World Anthotype Day

World Anthotype Day is an annual celebration of the anthotype process — a 19th-century photographic technique that uses plant-based emulsions and sunlight to make images. The event runs from August 1 through the last Saturday in October each year, with submissions free and open to anyone working with the process. The 2026 cycle closes October 31.

Entries require three components: a written description of the process used (including the plant material, exposure time, and any layering), the final anthotype image at 2,500 pixels minimum, and a photograph of the source plant taken before processing. Each non-member submits a single print, made within the prior twelve months. Files go via WeTransfer, Dropbox, or Google Drive to anthotype@alternativephotography.com.

Selected work is featured across AlternativePhotography.com (~85,000 monthly visitors), the site's Facebook (12,000+ followers), Instagram (14,000), and YouTube channels. Exceptional images are considered for inclusion in the Anthotype Emulsions book series. There is no cash prize — recognition is editorial.

The event was originally held in August but moved to October after a participant survey: 99% of respondents preferred the later window for longer exposure times and access to ripe plant material. AlternativePhotography.com is a non-profit and runs the event without sponsor backing. The site's resource library lists 25+ commonly-used plants — beetroot, blackberry, butterfly pea, turmeric, walnut — and explicitly encourages experimentation with unusual emulsions.