In October, Melbourne’s Hillvale Gallery will once again transform into one of the most democratic spaces for photography in Australia. From 10 October to 16 November, the Hillvale Photo Trophy returns for its third edition, inviting photographers of every background to submit their work. Submissions are open now and will close on 14 September, or earlier if the gallery reaches capacity.
Founded in 2022 by Hillvale Gallery and Hillvale Photo, the Trophy has already established itself as the largest exhibition of photographic entries in the country. Its format is radical in its simplicity: every photograph entered is printed and displayed in a dense, salon-style installation. There is no shortlist, no secret judging panel, no hidden hierarchy. Instead, the exhibition becomes a sprawling landscape of images—portraits beside landscapes, abstractions alongside experiments—each given equal footing. Last year, more than 900 photographs filled the gallery walls.
For photographers, the Trophy offers more than just the satisfaction of seeing their work exhibited. It provides visibility, an opportunity to place one’s practice in dialogue with hundreds of others, and the knowledge that entry fees directly sustain the gallery and its artists. Hillvale is fully independent and self-funded; the competition functions as both exhibition and fundraiser, with proceeds supporting artist fees, exhibition development, and the expansion of creative space. To enter is to join a community, but also to help ensure its survival.
The submission process is deliberately accessible. Entrants provide a print-ready digital file—minimum 2,900 pixels on the short edge, free of watermarks or AI-generated imagery. Each photograph is printed by the gallery on Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl paper, sized according to its aspect ratio (8×8, 8×10, or 8×12 inches). The entry fee is $35 per work, with a maximum of three submissions per person. At the end of the exhibition, prints can be posted back for $10, or recycled.
Prizes add another dimension. A $1,500 cash award will go to the most outstanding entry, chosen by judges and announced at the opening night celebration on Friday 10 October. The People’s Print Award—decided by the number of sales during the exhibition—carries a $500 Hillvale voucher. Additional awards come courtesy of the competition’s partners: a Pentax 17 camera, a one-of-a-kind Crumpler × Hillvale bag, Ilford and Fujifilm film bundles, a $500 Frame of Mind framing voucher, a $350 Wetlab darkroom voucher, and a book bundle from Perimeter.
The event’s scope and ambition are made possible with the support of ILFORD Imaging as major paper partner, Thirds Fine Art Printing, and prize partners Pentax, Fujifilm, Crumpler, Frame of Mind, Wetlab, and Perimeter Books. Their involvement reinforces Hillvale’s reputation as a hub for emerging photography, where industry and community converge to nurture new work.
But beyond the prizes and the numbers, what sets the Hillvale Photo Trophy apart is its atmosphere. For six weeks, Hillvale Gallery becomes a living archive of vision—hundreds of perspectives pressed together, overlapping, sometimes colliding. The exhibition is not about crowning a single winner, but about assembling a community and showing how broad, inventive, and restless photography can be.
Entries close at 11:59 pm AEST on Sunday 14 September 2025. The exhibition runs from 10 October to 16 November at Hillvale Gallery in Brunswick. Submissions are open now via phototrophy.com.au. Every accepted file will be printed. Every image will be seen.
