ProgresFestival Magazine

Progressive – Street and Art – PhotoFestival

Our ProgresFestival website is a digital magazine where you can discover a plethora of news.

STREET – DOCUMENTARY – PHOTOJOURNALISM – NARRATIVE - ART

Here's a breakdown of what you can find:

"Articles Online" showcases authentic project demonstrations from established photographers and newly discovered talents. It covers a diverse range of themes for our readers to explore, going beyond basic features.

"Write From Here" is a platform that highlights the work of talented photographers who excel in storytelling and presentation. While their blogs will not be daily, they will always feature exciting themes.

Self-portrait features a collection of renowned self-portraits along with some insights on the topic. We're also inviting some photographers to showcase their own self-portraits.

Books, in this section, you can discover more than just photography books.

Protest across the world: We feature impactful images from our projects to showcase political and social protests from different countries, using photojournalism to understand political dynamics.

Thrilling Zoom conferences: We occasionally host a series of Zoom conferences featuring prominent authors.

Too many images kill imagination. Too few words kill thought.

I would like to announce a new campaign, titled "A Glimpse of Our Society"

Progressive Street is constantly seeking photographers and photographs that convey deeper meanings beyond mere appearances. In today's world, where everything is often based on superficial visuals and fleeting forms, this can be quite challenging. This is especially true in street photography, a genre that has become increasingly popular. Fifteen years ago, there was a need to establish rules and discuss what constituted street photography, which sometimes resulted in overly strict definitions. Progressive Street has always aimed to focus on the stories lived on the streets. We strive to uncover hidden meanings, showcase the emotions behind the images, imagine potential narratives, and ask thought-provoking questions. In our view, a street photographer must possess a strong sense of composition, the ability to capture fleeting moments, and the necessary technical skills. In essence, they must be a well-rounded photographer.

At Progressive Street, our guiding philosophy is best summarised by the phrase "Beyond the screen, on paper." This principle drives our mission to create tangible, high-quality publications that truly resonate with our audience. To date, we have successfully printed 50 unique magazines and an equal number of carefully curated books, all produced on demand. This approach allows us to prioritise quality over profit, simplify our bureaucratic processes, and effectively minimise potential accounting issues.

"A Glimpse of Our Society"

The goal of this campaign is to create an honest catalogue of our society's stories through your works.

We offer you the opportunity to evaluate your portfolios for exceptional results through our professional team's evaluation.

Additionally, we will assess submitted projects for their potential publication as books, ensuring that only the most compelling works reach our audience.

Our organisation is committed to identifying and nurturing exceptional projects, fully acknowledging that this dedication comes with certain costs. By prioritising excellence, we aim to enhance the prestige of both our online and print publications, benefiting photographers and increasing the visibility of our platform, Progressive.

To maintain our high standards for submissions, we have established the following comprehensive guidelines:

1. A critical review of a portfolio will incur a minimum fee of 40 euros. This fee applies only to portfolios that we determine meet our criteria for quality and potential impact.

2. We are committed to publishing work both online and in print exclusively for projects that demonstrate exceptional qualities. This selective approach ensures that we avoid a mechanical or formulaic selection process, honouring the creativity and uniqueness of each submission.

We will consider editorial proposals only from submissions that truly stand out among the many we receive. Our commitment to quality means we do not support mediocre photography or projects that lack creativity and vision. Editing costs for projects that are recognised as worthy will range from €100 to €150, reflecting the high standards we maintain in all our endeavours. Authors will receive two PDFs — one in low resolution and one in high resolution for printing — along with a release in our on-demand catalogue.

By adhering to strict criteria and supporting only the most exceptional works, we aim to foster a vibrant community of artists and promote photography that genuinely matters. We look forward to your contributions and collaboration in this exciting endeavour!

– Batsceba Hardy

ProgresFestival 2026

Fifth ProgresFestival

Progressive Street is constantly seeking photographers and photographs that convey deeper meanings beyond mere appearances. In today's world, where everything is often based on superficial visuals and fleeting forms, this can be quite challenging. This is especially true in street photography, a genre that has become increasingly popular. Fifteen years ago, there was a need to establish rules and discuss what constituted street photography, which sometimes resulted in overly strict definitions. Progressive Street has always aimed to focus on the stories lived on the streets. We strive to uncover hidden meanings, showcase the emotions behind the images, imagine potential narratives, and ask thought-provoking questions. In our view, a street photographer must possess a strong sense of composition, the ability to capture fleeting moments, and the technical skills required. In essence, they must be a well-rounded photographer.

Each of our contests has aimed to further this vision. Our most recent contest, discussed here, has taken this approach even further. We are living in times marked by war, economic crises, and widespread distrust, making it more important than ever to confront chaos rather than retreat from it.

For this contest, we chose the theme "Visions," open to interpretations across various genres, from artistic expression to traditional street photography. Our goal was to unleash our imagination and, when possible, to find positivity amid negativity. This contemporary dialogue reflects the need to discover meaning in a world where the value of relationships is often overshadowed by a spectacle to be consumed.

We intend to observe the ‘family unit’ as a crucial challenge in recovering meaning amid the fragmentation of connections we witness today. This, too, is an explosive theme that must be captured by any means possible. We continue to document situations, faces, environments, and souls.

Now, as we arrive at the third, and perhaps most significant, theme of the contest, we find ourselves confronted with the outcry for societal and individual rights. ‘Protests’ are occurring worldwide, and criticisms can be heard all around us. This represents the true "explosion" of the world we inhabit and the photographs we aim to create with a sense of hope. We are pleased with the results achieved by the photographers, which invite viewers to reflect deeply.

While we may be a small island in today's sea of ephemeral and manipulative imagery, we strive to raise a sign that is both recognisable and compelling within the boundaries of our mission.

Batsceba Hardy

ProgresFestival, an international event celebrating street photography and art.

Our festival is a non-profit event showcasing authentic, stereotype-free images of meaningful moments. We aim to foster connections, inspire insights, and promote reflection and a positive outlook. During challenging times, Progressive struggles to continue daily activities, choosing themes that keep us connected to our humanity. We invite passionate photographers, as this drives artistic, political, and social expression. Our platform welcomes all skill levels in street photography, documentary, and photojournalism, supporting diverse artistic goals and fostering inclusivity.