The Ministry of National Defence announces the traditional Tadas Dambrauskas Photography Contest “Lithuanian Armed Forces in Photography 2025” open for contestants to find the winners among military photographs of the year. This is the 21th iteration since the Contest was introduced.
All professional and amateur photographers who had the chance to take photographs of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO personnel and equipment deployed in Lithuania are invited to pick the best pictures taken this year and in the end of last year and submit ten of them for the Contest. It is important that the entered photographs reflect the military life: servicemembers on combat tasks, in exercises and feasts, interacting among themselves and in community engagement events, facing daily challenges and experiences, operating Lithuanian and Allied forces’ equipment and weapons, etc.
This year the Contest invites to compete in four categories:
Category I – Portrait of a Servicemember;
Category II – Tactical Action: exercises, missions, combat tasks, etc.
Category III – Military Celebration and Routine: Armed Forces festivals, events, marches, ceremonies and/or routine life, like pastime, resting, housekeeping;
Category IV – Equipment and Weaponry: progress and modernization of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, equipment and weaponry capabilities of NATO Allies in Lithuania
The Contest Jury will select winners of each category who will split (as defined in Terms and Conditions of the Contest) the 5,200 Euro prize fund the Ministry of National Defence has granted for the Contest this year. The Jury has the authority to select one winner “Entertaining Shot” photograph across all categories. Contest organizers and sponsors have a right to choose winners of their established prizes.
Exposition of the best photographs will be opened and best photographers awarded in Vilnius in late 2025. As always, the best photographs will be compiled into a Contest catalogue and published.
Photograph submission is open until September 5 via e-mail [email protected]
Detailed information about the Contest terms and conditions and the registration and submission procedure can be found at isarciau.lt.
About combat camera and photographer Tadas Dambrauskas
The Contest is named after combat photographer and camera Tadas Dambrauskas in tribute to his memory and achievements. Tadas Dambrauskas joined the National Defence Department in 1990 and soon was appointed as instructor-supervisor of Vilnius Task Force. Later he was a staff photographer with Karys magazine and cameraman with the Ministry of National Defence and the Iron Wolf Brigade. He compiled a unique archive of photographs and video material while recording the evolution of the Lithuanian Armed Forces from “green-bands” of the Liberation Movement to a modern armed force. T. Dambrauskas did not shy away from risk and unexpected choices in his work, ready to break any ice for a good shot. He pioneered in taking footage of paratroopers while tied to an aircraft wing, he would regularly go to difficult marches together with the military and he recorded Lithuania’s first international deployments to the Balkan Region and Afghanistan.
