It All Begins Here: The First Leica Society International Monthly Challenge

It’s been a long road putting together the LSI Competitions module. In April 2026, we shared the first results from the project—and what results they are!

The idea of the project was to provide a place for photographers to show their images to great advantage, but also to encourage them to join LSI. So we devised a model where there would be open Monthly Challenges which anyone can enter using any combination of cameras or lenses. Initially at least there is a Colour Challenge and a Monochrome Challenge. Photographers may enter up to three images a day in each challenge; you can view, like and comment on other people’s images. To enter these challenges you do not need to be an LSI member, However, shortly we will be introducing individual themed competitions with fantastic prizes, which will only be open to LSI members. 

To make it as inclusive as possible, we decided we would select 36 winning images each month, with only one allowed by each photographer. Little did we imagine how wonderful the standard would be for the first month! It has been my privilege to curate the images for April 2026. It has been a real pleasure to go through 600 or so photographs — and deciding which deserved special mention. The standard has been so much higher than we expected, and we would like to thank everyone who have made the effort to participate in a new project. Hopefully next month we will get even more great images as you all realise the potential of the new platform.

Winning Selections | The Process

When looking at the images, I first picked a ‘long list’ of the pictures which I liked, without even looking at the photographer’s name. So some of the photographers had a number of images, indeed Victoria Hines had 17 Images in my long list, at least a half of which would have been included in the best 36, but the rule is one snap per person. I’m sure that you will agree Victoria’s ‘School’s Out’ image is a fantastic piece of work. If you are interested in my Long Lists, here is a link to an Adobe gallery — as well as links to the final 36 winners in both of our innaugural colour and monochrome challenges:

• Colour Long List

• Monochrome Long List

• Colour 36 Winners

• Monochrome 36 Winners

If your image is featured -- CONGRATULATIONS! If not please try again next month, post pictures, like and comment, and perhaps learn a little from the fantastic work of others. What a great start!