MANILA, Philippines (May 2026) — A photo taken on your phone could win you a trip abroad — or bring international travelers straight to the Philippines.
TECNO has officially launched the Shot On CAMON Contest 2026 in partnership with Lonely Planet, marking the third edition of the annual global mobile photography competition. This year’s theme, “Seeing is Believing,” is a direct push against the AI-generated image wave: every entry must start from a real, unmanipulated photograph captured on a TECNO CAMON 50 Series device.
The contest runs from May 15 to October 11, 2026, and is open to smartphone photographers worldwide — but TECNO Philippines is sweetening the deal significantly for local participants.
Kelvinmarkulit leads the Philippine push
TECNO Philippines has named Kelvinmarkulit, a visual storyteller known for his candid, unfiltered portraits of everyday Filipino life, as the official CAMON Photography Ambassador for the contest’s Philippine leg. He will co-create promotional content, serve as a regional judge for local entries, and join the winner’s journey trip.
His appointment is a signal that TECNO isn’t just looking for technically polished shots — it wants images with honesty and heart.
Five categories, five ways of seeing
Entries fall under five creative categories:
- Faces Unfiltered — Authentic portraits capturing real skin tones, expressions, and individuality
- Night Unveiled — After-dark scenes: neon streets, rain reflections, city life after midnight
- Culture Unscripted — Festivals, food, crafts, and unplanned human moments as they naturally happen
- Snapshot Unspotted (Telephoto Special) — Distant details that reveal something intimate or easy to miss
- AI Unimagined (AI Gallery Special) — Submit your original photo alongside an AI-styled version created using TECNO’s AI Gallery feature; both images must be submitted together
Big prizes at the top — and a local award for Pinoys
The global prize pool is substantial. The TECNO Photography Master winner takes home $8,000 (approx. PHP 464,000). Five Gold Prize winners each receive $3,000 (approx. PHP 174,000), five Silver Prize winners get $2,000 (approx. PHP 116,000), and five Bronze Prize winners receive $1,000 (approx. PHP 58,000). Ten participants will also be selected as TECNO Friends and each receive a CAMON 50 Series smartphone.
The top prize winner and all five Gold Prize winners will also be invited on a curated trip to the Philippines, organized in partnership with Lonely Planet.
For Pinoy participants, there’s an additional layer: the Filipino Special Award. Six local winners will be named CAMON Photography Endorsers in the Philippines, each receiving a Lonely Planet bespoke trip and a CAMON 50 Series smartphone. Five of those slots go to image submissions across any category; one slot is reserved for video submissions via Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, or TikTok. Video entries are informal and not eligible for global prizes but automatically qualify for this local award.
How to enter
Post your photo on Instagram with a visible TECNO device watermark, using the hashtags #ShotOnCAMON2026, #TECNOCAMON50Series, and #TECNOPhilippines. Then submit the high-resolution version via email at [email protected] or through the ShotOnCAMON Gallery on TECNO Philippines’ official website.
All entries must be original. Duplicate submissions are disqualified. Winning photos will be featured in global media exhibitions, TECNO’s annual photo book, and across official TECNO platforms.
Full contest mechanics are available at TECNO’s official website or via @tecnomobileph on Instagram.
