Hi everyone, Here’s the theme for August... the world’s felines. Yep, wildlife photography! 😺

Forest cat

So, this theme isn’t exactly a "travel invitation," but coming up with a new one is quite a puzzle 😅. During February’s “white” theme discussion, we had pages of cats, so you should be inspired 😸. I won’t be restrictive—wild felines, domestic cats, and even those in zoos (though I’m not a fan) will be accepted. Plus, engravings, paintings, statues, or any other representations of felines fit the theme. The Sphinx is also welcome ;).



Practical details:

Participation: Each VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Monday, August 25th at 11:59 PM Paris time. Each photo must be posted in a separate message, with its number (1, 2, or 3). Don’t forget to add a little explanation (comment, location, etc.).

Voting: Each VF member can vote for the 3 photos they consider the best, based on their own criteria and the theme.

Voting will take place from Tuesday, August 26th to Saturday, August 30th at 11:59 PM Paris time.

Selected photos will be ranked in order of preference: - 1st photo: 3 points - 2nd photo: 2 points - 3rd photo: 1 point

The winner is the photographer with the most points.

Results will be published on August 31st. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing September 2025’s contest.

Photos that have already been nominated (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) in another contest are not eligible for this one.

This thread is exclusively for contest submissions. Any discussions or comments should be posted here.

Hi there, 🙂

The point of this contest isn’t to photograph Mathilde or even to frantically click the "report" button on every post in a thread.

It’s to post **road signs**!

Whether they’re official or not...

Funny or serious...

Of all shapes, all colors, in all languages...

The rules are the same as usual—I’ll let you check out the previous contests for reference. 😛

Just a quick reminder:

- Max of 3 photos per person.

- One photo per post (preferably embedded 😉) with a caption and the photo number.

Submissions close on **Monday, September 22, 2025, at 11:59 PM Paris time**.

Voting starts on **Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 11:59 PM** (and not a second before… 😇), Paris time, and ends on **Monday, September 29, 2025, at the same time** (still Paris time).

Results will be posted on **September 30, 2025**, sometime during the day!

Ready, set, snap!



(To discuss, it’s here…)

Hi everyone,

After my narrow victory over Herodotos (just one point ahead—I had a close call, even in December in the northern hemisphere!), I’m now honored to organize the next contest, the one for the closing year, whose results will be announced on the first day of the coming year. Out of affection for the poet with wind in his soles, who dreamed of ivory and setting sail, again and again, even in his final hours, I borrow the theme from the first line of a poem dear to me: I embraced the summer dawn.

So, as the year draws to a close, the theme will be: embracing dawn.

The verb here is just as important as the noun. More than just a subject about sunrises or that magical half-hour of pink light before the sun appears (a photographer’s nightmare: either I crank up the ISO and deal with noise, or I lug around a tripod, and say goodbye to spontaneity like a beggar on marble quays), this is about those happy little mornings—the thrill of joy in the soft light of the first hours, whether it’s a landscape, a person, an animal, a plant, architecture, or whatever else. What’s certain is that it makes you want to smile at the day breaking. Even if you go back to bed afterward.

Technical details (shamelessly borrowed from Ragamuffin, thanks!):

Participation Each VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Wednesday, 12/25 at 11:59 PM, Milan time. Each photo must be posted in a separate message, with its number (1, 2, or 3). Don’t forget to add a little explanation (comment, location, etc.).

Voting: Each VF member can vote for the 3 photos they consider the best, based on their own criteria and the theme.

Voting will take place from Thursday, 12/26 to Tuesday, 12/31 at 11:59 PM, Milan time.

Selected photos will be ranked in order of preference: - 1st photo: 3 points - 2nd photo: 2 points - 3rd photo: 1 point

The winner is the author of the photo with the most points.

Results will be published on 01/01 (if I’m in any state to do so). In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing December’s contest.

For discussion, it’s here.

That’s all! Let’s welcome Dawn with rosy fingers, dressed in saffron...

Catherine

Hey there,

This is where we chat and share photos outside the contest.

Good night! 😛

Hi everyone!

This theme has probably been done before... but not recently, at least 😉 Doors—open, closed, of houses, castles... even if only the threshold remains. Since I’m not home, I don’t have access to my photos right now, and regarding the rules, I’ll let you refer to one of the previous contests.

Photos can be posted until Thursday the 23rd at 11:59 PM (Paris time). Voting will take place from the 24th to the 30th of October, and the results will be announced on the 31st during the day.

See you soon! 🙂

Here we can chat, have fun, ask questions, post off-topic photos... Hope you'll like this theme 🙂 The contest is here

This is where we chat.

From the most sophisticated suitcase to the bundle on your shoulder, from gear strapped to a motorcycle to bags on top of buses, what matters is capturing travel with luggage. Whether it's a stroll, an expedition, a simple outing, or a tour—anything goes, as long as the luggage is highlighted, of course 🙂 ........... Here’s my copy-paste:

Every VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Tuesday, March 25 at 11:59 PM Paris time.

Each photo should be posted in a separate message, with its number (1, 2, or 3).

Don’t forget to add a little explanation (commentary, location, etc.).

Voting:

Every VF member can vote for the 3 photos they think are the best, based on their own criteria and the theme.

Voting will take place from Wednesday, March 26 to Sunday, March 30 at 11:59 PM Paris time.

Photos will be ranked in order of preference: - 1st photo: 3 points - 2nd: 2 points - 3rd: 1 point

The winner is the person whose photo receives the most points.

I’ll be away during the last days of March and won’t be very available, so the results will be announced on April 1st (no, it’s not a joke). And please, while I’m gone, be as well-behaved and disciplined as you always are 🙂

In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing April’s contest.

Attila, could you please put together the slideshow? You know how to do it, and I don’t!!

To chat about waterways, this is the place.

Hello!

With no authority whatsoever, I’m taking the liberty of relaunching the photo contests on VoyageForum, which is now active and alive again 😉

The theme for November 2024 is Art Nouveau, an artistic and architectural movement (1893 to 1913—just before, well, World War I) that has nothing to do with (or does it?) Art Deco, another artistic and architectural movement (1925 to 1940—right before World War II).

**Participation** Every VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Monday, November 25 at 11:59 PM Brussels time. Each photo must be posted in a separate message, with its number (1, 2, or 3) indicated. Don’t forget to add a short explanation (commentary, location, etc.).

**Voting** Every VF member can vote for the 3 photos they consider the best, based on their own criteria and the theme. Voting will take place from Tuesday, November 26 to Saturday, November 30 at 11:59 PM Brussels time.

Photos will be ranked in order of preference: - 1st photo: 3 points - 2nd photo: 2 points - 3rd photo: 1 point

The winner is the photographer whose photo receives the most points. Results will be published on December 1. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing December’s contest.

Photos that have already been nominated (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) in another contest are not eligible for this one.

**Example of Art Nouveau architecture**



Victor Horta’s house and workshop (considered the "Father of Art Nouveau") on Rue Américaine in Saint-Gilles (Brussels, Belgium).



Villa Melchiorri, Via Cavour in Ferrara (Emilia-Romagna, Italy).

Art Nouveau Around the World – discussion post

Let’s stick with the water theme—it’s definitely the season (maybe a bit *too* much for some of those dealing with floods 😕). After the flowing waters (with varying energy levels), let’s take it easy with still waters:

Lakes (Annecy)

Ponds (near Moustiers Saint Marie)

Lagoons (Bacalar)

If you’ve got nice photos of a pond—or even a puddle—why not? Natural bodies of water only: no pools or fountains (reservoir lakes are accepted… because they often look like natural lakes ).

The contest rules are the same as always 😉: Up to 3 photos per member, one photo per post (a little explanation is better), and past winning photos from other VF contests aren’t allowed. You have until Sunday, February 22nd at 11:59 PM (Paris time) to post your photos. Voting starts Monday the 23rd at midnight—rank your top 3 photos in order (3, 2, and 1 points). Voting ends Saturday, February 28th at 11:59 PM. Results will be announced on March 1st. The winning photo is the one with the most points (in case of a tie, the photo ranked first the most times wins). The lucky winner gets to organize March’s contest 😎.

Dig into your archives…

So, to start the year off right (Happy New Year!), This is where we can discuss January’s theme. With 20,000 km of French coastline (there’s a catch ;)), our beautiful country should be well represented!

Dig out those hard drives! Bruno

For those who want to chat quietly by the riverbanks, this is the place!

And nowhere else...😉

...

Et enfin, le plus beau des "si beau xpaysages" croisés sur mes routes ... celui ou l'arrivée de la nuit m'a contraint à repartir.... Que la nature est belle, quand l'automne arrive ... et que la lumière y met son assaisonnement ...

Image numéro "3" de Puma 2A : Au Col des champs , non loin de Colmars les Alpes .

.

...

Salutations

Puma 2A

Bonjour

Photo N°2

Façonnées au fil des siècles par les Hani les rizières en terrasses de Yuanyang (Yunnan, Chine) sont même admirées par les locaux depuis le point de vue de Bada

Photo 3: Sur la piste du col des 33 perroquets, Kirghizistan

Bonjour, vote difficile....

3 points Puma 2A Photo3 col des champs 2 points Elhine Photo2 goulet de Brest 1 point UnaMilanese Photo1 Ischia

Bonjour

Voici mon vote:

UnaMilanese, photo 2, 3 points Vue spectaculaire des pics rocheux dont la petite maison au premier plan donne l'échelle. Un ciel vivant et de belles couleurs. J'aime la sérénité qui se dégage. La composition est parfaite.

Rouquine38, photo 1, 2 points En terme d'ambiance, cette photo est encore plus aboutie que la précédente. Tension impressionnante, irréelle. La palette presque monochrome accentue l'effet dramatique. Il me manque seulement un petit point d'accroche.

En troisième position j'hésite entre Pagal photo 3, Djalma photo 2, Attila photo 2... Alors ce sera Pagal, photo 3, 1 point. Pour quelqu'un qui prétendait être une quiche en photo ! 😉 C'est un paysage très photogénique grâce aux formations rocheuses. La matière est riche: végétations, nuages, roche. J'aurais recadré un peu car le ciel prend 60% de place (certaines zones semblent artificielles, traitement HDR trop poussé ?). Etant très lumineux, il attire le regard au détriment du paysage.

J'ai essayé de poster mes photos sans succès à plusieurs occasions...et j'ai eu bien du mal à voir l'ensemble des photos proposées, VF me limitant à la dernière page! Quelle galère ce forum! Mon vote: Rouquine 38 photo 1 en Islande 3 points. Prouve qu'on peut faire des photos magnifiques avec un temps...qui ne m'emballe pas à priori! Attila photo 2 Dolomites 2 points Belles montagnes, beau ciel, contraste entre les deux bâtiments, c'est une photo classique...qui me donne envie d'aller là-bas. Pagaljavab photo3 1 point La Cappadoce sous un beau ciel....En photo comme en peinture le ciel est souvent une partie "vivante" du paysage.

Merci à tous ceux qui ont apprécié cette photo d'Islande 😊 Le prochain thème sera en ligne dès demain 😉

Hello,

It might not be very original, but I see it hasn’t been suggested—or at least not for a very long time. I’d like to invite you to discover the beauty of the great outdoors through landscape photos. Whether they’re desert, sea, countryside, or mountain scenes—with or without other elements (people, buildings, animals, etc.)—they should make us want to dive right in without hesitation.

To participate: Photo submissions until Wednesday, June 24 at 11:59 PM You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and shared in separate messages, along with a short description of the place and the story behind it.

To vote: from Thursday, June 25 at 12:01 AM to Monday, June 29 at 11:59 PM After the deadline, it’s too late!

Please include the photo number, username, and the points awarded: Photo #1 = 3 pts Photo #2 = 2 pts Photo #3 = 1 pt

All VF members can vote (even those who didn’t submit photos). In case of a tie for first place, the winning photo will be the one with the most first-place votes, then second-place votes! The lucky winner will get to organize July 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, it’s here: Discussion thread for June 2026’s theme: Such a Beautiful Landscape

Good luck to everyone!

Philippe

Chumphon, Thailand: Doi Tapang

The 140th (wow!) edition of the contest is now live!

Since it’s April Fools’ month and I’m a diver at heart, I had to pick a theme around the sea and fish.

This month’s theme is: sea fishing 🙂. Deep-sea fishing, rockpooling, shore casting, shellfish & crustaceans—anything remotely related to sea fishing fits the bill 😉

Photos of fishing boats, fishing ports, fish auctions, seafood stalls, nets and trawls, lobster pots, fishermen, your kids collecting cockles, even those New Year’s oyster shells 😏—no limits as long as it ties into the theme 😛 And of course, a special shout-out to anglers worldwide! 🙂

I’m traveling right now, so I don’t have many photos on hand. To illustrate the theme, I’ve chosen this shot of a small Vietnamese fishing boat I spotted near the Cham Islands, returning from a dive.



Contest rules: You can post up to three photos, each in a separate message, clearly numbering them (1, 2, or 3) and including the location where the photo was taken. Any explanations about your photos are welcome.

When voting, you’ll choose three photos, clearly stating the participant’s name followed by their photo number. The first photo in your vote gets three points, the second gets two, and the third gets one.

The winner will be the person whose photo earns the most points. In case of a tie, the winner will be the one with the most first-place votes, or if still tied, the most second-place votes. If it’s a perfect tie, the person who reached their score first wins. The winner then gets the honor of choosing and organizing May 2026’s contest theme. Ties for any other position won’t be broken. Finally, you don’t need to enter the contest to vote, but participants (and I hope there’ll be lots of you!) are *strongly* encouraged to vote!

Please only post contest photos in this thread. Starting Saturday, April 25 (00:01 Paris time), only votes should be posted.

Key dates: You can submit your photos from today until Friday, April 24, 2026 (23:59 Paris time—Xavier, you can do the math for Perth 😏). Voting starts the very next minute and ends on Thursday, April 29 (23:59 Paris time). Results will be announced on Thursday, April 30, 2026... The next host can take over on Saturday, May 2 (yeah, May 1 is a no-work day 😛)

Ready, set, shoot!

Bonsoir

Une dernière pour la route 😛

Photo N° 3

Dans les environs immédiat de la ville de Xingyi (à l'architecture de style "futuriste" des plus intéressantes) à l'extremité sud-ouest du Guizhou, à proximité du Yunnan un paysage karstique connu pour les anglophones sous le nom de "Ten Thousand Peak Hills" mais que les Chinois l'appelle Wanfenglin

Bonjour, Pagal : Photo 1 : 3 points Rouquine 38 : Photo 1 : 2 points Pagal : Photo 3 : 1 points

Choix très difficile entre ces trois-là. Pour moi chacune des trois mérite les 3 points. J'ai longtemps balancé entre les deux premières. Mais aussi la troisième car j'aime beaucoup les effets de ciel chargé. Et comme il faut quand même trancher...

La photo 1 de UnaMilanese aurait été sublime en noir et blanc, j'en suis sûr.

Etant un médiocre photographe mon jugement porte d'abord sur les critères suivants: J'élimine les photos "carte postale" qu'on peut trouver sur les catalogues des voyagistes ( Ayers rock, Machu Pichu etc..) Ma préférence se porte sur les paysages sauvages colorés( je n'aime pas la dominance noire ou grise ) de montagne ou de campagne vallonnée, escarpée, rocheuse loin des agglomérations.. Absence de routes carrossables bâtiments , hotels, voies ferrées etc..

xrctn- photo 2 : 3 points- J'aime bien ces montagnes au vert peu commun, typique du Caucase. Ragamuffin photo 1 : 2 points. J'adore les reliefs karstiques bien verts et la présence du fleuve est un plus. Valmichel86 photo 2 : 1 point

PS: J'aurais voté en priorité pour les Dolomites d'Attila si on n'y voyait pas ces éléments rappelant la civilisation ( bâtiment - hôtel et routes d'accès) J'ai bien aimé aussi le paysage Drômois de Muriel 28 ( proche de Saou , que je connais bien) Le volcan au petit jour de Mégapixel. Le paysage karstique de Chine du sud ( de Ragamuffin)

Voici mon vote pour ce mois-ci:

3 points : UnaMilanese - Photo 2 - Le Odle - Dolomites Le chemin qui nous emmène vers cette petite maison et ces magnifiques montagnes.

2 points : Pagaljavab - Photo 3 - Vallée des Roses - Cappadoce Superbe vue, mais les rochers au premier plan me gène un peu. Personnellement, j'aurais recadré un peu pour les ôter. Le ciel lorsqu'il a de la matière comme c'est le cas ici, fait intégralement partie du paysage. Par contre, je rejoins Kate, le ciel est un peu trop traité, il y avait peut-être d'autres solutions que le traitement HDR qui est à mon avis toujours un peu excessif.

1 point : Ragamuffin - Photo 1 - Vang Vieng - Laos Belle ambiance avec ces restes de brume sur les roches karstiques

Bonsoir

3 points pour la photo N°1 de Sinforosa et son lac en Suisse

2 points pour la photo N°3 d'Attila et son col des 33 perroquets

1 point pour la photo N°1 de Djalma et sa vallée de Xoxo au Cap Vert

The 139th edition of this contest is now open, and this month’s theme is: « Metal, Metallic».

From ore to rockets, wire to the Eiffel Tower—or in a pinch, even a self-portrait at the bottom of a spoon—the theme is broad enough that you should be able to come up with at least three ideas pretty easily! Sure, things might get tricky when it’s time to vote, but that could just be a sign of a successful contest, right?! But we’re not there yet.

Contest rules: You can post up to three photos, each in a separate message, clearly indicating their number (1, 2, or 3) along with the location where the photo was taken. Any explanations about your photos are welcome.

You’ll vote for three photos, clearly stating the name of the participant you’ve chosen, followed by the photo number. The first photo in your vote will receive three points, the second two points, and the third one point.

The winner will be the person whose photo earns the most points. In case of a tie, the winner will be the one with the most first-place votes—or, if still tied, the most second-place votes. Finally, if it’s a perfect tie, the winner will be the one who reached their score first. The winner will then have the pleasure of choosing the theme for the April 2026 contest and organizing it. Ties for any position other than first won’t be broken. Lastly, you don’t need to participate in the contest to vote. However, participants (and I hope there’ll be lots of you!) are strongly encouraged to vote!

Please only post contest photos in this thread, and starting Thursday, March 26 (00:01 Paris time), only votes.

Key dates: You can submit your photos starting today, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, until Wednesday, March 25, 2026 (23:59 Paris time). Voting will begin the minute after and end on Monday, March 30 (23:59 Paris time). Results will be announced on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 ... if all goes well!

A discussion thread for this contest is open HERE: The photorama can be found HERE

Hello

This month’s photo contest theme for May 2026 is "Staircases"

Plural or singular? Does it really matter as long as you’re told you’ve gone up or down them well?

Anyway, it’s not that complicated, even though I’m sure some will manage to overcomplicate it—after all, why keep things simple when making them complicated is so much more fun (as an Indian proverb goes).

To participate: Submit your photos until Monday, May 25 at 11:59 PM You can post up to 3 photos, numbered and shared in separate messages, along with a short description of the location and the story behind it.

To vote: From Tuesday, May 26 at 12:01 AM until Saturday, May 30 at 11:59 PM After the deadline, it’s too late.

Please include the photo number, username, and the points awarded: Photo #1 = 3 pts Photo #2 = 2 pts Photo #3 = 1 pt

All VF members can vote (even those who didn’t submit photos). In case of a tie for first place, the winning photo will be the one with the most first-place votes, then second-place votes! The lucky winner will get to organize June 2026’s photo contest.

For discussions about the theme, click here: Discussion thread for May 2026’s theme: Staircases