MedFoto 2026 Rewards the Finest Mediterranean Perspectives

25/July/2026
Category: Social

On Friday, 24 July, the Multipurpose Hall of Club Nàutic l’Escala hosted the MedFoto 2026 Winners Announcement Ceremony, the International Mediterranean Photography Contest. The event brought together participants, jury members, institutional representatives and visitors, reaffirming the competition’s role as one of the leading initiatives dedicated to Mediterranean photography.

An Edition with International Reach

MedFoto once again demonstrated its status as a leading photography competition, with a total of 1,332 photographs submitted by 107 participants from several European and Mediterranean countries. This strong participation highlights the contest’s international reach and its ability to showcase diverse perspectives on the Mediterranean Sea.

An Overall Winner with a Powerful Message

The photograph “The Last One?”, by French photographer Oriane Jacquel, was awarded the overall winner title of MedFoto 2026. Taken on the coast of Llançà, the image stands out for its striking visual impact and the reflection it offers on the fragility of the marine environment.

In addition to the main award, the jury selected the best images in each competition category, recognising works related to landscape, wildlife, sports and leisure, maritime trades, underwater photography, conservation and climate change, the public choice category and photographic storytelling.

A Diverse View of the Mediterranean

The jury also recognised the best images in each category of the competition. Awards were presented to Katica Mustapić (Landscape), Filippo Carugati (Wildlife), Philippe Magoni (Sports and Leisure), Fernando Béjar (Maritime Trades), Xavier Mas Ferrà (Underwater Photography), Fernando Estarellas (Conservation and Climate Change), Miguel Ángel Carrión (People’s Choice) and Jan Latussek (Photo Story).

The competition also honoured several works with special awards. The L’Escala Award went to David Parrón for The Memory of Salt; the Costa Brava Award to Rosa Matesanz for Loggerhead Turtle; and the Humorous Wildlife Award to José Antonio Gil for Shopping.

The Exhibition “The Sea and the People”

The event concluded with the opening of the exhibition The Sea and the People, featuring a selection of the finalist and winning photographs from MedFoto 2026. Installed along the waiting dock at Club Nàutic l’Escala, the outdoor exhibition aims to bring photography closer to the public while strengthening the connection between the sea, people and the surrounding territory. The exhibition can be visited free of charge at the Club until 15 August 2026.

A Shared Initiative

MedFoto is an initiative promoted by Club Nàutic l’Escala and the Alive Foundation, encouraging photography as a tool for raising awareness of the Mediterranean’s environmental and human values. Through visual culture, the project helps foster understanding of the importance of protecting marine ecosystems and preserving the relationship between people and the sea.