Now in its 11th year, the World Sight Day Photo Competition invites photographers around the globe to share images that celebrate eye health and the role vision plays in everyday life.
Part of International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness’ (IAPB) global #LoveYourEyes campaign, the competition helps raise awareness of eye health, amplify personal stories, and inspire action towards eye care for all.
New for 2026: To mark the year when the first ever Global Summit for Eye Health will take place, HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, IAPB Global Ambassador, will join the judging panel. Entrants can also submit the story behind their image this year. While optional, these stories add context and highlight the people, moments, and experiences behind the photographs.
Competition categories
- Love Your Eyes: Moments that show the power of good vision in everyday life.
- Love Your Child’s Eyes: Children learning, playing, and thriving through healthy sight.
- Love Your Eyes at Work: Eye health and vision protection in the workplace.
- Love Health for All: Health professionals delivering care and ensuring no one is left behind.
- Making the World See the Value of Vision (NEW): Images that demonstrate why vision matters for education, work, independence, opportunity, and quality of life.
Judging panel
- HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, IAPB Global Ambassador
- Dr Jennifer Tsai, board-certified optometrist and medical advisor
- John Boatz, award-winning photographer
- Marijn Fidder, documentary photographer
- Michelle Sylvanowicz, VP, Global Advocacy & Access Collaborations Lead, Bayer Consumer Care AG
“The World Sight Day Photo Competition is one of the highlights of the #LoveYourEyes campaign, and we are delighted that HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh will join our judging panel this year. Every entry helps showcase the importance of healthy vision and the need to ensure everyone, everywhere can access the eye care they need. I encourage photographers of all levels to share their story with the world,” said Simon Darvill, Communications Director, IAPB.
“For the past decade, Bayer has been proud to support the World Sight Day Photo Competition, helping to bring people together around a shared goal: reducing the impact of vision impairment through collective action. This year’s call for people around the world, to share powerful images that show what it means to #LoveYourEyes, is a meaningful way to spotlight the significant unmet needs that remain — from unequal access to eye care services to the growing demands of an ageing population. We believe meaningful progress can only be achieved by working together with our partners and the wider eye health community,” said Michelle Sylvanowicz, VP Global Advocacy & Access Collaborations Lead.
The competition closes on 18 November 2026, with winners announced on 10 December 2026 (Human Rights Day). Submissions are now open at: www.iapb.world/photo_competition
Finalists from the 2025 photo competition can be found here.
