Waterways Around the World: January 2026 Photo Contest
The first theme of 2026 is:
"Waterways Around the World".
Water is present almost everywhere on our blue planet, so I’ve narrowed the theme down to waterways—rivers, streams, brooks, and the like.
Seas, oceans, lakes, or other stagnant waters won’t be considered for this month’s theme 😅. However, waterfalls and cascades are very welcome 😊!
Practical details:
**Participation** Each VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Sunday, January 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 (commentary, 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 Monday, January 26th to Saturday, January 31st at 11:59 PM Paris time.
Photos should 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 February 1st. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing February 2026’s contest.
Photos that have already been nominated (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) in another contest are not eligible to participate in this one.
This thread is exclusively for contest photo submissions. All discussions, comments, and chit-chat should take place in the thread: here
Water is present almost everywhere on our blue planet, so I’ve narrowed the theme down to waterways—rivers, streams, brooks, and the like.
Seas, oceans, lakes, or other stagnant waters won’t be considered for this month’s theme 😅. However, waterfalls and cascades are very welcome 😊!
Practical details:
**Participation** Each VF member can submit up to 3 photos, until Sunday, January 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 (commentary, 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 Monday, January 26th to Saturday, January 31st at 11:59 PM Paris time.
Photos should 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 February 1st. In case of a tie, the number of first-place votes will decide. The winner will have the honor of organizing February 2026’s contest.
Photos that have already been nominated (1st, 2nd, or 3rd place) in another contest are not eligible to participate in this one.
This thread is exclusively for contest photo submissions. All discussions, comments, and chit-chat should take place in the thread: here
Yeah, Australia isn’t exactly known for its stunning rivers. This one is the second-longest in the state (820 km), except it’s pretty much always dry... unless there’s a major cyclone. The last one, Emma in 2006, caused it to overflow its banks, and in some places, it stretched 20 kilometers wide.
Photo #1
Photo #2
Photo No. 3
This is the river that flows through the Perth metropolitan area. Stretching 72 kilometers, it was named by Dutch navigator Willem de Vlamingh, who was surprised to discover black swans there in 1697. French explorer Nicolas Baudin explored it in 1801, and the English laid the first stone of the city, which took the name Perth, in 1829. Its shape is somewhat unique as it forms several large bodies of water between Perth and Fremantle, where it meets the Indian Ocean. HERE (photo taken this morning near the red marker)
First encounter with a legendary river in Cambodia: the Mekong
