ON1 crowns 2026 Photo RAW Awards winners from global entries

ON1’s 2026 Photo RAW Awards rewarded restraint as much as spectacle. A black-and-white climb on the Isle of Skye won the grand prize, while a Colorado cattle roundup at dusk finished second, and both images point to the kind of look ON1 users are chasing now, strong subject separation, controlled contrast, and edits that build mood without flattening the scene.

Nearly 300 entries came in from photographers around the world for the contest, which ON1 launched to celebrate Photo RAW 2026.4. Judges scored images on creativity, composition, technical execution, editing skill, and overall visual impact, so the winning frames had to work as photographs first and edits second.

Thomas Chang, Jr.’s “Quiraing, Scotland” landed the top spot. The image was made at the Quiraing, the dramatic landslip on the northern end of the Isle of Skye, in cold, windy conditions before sunrise, with Chang and a small group climbing in the dark to catch first light. ON1 said the final edit used local adjustments, Dynamic Contrast, Tone Enhancer, and light sharpening. That combination says a lot about the current ON1 aesthetic: pull the tone where the light is flat, keep the texture crisp, and let the scene stay stark enough to feel earned.

Valerie Neumann’s “Colorado Sunset” took second place, and it reads like a very different but equally disciplined use of the same toolbox. Shot on a Nikon Z 8 at dusk as cowboys rounded up cattle to head back to the ranch, the image was finished in ON1 Photo RAW after initial processing in Lightroom. ON1 said Neumann used Dynamic Contrast, a Big Softy vignette, and a normal glow to bring out warmth without drowning the action in effect. It is a good reminder that ON1’s sweet spot is not just landscapes; it is that narrow band where atmosphere, color, and subject movement all need to survive the edit.

The contest opened on May 20, 2026 and closed on May 31, with eligibility limited to photographers worldwide age 18 and up. Each entrant could submit up to three images, and the rules required original work edited with ON1 Photo RAW 2026.4 or earlier. ON1 also barred third-party generative AI from creating non-original elements, while allowing composites only if every element was original and made by the entrant.

The prize list matched the polish of the contest. The grand prize is a $1,000 B&H Photo gift card plus a feature on ON1’s blog and social channels. Second place gets a $100 ON1 merchandise gift card and one year of ON1 Photo Studio, while third place receives a $50 ON1 merchandise gift card and one year of ON1 Plus. Five honorable mentions are also being featured across ON1’s blog and social media.

Taken together, the winners make the same point from two different directions: the strongest ON1 edits are not showy for their own sake. They are the kind that turn difficult light into shape, keep the color believable, and leave the photo looking like it was found, not manufactured.