SAY CHEESE! is a photography contest conducted by Le Festival Français in conjunction with Alliances Française and the French Embassy in Australia.
Submissions Open 1–30 September 2026!
Two hundred years ago, someone captured the world and changed it forever ... Now, it's your turn!
Say Cheese! is a photography contest open to everyone across Australia, brought to you by the Alliance Française network to mark the Bicentenary of Photography. No theme, no rules of subject — just your eye, your light, and your story.
Whether you shoot on your camera or your phone, this is your moment to be part of a global celebration that started in a small French village two centuries ago — and hasn't stopped since.
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.
PRIZES:
Overall Winner
- $200 Cash courtesy of the French Embassy in Australia
- $200 Framing Voucher courtesy of Geelong Picture Framers
Highly Commended
- $100 Cash courtesy of Le Festival Français
- $100 Framing Voucher courtesy of Geelong Picture Framers
Public Popular Vote
- $100 Cash courtesy of Le Festival Français
- $100 Framing Voucher courtesy of Geelong Picture Framers
Plus a $100 Framing Voucher courtesy of Geelong Picture Framers for one lucky Public Voter
The Winning entry will be showcased at national level across the Alliance Française Australia network and the French Embassy in Australia. A National Winner will be selected by public vote.
SAY CHEESE! SPONSORS
ENTRY Guidelines:
- Photographs in JPG or PNG format
(refer to Terms and Conditions)
- One submission per participant
- Submit photo after 1 September via the button below
- By submitting your entry, you agree to the Contest Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
KEY DATES:
Submissions Open 1 September 2026
Submissions Close 30 September 2026
Winners Announced 24 October at Le Festival Français
Popular Vote Prizes will be advised 27 October after Le Festival Français
QUESTIONS
Contact Alliance Française de Geelong here or contestsaycheese@gmail.com
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
© David Dare Parker
About the Alliance Française Network in Australia
The Alliance Française Australia network was created to promote the French language and culture, and to encourage cultural, intellectual, and artistic exchange between Australia and the French-speaking world. Since 1989, the annual Alliance Française French Film Festival has become a major event in Australia, bringing the best of French cinema down under.
Today, 29 Alliances Françaises operate throughout Australia as not-for-profit organisations, as do more than 800 chapters worldwide.
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.
