US · Free entry · 2027
· verified
Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027
Aperture Foundation aperture.org ↗
Closes Jan 11, 2027
·
D − 189
Worth entering? Free to enter against a $6.0K top prize — the cost is your rights, not your money: read the licence terms below before you submit. Jury read ↓ · Rights & disqualifiers ↓
Submit-Safe · before you pay the entry fee
Read the fine print
Read the fine print first — Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027 has 3 hard disqualifiers and demanding rights terms.
What this contest takes
Standard terms — you keep copyright and full control; the licence is limited to promoting the contest.
- Non-exclusive right to use submitted images in Aperture magazine, aperture.org, and related editorial coverage of the prize. Photographer retains copyright.
- Duration: Perpetual for editorial coverage of the prize cycle.
- You keep your copyright
- Credited when used
What disqualifies you
AI imagery is permitted, usually only inside a dedicated category — enter it in the right track.
- Professional status Must be a current Aperture magazine print subscriber (subscription requirement extrapolated from 2026 cycle pattern). “Aperture magazine print subscriber requirement carried forward from 2026 cycle (issue 262).”
- Prior publication Cannot have been featured by Aperture within the past three years. “Cannot have been featured by Aperture within the past three years in calls for entry, the magazine, or aperture.org.”
- Capture date after Work must be created within the past five years. “Work must be created within the past five years.”
Closes Jan 11, 2027 · D−189
Free to enter
Upload spec:
Files: JPGMin 3000px long edgeMax 5000px long edgeUnder 10 MBsRGB colour profileCaption requiredNo watermarks
Check your photo against these exact rules — free →
No account · reads the editing line, the AI clause and the file spec · rules human-verified
The full editorial read continues with past-winner pattern, fee-to-prize value, rights translated, and three comparable competitions. Studio reads the rest.
Categories
Aperture Portfolio Prize
Portfolio · up to 15 photos (min 10)
10-15 images forming a cohesive body of work, with title information; JPEG; 3,000 px on the longest side.
F Format requirements 1 spec
aperture_jpeg
- File types: jpg
- Min long edge: 3000px
- Max long edge: 5000px
- Min size: 0.5 MB
- Max size: 10.0 MB
- Color profile: sRGB
- DPI: 300
- No watermarks
- Caption required (max 500 chars)
E Eligibility 4 rules
-
Must be a current Aperture magazine print subscriber (subscription requirement extrapolated from 2026 cycle pattern).
hard
“Aperture magazine print subscriber requirement carried forward from 2026 cycle (issue 262).”
-
Cannot have been featured by Aperture within the past three years.
hard
“Cannot have been featured by Aperture within the past three years in calls for entry, the magazine, or aperture.org.”
-
Work must be created within the past five years.
hard
“Work must be created within the past five years.”
-
AI-generated images permitted if labeled as such at submission.
soft
“Yes, you may submit AI-generated images, as long as they are labeled as such.”
Jury context
Rotating panel of curators, photo editors, and prior winners. 2026 jury: Taous Dahmani (curator, The Photographers' Gallery, London); Jessica Dimson (director of photography, New York Times Magazine); Jane'a Johnson (former editor, Aperture); Avion Pearce (artist, 2024 winner). Editorial/curatorial emphasis — favors conceptual rigor and book-readiness over single-image bravado.
Priorities: conceptual rigor book readiness sequencing instinct long form project coherence distinctive voice
Tone: conceptually serious long form editorial book oriented patient
Avoid: commercial polish single image bravado hype over processed
Past winners — text notes
Past winners (Avion Pearce 2024, Drew Nikonowicz) tend to be early-career photographers with a clearly defined long-term project, strong sequencing instincts, and book-thinking. Aperture's prize is a launch-pad for monograph publication and gallery representation rather than a journalism credential. Notable for 2026: Aperture is the most AI-permissive among prestige prizes — explicit acceptance with disclosure, no separate AI category needed.
These are text-only curatorial observations, never images of past winners.
Prizes
First Prize: $5,000 cash + $1,000 gift card + feature in Aperture magazine. Four runners-up (shortlist): $1,000 each + editorial feature on aperture.org.
Publication
R Rights & licensing what you grant the organizer
- What you grant
- Non-exclusive right to use submitted images in Aperture magazine, aperture.org, and related editorial coverage of the prize. Photographer retains copyright.
- Duration
- Perpetual for editorial coverage of the prize cycle.
- Exclusivity
- none
- Attribution
- Required
- Copyright retained by photographer
- Yes
Free bonus on signup: the 2026 Photo Contest Yearbook PDF — 22 contests classified, deadlines, fees, AI policies decoded.
Weekly Letters from the Critic
One photograph that hit Strong Submit, every Sunday.
The Letter is short, sober, and free. No upsell, no tracking pixel, no padding. Unsubscribe in one click — the link is in every email.
By signing up you agree to our privacy policy. Lawful basis: explicit consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a)). Withdraw anytime — the unsubscribe link is in every email.
Before you enter — quick answers
- Is Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027 free to enter?
- Yes — Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027 is free to enter.
- Are AI-generated images allowed in Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027?
- Yes — Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027 permits AI-generated imagery, usually within a dedicated category. Check which category your work belongs in before entering.
- When is the Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027 deadline?
- Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027 closes on Jan 11, 2027 (in 189 days).
- How do I know if my photo is eligible for Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027?
- Read your photograph against Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027's published rules — the editing line, the AI clause, and the file requirements — free and without an account with WinPhoto's eligibility check. It tells you whether your image is eligible before you pay the entry fee.