Dom Development is celebrating its 30th anniversary by inviting photographers to capture its housing estates through their own unique lens. In the ‘Places That Have Become Home’ competition, it is the individual perspective that counts: the morning half-light between buildings, the reflection of a façade in the water, a detail that usually goes unnoticed in the rush, or a sweeping panorama showing the scale of the place. Prizes from the competition’s partner, Canon, await participants – ranging from digital cameras to portable photo printers for the 60 shortlisted entries. Importantly, you don’t need to be a professional photographer. The organiser also welcomes those who take photos as a hobby. The photographs published here are the entries that were shortlisted in the first stage of the competition.
What does the task involve?
Participants are asked to photograph one of the housing estates built by Dom Development in Warsaw, Kraków or Wrocław over the last 30 years. The photograph can take any form – a wide panorama, a close-up of a detail, a patch of greenery between buildings, a playground at midday on a Saturday, or a façade reflected in a puddle. What matters is the photographer’s creative perspective. A full list of the housing estates included in the competition, together with a map, is available here.
Three seasons, dozens of valuable prizes
The competition runs from the beginning of May to the end of October 2026 and consists of three seasonal rounds and a final. The spring round ran from 1 May to 30 June, the summer round from 1 July to 31 August, and the autumn round from 1 September to 31 October. In each of the three seasonal rounds, the jury selects up to 20 of the best entries, each of which is awarded a Canon SELPHY QX20 portable photo printer complete with a cartridge. A total of 60 such prizes are up for grabs across the entire competition. From among all the shortlisted entries, the jury will select the top three, and their creators will receive the main prizes.
In the grand final, the first-place winner will receive a Canon EOS R6 Mark III camera along with a Canon RF 24mm F1.4L VCM lens. Second and third places will be awarded a special edition Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III camera. All three competition winners will also receive an invitation to a free Canon photography workshop in Warsaw.
The three best entries will be selected by 30 November 2026. You can take part in one round, two rounds or all three – each round is judged independently, so participants have more chances of being recognised. Participants may submit any number of photographs.
How to enter the competition?
- Take a photo in a housing estate built by Dom Development – using any equipment: a camera, smartphone or drone.
- Then post it on your public Instagram profile, stating the name of the housing estate and the town where it is located in the caption.
- Tag@domdevelopmentin the photo and use the hashtags#KonkursDomDevelopmentand#30LatDomDevelopment.
- The next step is to upload a high-resolution photo (minimum 3,000 px on the longer side) viathe form; in the file name, enteryour Instagram username and the name of the housing estate, e.g.anna.kowalska_Metro_Zachód.
The results of each edition will be announced on the@domdevelopment profile within 21 days of its conclusion, so it’s worth following the organiser’s profile to ensure you don’t miss this important information. If your entry is shortlisted, you’ll have 7 days to fill in the form with your contact details so that the organiser can send you your prize for the shortlisted entry.
How are the photos judged?
The jury looks primarily for good composition and aesthetics, originality of the shot and a creative interpretation of the theme. It doesn’t matter what equipment you use to take the photo – it’s the result that counts. The seasonal rounds will be judged by an internal panel at Dom Development, whilst renowned architectural photographers Aleksander Małachowski and Yassen Hristov will join the final selection of the top three entries.
Aleksander Małachowski, known online asHashtagalek, is one of Poland’s most popular city and architectural photographers. He specialises in showcasing interesting places in Poland in an unexpected, original way. He also teaches photography and runs online courses, so he knows exactly what to look for in the work of both beginners and advanced photographers.
Yassen Hristovis one of Poland’s most recognisable architectural and interior photographers, who has been regularly publishing his photo shoots in leading interior design magazines for over a decade and collaborates with numerous architects. He graduated in photography from the Łódź Film, Television and Theatre School. His many years’ specialisation in this particular field of photography enable him to assess not only the aesthetics of a photograph, but also the contestants’ deeper understanding of space.
Throughout the competition, both judges will be posting photographic tips for entrants on their profiles – this is an added bonus not to be missed!
Who can take part?
Any adult aged 18 or over with a public Instagram account. Participation is free and voluntary. Employees of Dom Development and companies within the group, members of the jury and their immediate family are not eligible to enter the competition.
Rules at a glance
The photo must be taken by you – no AI, no stock images. Basic editing is permitted: cropping, exposure correction and white balance, but the photo must not deviate significantly from reality. Your entry must remain visible on your Instagram until the final results are announced. You may submit any number of photos in each edition, and each will be judged separately. The competition rules are available HERE.
Further information is available on the organiser’s website HERE.
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