MSP Squared: 75 Photographers, 24 Hours to Make a Photo
MSP Squared is coming to Minneapolis and Saint Paul: 75 photographers will shoot and edit a photograph in 24 hours, compete for prizes, and meet fellow photographers.
On October 23–24 in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, 75 photographers will receive randomly assigned locations and 24 hours to create a photograph. The contest, with a $10,000 prize pool, will bring together photography, socializing, and open judging.
MSP Squared: A 24-Hour Photography Contest in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
On October 23 and 24, the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) will hold MSP Squared in Minneapolis and Saint Paul. The event will bring together 75 photographers, each randomly assigned one of 75 city locations where they will have 24 hours to shoot and edit a photograph.
Supported by Adobe and Fujifilm, the project combines a competition with a gathering for the photography community. Participants will compete for prizes, but an important part of the event is the opportunity to meet and connect with colleagues. ASMP CEO Thomas Maddrey and the organization’s COO, Melanie Porter, will also attend.
ASMP has held City Squared events before. After an extended break following the 2019 event, the organization brought it back last year and held another gathering earlier in 2026. Photographers took part in PDX Squared: photos from this year’s event show them editing their images, while a separate shot captures the live judging at PDX Squared 2025.
Working in an Assigned Area
Unlike a typical photography contest, City Squared brings all participants together in one place and gives them the same deadline: 24 hours to create a new work. The result depends on speed, creativity, and professional skill.
In addition to their individually assigned locations, all participants can access five Wildcard Squares—additional areas in popular and scenic parts of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Three more Commemorative Squares are linked to historically significant sites in Minneapolis.
The program includes group photo-editing sessions, food trucks, and a closing event: live judging.
Categories and Special Awards
The total prize pool is $10,000. There are six main categories: staged photography, documentary photography, portrait, natural world, urban landscape, and Minnesota Nice. The winners of each category’s top prize will compete for Best in Show.
Adobe, the event’s main sponsor, is offering its own awards: the Adobe Craft Awards. They recognize creative photographic techniques in entries across different categories. Examples include creative use of light or shutter speed, as well as photographs shot and edited in Lightroom Mobile.
Entry and Fees
Applications are open to everyone, not just professional photographers and ASMP members. The entry fee is $89 for members and $119 for other participants. The student rate is $39.
Those not competing can attend the open judging and awards ceremony on October 24. Tickets for spectators cost $10. Information about registration and submitting entries is available on the ASMP website.
After the event, organizers will offer the MSP Squared 2026 Photo Book for $24.95. It will feature all the photographs submitted to the contest.
Photo Credits
The photograph of Minneapolis is by Ryo Hamasaki, courtesy of Meet Minneapolis; another photograph of Minneapolis was taken by Omar Grayeb and is also courtesy of Meet Minneapolis. The photo of participants editing images at PDX Squared earlier this year was provided by Fujifilm. The judging photo is from PDX Squared 2025. General images were provided by ASMP; individual photo credits are listed in the captions.
