FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Thomas Maddrey, Chief Executive Officer
maddrey@asmp.org
Melanie Porter, Chief Operating Officer
mporter@asmp.org
San Francisco, May 15, 2026 — The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) proudly announces a new series of photographic events across the country, centralized under the new “City Squared” moniker. These two-day events bring together all parts of a photographic community to create, celebrate, and champion the art and the craft of image making. The new program is happy to welcome Adobe and Fujifilm North America Corporation as our Title Sponsors for each iteration of City Squared events in 2026 and 2027.
A Unique, Community Building Event
The concept is strikingly simple: a set number of photographers register for the event, and when they check in on Day One, they are randomly assigned a “square” section of the host city. They then have 24 hours to go into the world and create images in a variety of categories, using their square as their home base. In the afternoon of Day Two, participants reconvene and can edit their work in “Pods” where fellow photographer and expert leaders help assist them in making their best images shine. Once 4pm comes around, the images are submitted for viewing and judging in one of six main categories. Two hours later, the whole community gets to join a panel of three judges in a Live Judging experience on the big screen. Prizes are awarded, fun is had, and another City Squared event is in the books after two (exhausting!) days dedicated to the creativity of the host city.
A Program 12 Years in the Making
The initial event was developed by the Oregon Chapter of ASMP in Portland, and took place in 2012, bringing together the photo community for the very first “PDX Squared”. As Founder (and 2026 Emcee) Leah Nash recollects: “The funny part is I dreamed up PDXSQ at an ASMP Holiday party! It combines all the parts and pieces I have loved in contests and workshops over the years, creating a one-of-a-kind event that I would want to attend. The adrenaline, the relationships, the motivation – there is really nothing like it.”
Over the intervening years, PDX Squared was held nine more times, refining the experience for the participants (and growing!) each year. This year, the event is bigger and better than ever with 100 Photographer Participants vying for the category victories with their friends and colleagues for prizes from over 20 companies and brands who want to support these efforts.
The City Squared Program Emerges
Melanie Porter, ASMP’s COO, sums it up nicely. “Watching the community coalesce around such a simple core idea made us realize that PDX Squared fills a need for true participatory experiences for a group of creators who often work alone. It was clear from day one that this program needed to be expanded to new cities and it was from those ideas that City Squared was developed.”
This expansion was supercharged by the inclusion of Adobe & Fujifilm as Title Sponsors of the City Squared program beginning with PDX Squared 2026 and extending through the soon to be announced events in 2026 and 2027.
Adobe’s involvement in PDX Squared reflects its ongoing commitment to supporting the creative community and photography. The Adobe team will be on site in Portland, working directly with participants through portfolio reviews, editing guidance, and workflow support to help creators bring their stories to life. Adobe is also supporting the event experience behind the scenes through tools and technology that help photographers move seamlessly from capture to final edit of their images with Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
New this year, four standout honors collectively titled the “Adobe Craft Awards” will recognize exceptional achievement across light, composition, black & white photography, and in-camera motion — celebrating both technical skill and creative storytelling from participants across the competition.
Likewise, Fujifilm’s commitment to City Squared was present from day one. Long a supporter of the local program with prizes and support, the launch of City Squared gave Fujifilm an opportunity to help showcase the talent found in each host city. With thousands of dollars in prizes, to marketing & development support, Fujifilm’s fingerprint is firmly etched in the development of the new program. This year, Fujifilm is offering two X-T5 mirrorless digital camera kits (camera body plus an XF16-50mmF2.8-4.8 R LM WR) at the Portland event.
“Connecting with the creative community is hardwired into how we show up for long-standing partners like ASMP, and the City Squared Initiative is a natural fit for Fujifilm,” said Victor Ha, Vice President and General Manager, FUJIFILM North America Corporation, Electronic Imaging and Optical Devices Divisions. “PDX Squared brings together creativity, camaraderie, and community through the act of making images and finding beauty in everyday places across a city. It is a perfect recipe for incredible imagery, and we are proud to be a title sponsor for this year’s event. We cannot wait to see what this talented group creates.”
As ASMP CEO Thomas Maddrey notes, “ASMP is proud to have created one of the most robust Corporate Membership programs in the field that provide our Members benefits they cannot find anywhere else. And the City Squared expansion is due to the vision and support of two of our most dedicated Corporate Members, Adobe & Fujifilm. Having these companies on board for City Square not only in 2026 but 2027 as well is a game changer for the number of people we can help support around the country.”
PDX Squared on May 15 & 16th Mark the Beginning of City Squared
This evening, the ASMP team will be in Portland to host the 8th iteration of PDX Squared, and as the flagship “City Squared” program, Portland serves as home base for the concept. Shortly after the event concludes, ASMP will announce the next City Squared event happening later this year.
“City Squared represents the best of our creative communities, and we could not be more excited to take what has been built in Portland and make it a new flagship National event from ASMP,” Maddrey concludes.
For more information, visit https://www.asmp.org/city-squared/.
About ASMP: The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) is the premier trade association for the most respected photographers, videographers, and new media visual content creators across the worlds of advertising, magazines, photojournalism, portraiture, sports, fashion, entertainment, nature, fine art, video/film, and beyond. ASMP is the leader in providing extensive education and resources to photographers on the best practices to run and grow a business in these fields, promoting the rights of photographers through a robust program of legal and public policy advocacy, connecting member photographers with clients, and producing business publications for photographers that set the industry standards. The organization exists because the work of these visual creators is so important to our economy and our culture. Founded in December of 1944 with a storied history that is an integral and pivotal part of the progression of photography as a profession, industry, and cultural force, ASMP is proud to stand with its more than 7,400 members, across 38 chapters and 71 countries.
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