SENKO 2026 — Open for Submissions

For the SENKO 2026 Competition, we invite high school students across Thailand to explore their communities and share meaningful local stories through photography. This competition is an opportunity for students to express their perspectives, develop storytelling skills, and rediscover the value of their local culture.

🥇Prizes

1) 👑 Winning Team

The winning team including the supervising teacher will go on an all-expenses-paid one week trip to Hokkaido, Japan (August 17 ~ 23, 2026) , where they will represent Thailand at the Higashikawa Youth Photo Festival

2) 🫂 Audience Favorite Team

Our judges will select the 10 finalist teams, whose photos and videos will be shared on our social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook) for our followers to vote for the audience’s favorite team. The team will be rewarded with 15,000THB!

3) 📄 Certificates

Winning Team — SENKO Jury Award
Audience Favorite Team — SENKO Audience Choice Award
Top 10 Finalists — SENKO Official Selection Award
All Participants — SENKO Certificate of Creative Storytelling

📅 Submission Deadline

The final deadline for submissions will be June 7, 2026 at 11:59PM. Any submissions after this will not be accepted.

👥 Eligibility

Open to students with Thai citizenship who are currently in Grades 10–12 (Mor 4–6) and who will still be enrolled in highschool when the new academic year begins in May 2026. Please note that if you have graduated highschool, we unfortunately cannot accept your application.
Teams must consist of three students and one supervising teacher from the same school.
Schools may submit multiple teams, and teachers may supervise more than one team.

Story Theme

This year’s theme is “Local Charm”. Capture the unique character of any place through visual storytelling — whether it’s your own community or somewhere that reflects meaningful cultural, social, or environmental identity.

✅ Submission Requirement

Each team must submit the following materials.

1. 📸 Photoseries

a. Six (6) final selected photographs
b. Corresponding original files (RAW files for camera users, unretouched)
c. File format: JPEG

2. ✍️ Written Materials & Group Photo

a. The story of the six photos and the inspiration behind the photo series (theme, concept, location, subjects, etc.) — max. 150 words
b. An explanation of the retouching process including tools and adjustments used for the photos — max. 100 words
c. One creative group photo of the three students

3. 🎬 Video Material

a. Submit one vertical video that brings your team and photos to life — this is your chance to go beyond the images!
1. Length: max.. 2.5 minutes
2. Format: 9:16 (optimized for social media)
b. Some ideas of what you can include and do
1. A strong hook in the first 5 seconds
2. Who you are — your names, school, province
3. The story behind your work — what you felt, what you found difficult, what was fun, etc.
4. How you created your work — your process, your challenges, memorable moments, etc.

4. 🔁 Share your story with friends and family! !

a. Post your photos on at least one team member’s Instagram account
b. Follow and Tag @senkostory in the post
c. Add #SENKO2026 in the caption

NOTE:

There is no “correct” formula for the video material.. Your video can be cinematic, vlog-style, documentary-style, etc.. Be creative, be original, have fun with it. This video will be a part of the judging criteria
Tip: Think about videos you enjoy on social media — what makes them work?

🏆 Judging Criteria

📸 Photo will be evaluated based on:

a. Theme
How well do the photos and story align with the theme?

b. Message
What is the message? How effectively is it conveyed?

c. Expression
Composition, lighting, balance, framing, and technical quality.

d. Timing
How well is the decisive moment captured?

e. Authenticity
Originality and uniqueness of both photos and narrative.

f. Motivation
Clarity & depth in describing the creative development

🎬 Video will be evaluated based on:

a. Clarity of Communication
How clearly can you explain your concepts and inspirations?

b. Creativity & Authenticity
Originality in presentation and approach.

c. Engagement
Is your video fun to watch?

d. Execution
Overall production quality and editing/pacing.

📝 The Use of AI or Image Manipulation

Basic retouching (e.g. exposure, color correction, cropping) is permitted.

However, AI-generated content or any form of image fabrication is strictly prohibited, including the use of software (e.g. Photoshop) to add, insert, or artificially create visual elements.

All submissions may be reviewed using AI detection tools.

Teams found to have used AI-generated or manipulated content will be disqualified. SENKO reserves the right to restrict future participation from any school with multiple violations.

📜 Media Consent

By submitting to SENKO 2026, participants confirm that permission has been obtained from a parent or legal guardian for SENKO to use submitted materials for communication and promotional purposes.

This includes:

Participants’ first names, school, and province
Team group photos
Submitted photographs and videos

These materials may be shared across SENKO’s website, social media platforms, and other related promotional channels.

Download the consent form here and have your parents/legal guardian sign it.

📅 Results & Public Voting

June 7 – Submission Deadline

June 11 – Top 10 Teams and their photos/videos will be shared on social media