Entries open for Wellcome Photography Prize

They’re looking for entries that can captivate people with stories of health, science and human experience, and start conversations about some of the health challenges humanity faces today.

From a molecular process in a single cell to the impact of a disease across an entire community, they’d like to see imagery exploring health, medicine and science.

Subject Matter

• Mental health
  • Your image might:
    • Show the impact mental health conditions are having on communities
    • Shine a light on what it’s like to live with a mental health condition
    • Explore the relationship between mental and physical health
• Infectious disease
  • Your image might:
    • Tell the story of how environmental change is impacting infectious disease
    • Investigate how outbreaks can bring people together
    • Explore what infectious disease looks like in isolated parts of the world
• Climate and health
  • Your image might:
    • Document how changes in policy are having a positive impact
    • Connect the planet’s health with their own
    • Track the evolution of a particular health condition as the climate changes
• Discovery research
  • Your image might:
    • Give people the unique opportunity to see research in motion
    • Reveal a world of specialised medical equipment usually kept behind the scenes
    • Look at how they fight current and future threats to their health

Benefits

• The top 25 entries will be shown in a major public exhibition in London in summer 2025. They may also get the opportunity to take part in events to showcase their work to a range of audiences. The prize receives extensive international media coverage each year.

Funding Information

• The winner of each category will receive £10,000.
• An additional 22 entries from across the three categories will be awarded £1,000 each.

Categories

• There are three categories in the competition.
  • Category 1: Striking solo photography
    • Captivate people with a single photograph that stirs imaginations and starts conversations.
  • Category 2: A storytelling series
    • Unpack a narrative in greater depth or explore different perspectives using anywhere between 3-5 photographs.
  • Category 3: The marvels of scientific and medical imaging
    • Capture the wonder of human health in a single image created by a scientific or medical imaging technique.

Eligibility Criteria

• Anyone at any level from anywhere in the world can enter.
• When taking images of people, entrants should gather content in a culturally and contextually sensitive way. This includes getting model release or patient consent where relevant.
• Images must be at least 15MB in size (uncompressed) and use Adobe RGB (1998) colour model and profile.
• All images must be submitted as high-resolution files suitable for printing as winning images will be reproduced, including in print format. TIFF or high-resolution JPEG formats are preferred.
• The following photographic disciplines or scientific or medical imaging techniques are allowed:
  • Photography (e.g. documentary, clinical, studio, still life)
  • Close-up photography (e.g. photomacrography, macro photography, photomicrography)
  • Microscopy (e.g. light, electron, super-resolution)
  • Medical imaging (e.g. CT, PET, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound, thermography)
  • New and emerging science and biomedical imaging technologies
• They will not accept images that include, but is not limited to, visual media such as illustration, moving image or AI-generated images.
• Images must have been taken after 31 December 2019.

Judging Criteria

• Creativity and visual impact
  • Strong visual impact
  • Thoughtful/considered composition
  • Use of colour (or intentional lack thereof) to enhance impact
• Storytelling
  • Strong visual story that centres on a health issue
  • Clear written narrative around health or medicine
• Technical excellence
  • Excellent image quality for the type of imaging technique used
  • Appropriate and skilful image manipulation/editing if used
  • High-resolution image and size suitable for print outputs.

For more information, visit Wellcome.