2026 Youth Competition Shortlist | World Photography Organisation

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With this image the photographer seeks to represent ‘the pressure faced by today’s youth, while offering a sense of upward momentum and hope’. Although the sitter is enveloped in darkness, she is shown ‘striving to turn her eyes toward the light, symbolising a determined journey toward the future’.

Keep it Clean!

Perched gracefully on a sturdy branch, a majestic peacock surveys its surroundings against a glowing golden backdrop, scanning the landscape for any signs of danger. Between watchful glances, it gently preens its feathers, maintaining its regal appearance.

Saving History from the Flames

When a fire broke out in the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in central Stockholm firefighters worked hard to contain the fire and began transporting art pieces to safety.

Jump

Taken during the Warner University Men’s Soccer match in Lake Wales, Florida, United States, the photographer describes the shot as ‘a perfect visual description of teamwork’.

Red-Eyed Watcher

Keira Pereira encountered this red-eyed tree frog in the Costa Rican rainforest, perched along a narrow leaf, motionless against the darkness of the night. Using controlled artificial light, the photographer isolated the frog to emphasise its alert posture, vivid eyes, and delicate grip, capturing the stillness of nocturnal life in the rainforest.

Family Picture

Reichert captured this family of monkeys on Pidurangala Rock, Sri Lanka. The photographer describes how this image particularly struck him because of the gaze of the little monkey in the middle of the picture and ‘the strong sense of family, even among animals’.

Triangle Frames

A modern triangular sculpture frames the Great Pyramid, accented by bold red fabric and a field of mirrors. The photographer sought to capture the harmony between the stark lines of the installation and the ‘eternal shape of the pharaoh’s tomb’, creating a ‘geometric interplay of past and present’.

Between Two Worlds

This photograph was taken in Çeşme, İzmir, Turkey, during a coastal swim. The photographer captured the moment a horse and rider entered the water, using an over-under perspective to show both environments in a single frame.

Autumn's Frame Around Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji framed through the autumn leaves that surround lake Kawaguchi, with an admirer looking on.

Cruce Imposible

Taken during a BMX freestyle event in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Jane Mozzi shot this image while the rider was performing a backflip; simultaneously capturing the landing of a plane behind them, giving the illusion of a plane propelling the rider forward. Mozzi loved this photo because of the perfect timing of this unique moment, captured in one single take.

2026 Shortlist