Winners announced in Ventspils 2026 photo contest
Winners of a photography contest organized by the Ventspils Tourism Information Centre were honored at the Pārventa Library, where an exhibition of the best entries also opened. This year's contest drew 29 photographers submitting 644 images, with 42 selected for the exhibition.
On October 1, winners of the Ventspils 2026 photo contest were honored at the Pārventa Library, where an exhibition of the best submitted works also opened. The contest, organized by the Ventspils Tourism Information Centre, attracted 29 photographers this year, who together submitted 644 photographs.
This year's theme was "Light. Color. Ventspils," inviting participants to portray the city through the interplay of light and color, everyday moods, and distinctive moments. A jury of seven professionals from advertising, design, architecture, photography, and visual arts evaluated the entries anonymously, judging them on concept, creativity, composition, and technical execution.
Winners
The anonymous judging process selected 40 top photographs, and the jury added two more works to the exhibition based on their artistic merit, bringing the total to 42 displayed pieces. In the Advertising Photo category, first place went to Margarita Zvejniece, second to Renārs Boļšēvics, and third to Daiga Zvejniece. In the Art Photo category, Dace Cielava won for color photography and Monta Zīle for black-and-white photography, while Monta Zīle also took first place in the Drone Photo category. In the public online vote, Renārs Boļšēvics's entry received the most support.
Prizes and exhibition schedule
Winners received diplomas and cash prizes funded by the Ventspils city municipality. All 42 photographers whose work was chosen for the exhibition will also receive royalties for the use of their images in the city's marketing and tourism materials.
The exhibition at the Pārventa Library runs through October 29. From November 2 to 30, a selection of contest entries will travel to the National Library of Latvia in Riga, with further showings planned elsewhere in Latvia afterward.
