Royal Photographic Society Shortlists 318 Images from 10,000 Submissions

A shortlist of 318 images drawn from more than 10,000 submissions makes one thing plain: the Royal Photographic Society’s International Photography Exhibition is no longer separating merely good work from the rest, it is separating work with real conceptual control, sequencing, print-worthy detail and emotional pull from a field that was already strong.

The IPE 167 open call in 2025 brought in entries from 41 countries, and the society says the guest selection panel worked anonymously throughout, including for the award recipients. That matters because it puts the emphasis squarely on the image itself. The shortlist is not a badge for name recognition or network power. It is a filter for photographs that hold together visually, communicate quickly, and still reward a slower look when they are seen as prints.

That print component is important. The judging process for IPE 167 included both digital image and print work, which tells you exactly what level photographers are being asked to reach. A file that looks sharp on a screen is no longer enough if it falls apart on paper. The images that rise in this environment need strong composition, clear sequencing when they are part of a body of work, and the kind of tonal and textural detail that survives exhibition viewing. The Royal Photographic Society also says the IPE includes a prize fund to support future photographic projects, which makes the shortlist more than a gallery of nice frames. It is a direct route into the next stage of production.

The scale of this year’s response also raises the bar. IPE 166 drew more than 8,000 submissions from 35 countries in 2024, so the jump to more than 10,000 submissions from 41 countries for IPE 167 shows the competition tightening fast. The Royal Photographic Society presents the exhibition as a touring group show across nationwide venues, and that travel demands work that can hold its own in different spaces, from city galleries to regional stops.

The society, which describes itself as an educational charity committed to bringing photography to everyone, has built the IPE into the longest-running contemporary photography exhibition. That legacy gives the shortlist extra weight. With photographers and image-makers of all ages invited, from new and emerging to established names, the message is simple: to stand out now, a photograph has to do more than impress. It has to endure.