Photography competition 2026
The Green Templeton College Photography Competition 2026 is now open. We look forward to seeing your entries.
Theme
The theme for 2026 is ‘The student experience’.
We invite you to explore and capture what student life at Green Templeton means to you. This could include academic moments, friendships, college traditions, quiet reflections, or the wider Oxford experience. The theme ties into the college’s strong sense of community and Giving Week, celebrating the people and experiences that shape life here.
The judges will be looking for creative, original and compelling interpretations of this theme.
Who can enter
This competition is open to all members of the Green Templeton community, including students, alumni, Fellows, Common Room members, Associate Members and staff.
What’s the prize?
The winner will receive a £200 cash prize.
Competition rules
- Each participant may submit up to three original photographs
- All styles are welcome, including landscapes, portraits and abstract photography
- Photographs must have been taken during this academic year
- If your photo includes identifiable people, you must have their consent
- Entries must be the original work of the photographer and must not infringe on the rights of others
How to enter
The competition is now open and will close on Monday 1 June at 12:00.
To submit your entry, please email communications@gtc.ox.ac.uk with your photograph(s) and a brief description of when and where they were taken.
Judging panel
To be confirmed.
Consent and reproduction
Photographers are responsible for ensuring they have consent from any individuals featured in their images. By submitting photographs, entrants agree that Green Templeton College may use their images across college platforms, including social media, the website and printed materials, without a fee. Wherever possible, credit will be given.
Previous entries
The Green Templeton College Photography Competition has been running since 2009, thanks to the generous support of the late neurologist and Common Room Member Dr Elman Poole, who held a long interest in photography.
Here’s a selection of previous winners from across the years.
2025: Passages – Winner ‘Ascent’ by Hao Li (DPhil Clinical Neurosciences, 2023)
2024: Peace – Winner ‘Women protesting’ by Clemens Jarnach (DPhil Sociology, 2018)
2023: Discover – Winner ‘Hidden Caterpillar’ by Ryan Caplin (MBA, 2022) taken during a Sunday morning ‘nature walk’ through the college grounds.
2022: Gather – Winner: Jessica Ivie. ‘The was taken during Torpids in March at the GTC boathouse. In this photo, rather than a gathering of people, it displays a gathering of hearts.
2021: New Normal – Winner: Sam Howard. ‘The catering team preparing for the click-and-collect lunches’
2020: Selfie-Isolation – Winner: Lore Purroy Sanchez. ‘These paper boats were on the bridge in the direction to Port Meadow during the pandemic.’
2019: College Members at Work – Winner: Pedro Stoeckli Pires. ‘During [this recital by Musician-in-Residence Maki Sekiya] she would play complex harmonies in such a fast manner it sounded like two people were playing at once. When I took this picture it seemed to represent that feeling well, as if there were two Maki playing together in that room.’
2018: Personalities of Green Templeton – Winner: Maria Spiga
