An exclusive collaboration between 500px and Trip.com
We’re inviting photographers to capture three iconic cities from a fresh, cinematic perspective. This isn’t about postcard photography. It’s about atmosphere, motion, scale, and storytelling that elevate landmark photography beyond the obvious.
Submissions are open from March 3, 2026 and close on April 16, 2026.
Trip.com is a leading global travel agency, helping millions of travellers discover destinations, book experiences, and explore the world with confidence. Through its platform, Trip.com showcases cities, attractions, and cultural highlights to a worldwide audience. This collaboration offers photographers the opportunity to have their work featured editorially on a global travel platform, placing strong city imagery directly in front of international travellers.
If you have a compelling travel archive or access to one of these cities, this is your opportunity to turn landmark photography into meaningful editorial exposure.
This Quest series rewards both standout individual images and consistent quality across submissions.
Between 20 and 50 photos will be selected to be featured editorially on Trip.com.
Each selected photo will earn its photographer an editorial licensing fee per image.
Multiple photographers may be selected. Individual photographers may also have multiple photos chosen.
For each Quest Trip.com and 500px Editors will select one Grand Prize Winner.
The winner will be chosen based on:
The Grand Prize will range between $20 and $50 USD, with the final amount determined by the total number of that photographer’s selected images featured on Trip.com.
We’re launching the first chapter of Destinations in Focus with three iconic cities; Madrid, Amsterdam, and Edinburgh with more destinations to be announced soon.
Madrid is a city of movement and warmth, from late-night streets glowing under golden light to bustling markets layered with texture and life. The visual language here is dynamic. Think scale, motion, and energy that feels lived-in rather than staged.
We’re looking for images that capture the vibrancy of the city through immersive angles and thoughtful composition.
Featured locations include:
Consider using long exposures to capture motion, golden-hour light to add atmosphere, or layered compositions that place the viewer directly inside the scene.
Get inspired
Submit your photos
Amsterdam offers a quieter, more atmospheric visual experience. Its canals, layered bridges, and architectural symmetry create natural opportunities for depth and reflection. Subtlety works here, framing, mist, and careful balance can transform familiar landmarks into compelling imagery.
We’re looking for compositions that feel intentional and immersive, where perspective and light guide the viewer through the frame.
Featured locations include:
Use foreground elements, reflections, or elevated viewpoints to create depth. Focus on clean composition and strong landmark clarity.
Get inspired
Submit your photos
Edinburgh brings contrast and drama. Historic architecture meets shifting skies, and weather often becomes part of the story. The city’s layered skyline and strong silhouettes lend themselves to powerful, cinematic compositions.
We’re looking for images that use scale, light, and environment to create impact, photographs that feel grounded yet atmospheric.
Featured locations include:
Low angles, dramatic clouds, twilight transitions, and architectural contrast can all elevate a familiar location into something distinctive.
Get inspired
Submit your photos
Selected images will be featured editorially on Trip.com, where they will help illustrate destinations and attractions to a global travel audience.
Because these images may be used in an editorial context, professional standards matter.
To strengthen your chances of selection:
Strong metadata is equally important. Accurate titles and keywords improve discoverability and editorial usability.
Please review the following carefully before submitting:
No watermarks, date stamps, or other added visual elements within the photo.
Some travel images stay on social media.
The strongest ones reach a global audience.
This is your opportunity to elevate travel photography into something lasting and place your work in front of a global travel audience.
This is just the beginning. More cities are coming.
Submit your photos now.
Submissions close March 17, 2026, at 10:40 PM ET.
The post Destinations in Focus: Cities Through a Cinematic Lens appeared first on 500px.
