San Agustín Photography Prize · First Edition
2026 Edition · Espera
Download the Terms in PDF ↓1
The San Agustín Photography Prize recognizes author series on the origin of coffee.
The decision rests with the jury, whose composition is published in these rules.
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The permanent theme of the award is the origin of coffee: the land and climate, the people and the work, the processes and the atmospheres of the places where it is grown.
Official subtheme 2026: "Espera"
Coffee at the source lives to a rhythm that cannot be forced. The plant takes years to bear fruit. The cherry ripens when it is ready. Fermentation cannot be accelerated without sacrificing quality. Drying takes weeks. Nothing happens quickly at the source.
This first edition seeks series that find that temporal dimension — in the land, in the work, in the people or in the processes — and make it visible. It is not about portraying the literal act of waiting, but about looking at the origin through the rhythm that sustains it.
The concept lends itself to many interpretations: documentary and conceptual, landscape and portrait, classical and experimental all fit within the scope of the work. The award evaluates the author's voice and the coherence of the series.
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Photographers from any country can participate, provided they are of legal age according to the legislation of their country of residence.
There is no registration fee.
Jury members and their immediate family members or collaborators with a stable professional relationship are not allowed to participate.
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A series of between three and five images is presented, accompanied by an author statement.
The series must be filmed in coffee-growing regions.
Works already published or disseminated by the author are accepted, provided they have not been awarded in another photographic competition.
The series must have been created between January 1, 2026, and the registration closing date. The organization may verify the work's date through the capture metadata and, in the case of finalists, through the original file. The author is responsible for ensuring consistency between the metadata, the original file, and the author's statements; unjustified inconsistencies will result in disqualification.
The call for entries remains open from September to February so that those who consider the harvest relevant to their series can align it with the calendar of the country where they are photographing. Each origin has its own peak season within that period.
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The prize accepts digital capture photography.
The six finalists will be asked to submit the RAW file or original capture of each image, as well as the JPEG at the highest available resolution, to verify the authenticity of the work and to create the prize archive. Failure to submit these documents within the deadline will result in disqualification.
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The award recognizes photographic work. The image originates from an actual photographic act, captured by the author. The development and processing of the digital file are part of contemporary photographic practice and are the author's work as much as the photograph itself.
No tools—artificial intelligence or otherwise—that add, remove, or replace information not captured by the camera during the shot are permitted. Photographic processing that works on the already captured information is permitted.
The cropping and ordering of the series, being authorial decisions, are not considered alterations. Crediting a work as a photograph is the author's responsibility; failure to do so will result in exclusion.
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Registration is done through the registration form Each author may submit only one series. Submission implies full acceptance of these rules.
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The jury consists of at least three members. The evaluation is anonymous: the series are submitted to the jury identified by a registration number, without the author's name or affiliation. The authors' identities are revealed after the selection of finalists.
The jury's verdict is final.
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The organization may establish additional non-monetary awards for selected finalists, under the terms that will be announced along with the decision.
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The six finalist series are displayed on the award's website and announced on the organization's communication channels, including San Agustín's Instagram profile (@sanagustincafes), always with credit to the author. The organization may present the finalist works in physical exhibitions and in other cultural and dissemination media related to the prize.
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The photographer retains all rights and authorship. Any reproduction made by the organization will include credit to the photographer.
By registering, the author grants the organization a non-exclusive and free license to reproduce and display the work during the evaluation process and to announce and present the finalist series.
Regarding the six finalist series, the author grants San Agustín Tostadores de Café SL a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, and perpetual license to reproduce, display, publicly communicate, distribute, and preserve the work for the purposes of exhibition, dissemination, publication, and archiving related to the award, in any medium, present or future. This license includes the award website, exhibitions, catalogs, monographs, photobooks, critical essays, and the historical-documentary archive, whether distributed free of charge or offered for sale. All reproductions will include credit to the author.
This license expressly excludes advertising uses of the San Agustín brand or third parties, product marketing materials, packaging, and any other use that links the work to the commercial promotion of a good or service other than the award itself. Such uses require an express agreement with the author, separate from this license.
The organization may grant limited sublicenses to media outlets for the use of the finalist series in editorial pieces related to the award coverage. All sublicenses will require attribution to the author, use solely for informational purposes, and respect for the integrity of the work.
The author guarantees that they are the sole holder of all rights, that the work is original, and that they have obtained the necessary authorizations for the use of images of any recognizable individuals appearing in it, in accordance with applicable legislation in the location where the photograph was taken and the ethical standards of documentary photography. The organization may request documentation or explanation from the author at any time during the process regarding the conditions under which the work was obtained.
The author holds the organization harmless against any third-party claims arising from the breach of the above guarantees.
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Participation implies full acceptance of these rules. The organizers reserve the right to resolve any unforeseen circumstances.
Taxation: The prize amount is calculated in gross value and is subject to applicable withholding taxes and other taxes under current Spanish tax legislation. For non-resident winners, Double Taxation Treaties will apply if a tax residency certificate is provided within the established timeframe.
Documentation: The winning author will have thirty (30) calendar days from the notification of the decision to provide identification, tax, and banking documentation. After this period, their renunciation of the prize will be understood.
Controversies: These terms and conditions are governed by Spanish law. The parties will endeavor to resolve any disputes in good faith. If a dispute persists, they will resort to mediation in accordance with Law 5/2012 before initiating legal proceedings. The courts of the city of León (Spain) will have jurisdiction, unless otherwise required by law.
Any questions about the application process? [email protected]