B&W IPA is a photo competition dedicated to black and white photography.

Here we go for a 4th edition of the Black & White International Photo Awards competition. After the previous edition which crowned the work of two photographers Iryna VLASIUK and Miklas MARTIN, our competition come back this year with the renewed ambition of revealing new talents and introducing the public to new winning photographers.

The competition returns this year with a new edition that is not like the others. Unlike previous editions, the winners, special mentions and finalists of the 2025 edition will all have their work exhibited in Paris in the Kiff & Marais gallery, which is our new partner, and which this year is doing us the honor of hosting a major exhibition dedicated to black and white photography in the heart of a district historically known for being dedicated to art in the capital.

Why a Black and White competition ?

Black and white has been the essence of photography since its invention almost 200 years ago. Beyond its timeless side and its simplification of reality, black and white, with its emphasis on textures, its shades of gray and the contrasts it brings out, gives images a unique imprint that enhances the image. signed in black and white and elevates it to an artistic rank whose potential exceeds, in the eyes of many photographers, that of photos interpreted in color.

At B&W IPA we believe that black and white is a separate genre of photography which alone deserves a dedicated competition to reward the best photographers of this genre. Participating in a photo competition is always an opportunity to confront your author's perspective with the critical eyes of experts in the field. It is also a way to compare yourself to others in order to assess your level, to progress as a photographer and to build a true author's perspective.

It is also an opportunity for the winners to include an additional line in their artistic CV with the rewards they can obtain via our jury as well as the participations in renowned festivals and prestigious exhibitions that they can win once they are winners. Recognition which is sometimes difficult to obtain in normal times.

A significant cash prize :

In addition to $2,000 in cash prizes, in this 2025 edition we will also be offering as a prize the latest iPhone 16 - 512 GB which is equipped with a 48 Mpx camera and the latest technologies available. Which makes it the most complete photo phone on the market.

An effective support strategy :

As usual. We will not just offer a cash prize to the winner and turn the page. Our philosophy is always based on the principle of « support until recognition », for us it requires the fact that the work of the winners can live for a long time and circulate not only virtually online but also physically as an artistic work in its own right.

All via a strategy well established for years, which is to show the work of the winning photographers not only to an audience of black and white photography enthusiasts but above all to key players in the world of photography (curators, collectors, gallery directors...) so that they can help photographers to break the glass ceiling and open new doors with their talent, which will open the way to new opportunities... and so on.

Key partnerships :

As usual, we worked on the packaging of this edition of the B&W IPA in order to announce to our participants good news and better rewards comparing to last year.

A major exhibition in Paris :

This is how we are pleased to announce that not only the two grand prize winners of the competition, but also the special mentions and the finalists of this year, will see ALL their work exhibited in a prestigious gallery, located in a historic district "le Marais", an essential place for art dealers, collectors and lovers of art and photography exhibitions.

The major exhibition that will host the B&W IPA winners this year will take place from mid-May 2025 in the Kiff & Marais space, which is now our partner.

Publication of a photo book :

We are also pleased to announce that we have also renewed our exclusive partnership with Snap Collective, a publishing house that grows from year to year, and which this year will give our winners, special mentions and finalists the chance to publish their first photo monograph. Being able to edit a photo book is a dream and a challenge that all photographers want to accomplish at some point in their career.

Snap Collective is an innovative and unconventional publishing concept, founded by Dr. Philipp W. Müller, specifically designed to help to bring to life portfolios of international photographers and artists. The idea behind Snap Collective is to give artists a possibility to publish a photo book or a portfolio of their work without enormous efforts, offering a streamlined platform with some of the best printing and distribution partners, support of a design team and more.

Publish your work in two top photo magazines - Openeye and FotoSlovo :

OPENEYE "Le regard d'aujourd'hui sur la Photographie" is a magazine of a new genre, which takes a contemporary view of Photography. Through its various issues, it aims to meet the expectations of all lovers of images, who see how things are moving very quickly in the field of photography. It also helps to reveal young creators who are booming, while not forgetting established talents.

FotoSlovo is a magazine about photography, art and multimedia. It writes about famous photographers, reveal the secrets of well-known images and publish works of emerging talented photographers. It share with its readers new inspirations, tell about exhibitions, explore new trends and interview iconic Artists. FotoSlovo is all about images that became an Art. Readers will find examples of such creative works in different styles.

Our prestigious jury will judge the best entries and reward the winning photographer who will see his work recognized by a magnificent prize totaling $2000, in addition to seeing his work exhibited in a major photo festival.