Our vision for 2026
Focus on the team
A remarkable image is always the result of close cooperation. We deliberately place the joint effort of photographers and cosplayers at the center of our competition. The creative vision and realization by both parties count equally in the VIECC® Cosplay Photography Competition.
A competition throughout the year
With three seasonal rounds, we offer a permanent stage for your art in 2026. While spring and summer will be online-only contests, the final competition in fall will be celebrated live at VIECC® 2026. This keeps the visibility for photographers and cosplayers high all year round.
Award & reach
We award prizes to the best submissions of each season and exhibit the finalist works directly at the trade fair. This will give photographers and cosplayers the visibility they deserve in front of a large audience at the Cosplay Photo Contest 2026. Your creativity can be physically experienced at Vienna Comic Con.
Innovation & creativity
We are specifically looking for works that are created with passion and the courage to experiment. This competition is a space for new perspectives in modern cosplay photography. We want to promote the realization of extraordinary projects by photographers and cosplayers.
Strong community
Networking is the key to success. We bring together the best talents of the Vienna Comic Con to strengthen the exchange between photographers and cosplayers throughout Europe. Become part of a network that connects creatives and allows the Cosplay Photo Contest and the community to grow together.
Autumn Contest
October
Spells or Chrome
Ancient magic meets dystopian high technology. For our big fall edition and the official finale of our contest year, we’ve teamed up with CD PROJEKT RED!
Under the theme “Spells or Chrome,” we’re looking for your best work from two legendary worlds: Dive into the grim dark fantasy universe of The Witcher or capture the neon-lit, chrome-plated chaos of Cyberpunk 2077 . Whether it’s arcane spellcasting in the mist of the Continent or highly modified cyberware in the alleys of Night City—show us how you bring the essence of these universes to life through lighting, costumes, and storytelling.
As the grand finale of our contest, the winning teams can look forward to more than just attractive cash and non-cash prizes: The most outstanding entries will be showcased on-site at VIECC 2026 as part of an exclusive photo exhibition. In addition, together with CD PROJEKT RED, we will be presenting two exclusive special awards for outstanding interpretations of both franchises.
Aleksander Photography
Hi, I’m Alex from Aleksander Photography.
Photography has been my passion for more than 10 years and has become a major part of my life. I’ve participated in many different photography events and contests. Traveling around the world is also part of it—and I really enjoy discovering new places and using them to capture unique atmospheres in my photos.
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved video games and everything related to them. CDPR has created two of my absolute favorite fandoms, and I’ve been a Witcher fan from the very beginning!
Being part of this photo contest is really special to me, and I can’t wait to see all the creative ideas you come up with for these fandoms!
Let’s rock Night City, Chooms!
Valentin Pictures
We recently introduced Valentin to you again and we would like to say a huge thank you to him for helping us with the implementation of the competition and making our work easier with his expertise in this area.
Since Valentin started cosplay photography in 2013, his goal has been to create images that could stand alongside other artworks in art galleries. This goal has led to a constant pursuit of better images and refining his techniques, which includes participating in photo contests. Now he is organizing this photo cosplay contest with us to bring out the best in all participants – with a theme that is also reflected in his own work: storytelling.
Picciography
Valerio, also known as “Piccio,” is a photographer based in Italy who specializes in portrait photography. He combines cosplay with the world of fashion, always striving to bring out the best in his models.
He has a genuine passion for soft, natural light and combines detailed color grading, meticulous attention to the finest details, atmospheric settings, and a fairy-tale-like touch that brings every character to life with great impact. Since he used to cosplay himself, he also knows exactly how to capture a character’s true essence!
He firmly believes that mutual agreement and collaborative project development are always the key to success!
Rules for the competition
Who can take part in the competition?
Participation in the VIECC Cosplay Photo Contest 2026 is open to anyone aged 18 and over, regardless of whether they practice photography as a hobby or professionally. The contest is open to participants from across the European region, including countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and Ukraine. It is essential that both photographer and cosplayer are of legal age at the time of entry. We value diversity and invite creatives from across Europe to submit their visions and join us in taking the art of cosplay photography to the next level.
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Minimum age: 18 years for all participants.
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Region: Residence in the EU or listed partner countries.
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Photos taken by a photographer while working on behalf of VIECC are not eligible for entry.
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Photos of the jury members are excluded from the edition they are judging.
Officially confirm your registration
To officially validate your participation, an important step is required on social media: Each participant must share the announcement of the competition in their Instagram Story. Please be sure to use our provided template with the appropriate partner subject. This measure increases the reach for our sponsors, which flows directly into the quality of the prizes for photographers and cosplayers. Unfortunately, submissions without this validated share step cannot be considered in the pre-judging of the Cosplay Photo Contest 2026. Thank you for your support in growing the community and promoting this unique art form.
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Mandatory task: Share the announcement post in the Instagram Story and tag the VIECC® Instagram account @vieccviennacomiccon.
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Template: Mandatory use of the official partner theme or Instagram post. [Links and template available starting August 17]
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Meaning: Necessary for admission to pre-judging.
- Confirmation: Our social media team will confirm your story and participation via DM.
Rules for your photo submission
We only accept original works that have never won a prize worth more than 50 euros in any other competition. A photographer may submit a maximum of three works per season. Only one submission per person is permitted.
To ensure the uniqueness and diversity of the competition, identical or closely resembling images from the same series are excluded from participation. It is the sole responsibility of the participants to fully clarify all copyrights and rights of use before the photographer and cosplayer upload the works.
As we are a family-friendly event, we only accept submissions that are safe for minors(SFW – Safe For Work). With your submission you confirm that no rights of third parties are violated.
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Limit: Maximum 3 works per photographer per season.
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Originality: No pictures that have already won major prizes.
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SFW check: Only adult content (Safe For Work) permitted.
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Rights: Full clarification of image rights by the participants.
File formats and technical requirements
Your files should not exceed 50 MB in size and should be in JPEG format. We recommend a resolution of at least 2000 pixels on the wide side and the sRGB color space. A special feature of our contest: finalists must also upload the unedited original photo. This helps the jury to objectively assess the editing performance of the photographer and cosplayer. If nominated for the grand fall final, the works will be exhibited at VIECC 2026. We also reserve the right to present the winners of the spring and summer seasons at the trade fair. We will request high-resolution print data for this at a later date.
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Format: JPEG, max. 50 MB, min. 2000 px width.
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Original: Unprocessed reference photo is mandatory.
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Finale: Possible exhibition of the works directly at the VIECC.
Craftsmanship instead of AI generation
Purely generative AI images are strictly prohibited. However, we do allow modern image editing and retouching as long as at least 50% of the original image is retained in the final work. Digital sets or pure 3D renderings are not permitted, as we want to reward the real craftsmanship of the photographer and cosplayer. AI-based tools in software such as Photoshop may be used for optimization as long as they do not completely replace the photo. Our goal is to honor the real interaction between camera and costume. In case of ambiguity, we reserve the right to request insight into the editing steps.
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AI ban: No purely generative images (AI Art) permitted.
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Editing: Permitted, provided 50% of the original photo is retained.
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Focus: Real collaboration between photographer and cosplayer.
Jury criteria and feedback process
The selection process takes place in two stages. First, the jury reviews all entries in the pre-judging stage. As the number of works can be very high, it is difficult to guarantee a detailed individual assessment at this stage. The four criteria – quality of the raw image, editing, art direction and overall impression – therefore relate primarily to the assessment of the finalists. After the competition, the finalist teams of photographer and cosplayer will receive detailed feedback. Participants without a nomination will only receive brief feedback due to the volume, as long as they have requested it when registering. In this way, we want to promote the quality of cosplay photography at VIECC 2026 in the long term.
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Stages: Pre-Judging (Top 20) and subsequent final round.
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Criteria: Raw image, editing, art direction, overall impression.
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Feedback: Individual feedback for finalists on request.
Rights holder and user agreement
You retain all copyrights to your works. However, by participating, you grant the VIECC the non-exclusive right to use the images for a period of five years for advertising purposes, social media and exhibitions. Photographer and cosplayer will always be mentioned by name, provided this is technically feasible. We reserve the right to slightly crop images for publications or prints in order to adapt them to the respective layout. The use of your works primarily serves to promote the competition and increase visibility for the entire cosplay scene. There is no financial compensation for this use.
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Copyright: All copyrights remain with you.
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Usage: For details on promotion usage, see rules PDF.
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Credits: Attribution of photographer and cosplayer guaranteed.
Download complete guidelines
Although we have summarized the most important points here, the full PDF rules are the legally binding basis for your participation. There you will find all the details on disclaimers, data protection regulations and the exact procedure for notifying winners. We ask every photographer and cosplayer to read the document carefully before submitting to avoid any misunderstandings. If your contact details change after registration, please inform us immediately so that we can contact you in case you win the prize.
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Legally binding: The PDF regulations are the final basis.
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Completeness: Contains all details on liability and data protection.
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Download: Download the document for 2026 here: [Link PDF].
FAQ – Frequently asked questions
Discover Our Winners and Finalists from the Spring Edition
Discover Our Winners and Finalists from the Spring Edition
Outstanding works by photographers and cosplayers.
Finalist, Spring Edition 2026
All the details about the Spring Edition 2026
Spring Edition
April
What was your favorite photo in 2025
Topic: Spring Contest
My favorite cosplay photo from 2025
We are kicking off the first round of the Cosplay Photo Contest 2026 with a look back at your highlights. Photographers and cosplayers can now submit their best joint works from the past year. The submission phase runs until the beginning of May and we will present the finalists at the end of May. Take this opportunity for a strong start to the season and secure the first high-quality prizes of the year!
Gryphinic
Gryphinic has been an integral part of the cosplay community since 2009 and has been capturing the magic of the scene as a professional photographer since 2019.
In her work, she emphasizes connection, communication and close collaboration with her models to bring characters to life through thoughtful concepts. Thanks to her artistic background, she creates clear, cinematic shots that tell a unique story through striking colors, targeted framing and lighting.
Her goal is to constantly learn, to network worldwide and to create meaningful photographs that go beyond the moment.
Valentin Pictures
We recently introduced Valentin to you again and we would like to say a huge thank you to him for helping us with the implementation of the competition and making our work easier with his expertise in this area.
Since Valentin started cosplay photography in 2013, his goal has been to create images that could stand alongside other artworks in art galleries. This goal has led to a constant pursuit of better images and refining his techniques, which includes participating in photo contests. Now he is organizing this photo cosplay contest with us to bring out the best in all participants – with a theme that is also reflected in his own work: storytelling.
michelminum
minum discovered his passion for cosplay photography in 2013 after making the move from film to photography – since then he has worked tirelessly to further refine and perfect his craft.
His roots in the photography industry allowed him to gain valuable experience in fashion editorials; the focus on storytelling as well as special textile and lighting techniques proved to be the perfect match for his cosplay photography.
For several years now, he has also been passing on his knowledge in various photo workshops at various conventions in order to share his expertise with the community and grow together.
Summer Contest
June
A breath of freedom
Topic: Summer Contest
Suspended in Time
Life flies by in the blink of an eye, but the camera freezes fleeting moments forever. For “Suspended in Time,” we’re looking for motion captured in a single frame: from a powerful blow in battle to the elegant flutter of a cape to a message secretly passed. What moment defines your character? Capture the energy—whether it’s spectacular action or a quiet, subtle gesture in the midst of movement. Show us not just the cosplay, but the story and the dynamics behind it. Capture the magic that would otherwise vanish in an instant!
