Deadline: 15-Oct-2025
The Leica invites photographers from across Latin America to participate in its First Travel Photography Award, a call to celebrate the powerful connection between people and their natural and cultural environments throughout the region.
The main category, Human Connection, seeks photo series with a strong narrative, technical excellence, and aesthetic sensitivity – capturing travel experiences that are both authentic and visually striking. The photographic series should present a clear narrative that illustrates the connection between the depicted place and what makes it unique, focusing on the relationship between people and their environment.
The series should relate to the theme “Travel Photography as a Human Connection” and should promote the value of photography in the context of travel and exploration, highlighting the human connection with the natural and cultural environment in Latin America. It should portray the richness and diversity of travel experiences in the region, strengthening the bond between people and their surroundings. The series may explore themes such as nature, culture, society, or landscapes.
The prizes for the three winners are exceptional. First Place receives a Leica Q System camera (or equivalent model), a trip to Peru with Belmond by NUBA in collaboration with LATAM Airlines, and print and social media publication in Luxury Travel Magazine.
The Approximate Retail Value (ARV) for the first place prize is USD 25,000.00. Second Place receives a D-lux8 camera (or equivalent model), a 14-day trip to a destination chosen by the Sponsor with PONANT in collaboration with LATAM Airlines, and print and social media publication in Luxury Travel Magazine. The ARV for the second place prize is USD 20,000.00. Third Place receives a pair of Leica binoculars (or equivalent model) and accommodation in Merida, Yucatán with Chablé Hotels, plus print and social media publication in Luxury Travel Magazine. The ARV for the third place prize is USD 8,000.00. The total approximate ARV of all prizes is USD 53,000.00. Winners will be announced no later than January 15, 2026.
The winning photographers must adhere to an exclusivity period with the Sponsor and not enter into a formal affiliation or partnership with competing camera manufacturers or brands such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Hasselblad, Mamiya, Fuji, Samsung, Olympus, Sigma, Panasonic, or Pentax, from prize acceptance to June 15, 2026.
The open call is aimed at professional and emerging photographers aged 18 to 60, who possess a solid travel photography portfolio and a strong visual storytelling approach. Eligibility is strictly limited to natural persons who legally reside in Latin American countries where Spanish is the official language (excluding Brazil, Haiti, and Guyana) and are of Latin American origin or birth in a Spanish-speaking country. The contest welcomes everyone to enter and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender expression, ability, or sexual orientation.
Three outstanding winners will be selected by an international jury composed of renowned photographers, editors, and industry experts. The jury will score Submissions based on the Quality of Photography, Dedication to the Medium of Photography, and Sophistication, with each category accounting for thirty-three percent of the total score.
Entrants must upload a series of 10 photographs to the official website and complete the entry form. The photographs must be part of a work in progress or a completed project, and at least four of the ten photographs must have been created between 2022 and 2025. Each Submission must also include a Project title, a brief project statement (1-2 sentences), a Project description (up to 250 words), and an Artist bio (up to 150 words).
There is a limit of one Submission per person. Submissions must be in Spanish. Images must not be digitally altered beyond standard optimizations like color intensity or cropping. Critically, the use of any tools, software, or systems based on artificial intelligence to generate, retouch, modify, alter, enhance, or otherwise intervene with the images is strictly prohibited. Photographs taken with a smartphone are not eligible, but photos taken with any brand of digital or analog camera are accepted; ownership of a Leica camera is not required.
Submissions closes on October 15, 2025.
For more information, visit Leica.
