Photo Mode Awards

The PMAs 2026 judging panel is completed by Shauna Jones! Photographer, Community Manager, and Virtual Photography Community founder. A decade at Ubisoft working on titles like The Division 2, Avatar, and Just Dance underpins her strong creative perspective.

The Photo Mode Awards begin in a few days, and we’re so excited to see the community come alive! Submissions open June 1st!

From indie roots to Remedy Entertainment, Juhani Jokinen brings nearly two decades of game world design to The PMAs 2026 judging panel. As Associate Art Director behind worlds like Alan Wake 2, seeing virtual photographers capture his work is his greatest reward.

A decade into her journey at CD PROJEKT RED, Amelia Korzycka brings her gamer-to-gamer philosophy to The PMAs 2026 judging panel. As Expert Community & Social Media Manager, she understands deeply how a single virtual photograph can capture a moment that leaves you speechless.

505 Games' Director of Global Community, Antonela Pounder, takes her place on The PMAs 2026 judging panel. With 14 years and 30+ titles deep — from Ubisoft Reflections to 505, across Watch_Dogs, Death Stranding & Blades of Fire. A photographer at heart, on and off the screen.

Lisa Tao, Communications Specialist at Bethesda APAC, joins The PMAs 2026 judging panel. Two years connecting communities across Japan and Greater China on Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76 & DOOM. To Lisa, virtual photography is storytelling at its most personal.

The PMAs 2026 judging panel welcomes Rafał Majzer, Senior 3D Animator at 11 bit Studios. With ten years bringing characters to life and a direct hand in The Alters' photo mode, few understand the art of the still frame quite like Rafał. A great fit for our panel!

We're excited to have Andre Revolution join the judging panel for the 2026 PMAs! Featured by NVIDIA for work that “blurs the lines between gaming and real life", Andre brings a fantastic eye for cinematic virtual photography, and we’re thrilled to have him onboard this year!

The PMAs 2026 judging panel welcomes Kim Norman, Senior Community Manager at Bethesda APAC. With a decade behind Starfield, Fallout, and The Elder Scrolls across ANZ, Kim brings a deep appreciation for virtual photography and the craft and creativity behind every capture.

Joining The PMAs judging panel for 2026 is Con Tsompanis, PR Manager at Bandai Namco AU. 15 years behind some of ANZ's biggest launches — Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3 & FF7. A lifelong gamer whose passion started with Alex Kidd on the Master System.

Claudia Ciardi, Senior Social & Community Manager at NVIDIA GeForce Brazil, joins the Photo Mode Awards 2026 judging panel. Inspired by Nintendo and Blizzard, she brings a sharp creative eye. You’ve seen her “Real or NVIDIA Photo Mode?” challenge… now she’s judging the best.

Laura Beitzel, Senior Community Manager at CD Projekt Red, has spent over a decade shaping player communities and social media strategies. A passionate advocate for Virtual Photography as an art form, she is proud to be judging the 2026 Photo Mode Awards!

Juha Vainio, Executive Producer of Control Resonant at Remedy Entertainment, joins our expert judging panel in 2026! With 13 years in games, from Angry Birds to Control, he’s a huge advocate for virtual photography and the stories it captures!

🚨 TIME IS ALMOST UP! You have 24 hours! That's it! Nominate your favourite creator for Creator of the Year in 2026. One click. One nomination. Don't miss your chance! Link below!

48 hours to go! ⏰ That's all that stands between your favourite creator and the recognition they deserve! Nominations for Creator of the Year 2026 close soon, don't miss it! Details at the link below!

Creator of the Year 2026 takes the crown and the prizes! Games piled high, capped with an Assassin’s Creed Shadows Collector’s Edition that demands attention. A prize that hits as hard as the efforts behind the work. Nomination details below!

Different styles. Different voices. One standard. The Creator of the Year 2026 is building serious momentum. Creators doing things their own way are pushing the scene forward. If someone’s been on your radar, back them and nominate them now! Details below!

The search for Creator of the Year 2026 starts now! From emerging creators to seasoned artists, this is about the ones shaping the scene in their own way. If that’s you, or someone you’ve been watching, step forward and nominate! Details below!

Photo Mode Awards returns June 1st. Another year of incredible virtual photography, creative minds, and moments captured from the games we love. Whether you’re a veteran or entering for the first time, this is your stage to create, compete, and inspire. #thepmas #virtualphotography

We're excited to have Amelia Kołat return to The PMAs judging panel for 2025! At CD PROJEKT RED since 2015, she’s grown from support roles to community management, bringing a strong passion for virtual photography and a talent for storytelling through in-game imagery.

We're excited to welcome back Antonela Pounder, Director of Digital Content & Engagement at 505 Games, to The PMAs judging panel! Antolena has over 13 years in the industry, having worked on 30+ titles like Death Stranding and the upcoming Blades of Fire.

We're pleased to welcome back Claudia Ciardi, Social and Community Manager at NVIDIA, to The PMAs 2025 judging panel. Since joining NVIDIA in 2016, Claudia has brought a deep passion for gaming to her work across communications, marketing, and editorial content.

We’re excited to welcome Liz Barlow to The PMAs 2025 judging panel! At Santa Monica Studio for the past 4 years, Liz has focused on building meaningful connections between players and developers, while actively supporting the Photo Mode community and celebrating fan creativity.

Mark your calendars! The 2025 Photo Mode Awards open for registrations in less than a week — June 10th!

Aaron Espinoza returns to The PMAs judging panel for 2025. A long time PlayStation and Insomniac fan turned community manager, he's the driving force behind the #InsomGamesCommunity hashtag, showcasing and celebrating creativity from across the community. Welcome back, Aaron!

Join us and welcome Chris Gregory, Art Director at Frontier Developments to the judging panel for The PMAs in 2025. With a strong background in environment design, promotional art, and virtual photography, Chris brings a well-rounded creative eye to this year’s panel

Join us and welcome Shauna Jones back to The PMAs judging panel! With 10+ years in the industry, she’s worked on titles like The Division 2 and Just Dance. A passionate photographer in and out of games, Shauna champions standout community creativity

Please welcome Dan McKim to the 2025 The PMAs judging panel! With 13 years at Santa Monica Studio and now Art Director, Dan’s worked on God of War Ragnarök, standout indie titles, and film—bringing a rich, creative perspective to this year’s awards.

Join us in welcoming Samir Arabi-Eter, Global Community Manager IO Interactive to #ThePMAs judging panel for 2025. With 20 years in community events, charity work, and e-sports, Samir has supported creators of all sizes. At IOI, Samir works on HITMAN, Project 007, and more.

Meet Paul! With almost 20 years in gaming and 7 at Frontier, he's a passionate community voice and virtual photography fan. From Elite Dangerous to Jurassic World, he lives for player creativity—and we’re thrilled to have him judging the Photo Mode Awards 2025!

Meet Juha Vainio, Executive Producer at Remedy Entertainment. With 13 years in the industry, he’s worked on iconic titles from Angry Birds to Control, where he now leads the franchise. A big supporter of virtual photography — great to have you, Juha!

Meet Juha Vainio, Executive Producer at Remedy Entertainment. With 13 years in the industry, he’s worked on iconic titles from Angry Birds to Control, where he now leads the franchise. A big supporter of virtual photography — great to have you, Juha!

Please welcome back Laura Beitzel, Senior Community Manager at CD PROJEKT RED, to #ThePMAs. Previously, Laura worked at Ubisoft ANZ on titles such as Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance. Passionate about virtual photography, she is always inspired by the creativity of the community!

Join us in welcoming Kim Bender, Senior Community Manager at Bethesda APAC, to the #ThePMAs 2025 judging panel! Kim has worked on major franchises like Fallout, DOOM, and Elder Scrolls Online, and is inspired by virtual photographers who creatively bring game worlds to life.

Kevin McAllister is back on #ThePMAs judging panel for 2025! Kevin started as a content creator before joining Bend Studio, where he has spent four years working in Accessibility and Outreach and now is the Creative and Product Lead on Days Gone Remastered. Welcome back, Kevin!

Registrations for #ThePMAs Creator of the Year 2025 are now open! Know someone inspiring the community or think it could be YOU? Step forward and shine! For more on how to enter, click the link in our bio. Registration closes May 4th. photomodeawards.com

The wait is over — The Photo Mode Awards is BACK! Get ready to celebrate the best in virtual photography! 📸 Registrations open June 10th, and we can’t wait to see the incredible talent on display! #virtualphotography

📸 The 2024 Photo Mode Awards Digital Magazine is OUT NOW! Check it out the winners across all categories - including the best photo modes of 2024 - and the talented virtual photographers who made it as finalists in each category! Thank you for your support! 🧡 Link below👇🏻

Sword of the Sea by @GiantSquidology has a breathtaking art style, and the devs have hinted at a photo mode! What features would you love to see?

First look at the photo mode in Monster Hunter Wilds!

Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally getting a photo mode in Patch 8. Are you planning to dive in and capture some shots?m

Our collection of indie games keeps expanding, now featuring over 60 titles with built-in photography features (photo mode or community mod)! Have a recommendation to share with the community? Drop it in the comments below!

The wait is over — Stellar Blade's Photo Mode has arrived! Share your stunning shots with us! #VirtualPhotography