: Submit a series of 5 to 7 images that cohesively present a work or series of architectural works.
  • Descriptive Text: Include an explanatory text (up to 2,000 characters) that conveys the conceptual and visual intentions behind the work alongside the series.
• Technical Specifications:
  • File Format: Images must be submitted digitally in JPEG format for the initial entry phase.
  • Resolution: High-quality images (minimum 300 dpi) suitable for printing, should your work be shortlisted.
  • Watermarks: Images must not contain any digital watermarks, signatures, or logos.
• Submission Platform:
  • All projects must be submitted via the competition platform.
• Required Information:
  • Profile Details: First and last name, date of birth, gender, nationality, postal address, telephone number, email, and a biography (up to 1,500 characters).
  • Project Details: Project title, year of creation, place of creation, and the descriptive text (up to 2,000 characters).
  • Image Details: Title, year of creation, and place of creation for each photograph.
• Finalist Requirements:
  • High-Resolution Files: Finalists will be required to provide high-resolution TIFF files and colour proofs for printing and exhibition.
  • Quality Assurance: Winning images will be printed and included in an exhibition and published in the competition catalogue; as such, they must meet professional standards for display quality.

For more information, visit Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Award.