📸 SAY CHEESE! – PHOTO COMPETITION 2026

Grab your camera and tell a story!

Alliance Française de Newcastle is delighted to take part in Say Cheese!, a national photography competition organised by the Embassy of France in Australia, bringing together Alliances Françaises from across the country to celebrate the Bicentenary of Photography.

📸 Two hundred years ago, someone captured the world and changed it forever. Now, it’s your turn!

Whether you’re a passionate photographer or simply love capturing special moments, Say Cheese! invites you to get creative, pick up your camera or phone, and share the world through your eyes.

There is no set theme and no required subject — just your eye, your light and your story.

Photography began with an extraordinary experiment in a small French village two centuries ago and went on to transform the way we capture our lives, our surroundings and our memories.

Now it’s your chance to be part of that story.

Take your best shot. Share your perspective. And Say Cheese! 📷🇫🇷

The competition is open to everyone across Australia, so whether you are an experienced photographer or simply enjoy taking photos on your phone, we would love to see what inspires you.

📅 KEY DATES

Entries open: 1 September 2026

Entries close: 30 September 2026

Newcastle jury selection: October 2026

Local winner announced: Early November 2026

National competition: Late 2026

HOW TO ENTER:  

​1.  Take a photo, or dig up a favourite you have already taken - any subject, any style

2.  Give your photo a title in French language

3.  Submit your photo between 1-30 September 2026 

4.  That’s it!

The contest is free and open to everyone in Australia over the age of 16, no matter your experience. You don't need to be a member or student of the Alliance Française to participate.

FROM NEWCASTLE TO THE NATIONAL COMPETITION

Our local jury will meet in October to select the Alliance Française de Newcastle winning photograph.

Later in 2026, the competition will move to the national stage, with promotion and voting for the Australian winner through the French Embassy's campaign.

With 23 Alliances Françaises participating across Australia, this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the creativity and diversity of our French-speaking and Francophile communities.

🏆  PRIZES:

​Overall Winner
- $200 Cash courtesy of the French Embassy in Australia
 
Highly Commended
- $200 Credit towards any French Class courses with Alliance française de Newcastle 

🇫🇷 READY TO SAY CHEESE?

Get your camera or phone ready and start thinking about your photograph!

ENTRIES OPEN 1 SEPTEMBER 2026

👉 ENTER THE SAY CHEESE! PHOTO COMPETITION

Click here to submit your picture - lINK TO BE ADDED 1 SEPTEMBER Click here to submit your picture - lINK TO BE ADDED 1 SEPTEMBER

Submission Guidelines

Photographs in JPG or PNG format

• One submission per participant
• Send your photo by using the form that will be available on this page from 1 September
• By submitting, you agree to the Contest Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Please read the full competition Terms and Conditions and privacy information before submitting your entry.

Bonne chance à tous ! 📸

Say Cheese! is proud to have Martine Perret, renowned French-Australian photographer, as Ambassador​

 Photography is my language for articulating ideas and creating dialogue. I see the process as relational - built on trust, collaboration, and ensuring the people I work with have agency in how they are represented. I believe photography can be a form of social engagement and meaningful change. The bicentenary represents an opportunity not only to reflect on the past, but to question whose histories have been remembered and whose have been overlooked.

​I encourage photographers from across the Alliance Française network in Australia to take part in this competition. Your perspective matters, and your images will become part of the bicentenary of photography. Say Cheese! 

Martine Perret

About the Bicentenary of Photography

In 1826–1827, French inventor Joseph Nicéphore Niépce captured what is considered the world's first photograph from the window of his Burgundy estate, “Point de Vue du Gras”. That single image launched a revolution that transformed art, science, journalism, memory, and everyday life across the globe.

Two hundred years later, photography is more alive — and more democratic — than ever. Say Cheese! is the Australian francophile community's contribution to this extraordinary anniversary.

 To know more about the Bicentenary of photography, visit the Ministère de la Culture website.

Point de vue du Gras – The original plate is on display at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas in Austin.