Denis Roussel Award 2026

The Denis Roussel Award is administered by Rfotofolio, an organization dedicated to showcasing photographers and supporting work in historical photographic processes. The award honors photographer and educator Denis Roussel, who died of cancer in 2017 — Roussel worked across landscapes, portraits, and still life, and the award reflects his belief that "there is beauty everywhere." The prize was established in 2018.

The focus is exclusively historical and alternative photographic processes — silver gelatin, platinum, palladium, gum bichromate, cyanotype, anthotype, salt prints, wet plate collodion, and similar. Inkjet prints are not eligible, and AI-generated work is excluded.

The prize structure is layered: a $2,000 main award; two $500 Merit Awards; a $500 Rfotofolio Merit Award; the Christopher James Award (a one-on-one portfolio review with the longtime juror); and additional sponsor awards from Bostick & Sullivan and Mark Nelson covering chemistry and equipment.

Past winners include Luther Gerlach (2018), Tina Rowe (2019), Lesha Rodriguez (2020), Diana Bloomfield (2021), Henri Blommers (2022), and Lisa Nebenzahl (2023). Christopher James (Lesley University College of Art and Design) has served as juror from 2020–2024.

There is no entry fee (donations optional). Applications require seven edited images and a written statement of up to two paragraphs. The 2026 cycle runs March 5 through June 27; results announced July 19.