Participation is open to free Grainpress members. Selected photographs will be published individually and collected through the Member Work presentation, with full credit to the photographer.

If you’re interested in contributing editorially to Grainpress, visit our Contribute page.

Current challenge

Last Light

As summer begins to turn, the light changes with it. Days shorten, shadows lengthen, and familiar places can take on a different character in the hour before twilight.

For Last Light, we’re interested in photographs made in response to the transition occuring during this change of season. These need not be only sunsets or golden-hour landscapes, but any image shaped by fading, low, or changing light. The interpretation of this feeling is open. It can be literal, abstract, atmospheric, quiet, or unexpected.

Submission Details

Deadline
September 27, 2026
Eligibility
Free Grainpress members may participate
Submission limit
One photograph per member for each monthly Theme
File
JPEG, maximum 10 MB
Dimensions
Minimum 2000 px on the long edge; 3000–4000 px preferred
Include
Name, title, camera, film, and a short note about the photograph

How to take part

  1. Sign in to Grainpress, or create a free Grainpress account.
  2. Make or select one photograph that responds to the current Theme.
  3. Complete the submission form on this page, attach one JPEG, and submit before the deadline.

The form lists the file requirements and the details each submission needs. Include lens, development, or lab detail in the note about the photograph only if it matters to understanding the picture.

File requirements

  • Submit one JPEG only.
  • Do not submit a ZIP file.
  • Maximum file size: 10 MB.
  • Minimum 2000 pixels on the long edge.
  • Preferred 3000–4000 pixels on the long edge.
  • Use the sRGB color space.
  • Do not add a watermark.
  • Use the filename format Lastname_Firstname_Title.jpg.Required information

Required information

Each submission should include:

  • Photographer name
  • Image title, or “Untitled”
  • Camera
  • Film stock
  • A short note under About the photograph

Location is optional.

Lens, development, lab, or other process information may be included when materially relevant but is not required.

The short note should be concise. It provides context for editorial selection and publication and is not meant to be a formal artist statement.

Participation rules

Rights and usage

The photographer retains copyright.

By submitting a photograph, the photographer grants Grainpress non-exclusive permission to publish selected work:

Grainpress will credit the photographer wherever practical. This permission does not transfer ownership and does not prevent the photographer from publishing or licensing the work elsewhere. Your photograph will never be sent to a third party and/or used for AI training. Any use outside the purposes listed above requires separate permission.

Editorial selection

Selections are made for editorial strength, relevance to the Theme, and the quality of the group as a whole.

The Monthly Member Photo Challenge is not a contest, and selections should not be described as winners.

Grainpress may choose fewer photographs than expected, or publish none for a given Theme, if the submissions do not support a strong editorial presentation.

See selected photographs

Each monthly Theme produces a set of selected photographs. Browse Member Work and see how photographers have approached earlier Themes.

View Member Work