Two smartphones displaying an app with a dark theme; one shows a web search result, and the other displays a group page with landscape and architectural photos against a black background.

WhiteWall is now a founding partner for the photography app, Irys, that celebrated photographer Alan Schaller launched last year. The app celebrates the art of photography over algorithms and prioritizes personal connection over virality. Irys is all about photography, and WhiteWall shares its mission.

“At a time when video content and algorithms dominate social feeds, Irys offers a high resolution, ad-free space where photographic work is presented with respect,” WhiteWall says of Irys.

“Photography is not a disposable commodity — it is art, a profession, or a passion. Irys exists to enable exactly that: to make real photography visible — with care,” explains Schaller.

A bearded person with wavy hair holds a film camera up to their eye, ready to take a photo. They are standing on a balcony, with a stone wall and a blurred outdoor background behind them. The image is in black and white.Alan Schaller | Portrait by © Ryota Kohama

Unlike typical social media apps, Irys has a photography and community-centric design and user experience. There are no visible likes, no follower counts, and the app isn’t designed to inspire endless scrolling. The focus is on art.

Three smartphone screens display a photography app interface, showing a user profile, a gallery of colorful photos, and photo details with EXIF data, all on a light yellow-green gradient background.

As part of its founding partnership with Irys, WhiteWall will host exclusive photography competitions within the Irys app. The first one, which started this week, is dedicated to travel photography. Three more WhiteWall competitions will take place on Irys in 2026, and each contest lasts two months.

Winners will receive vouchers worth €200 to €500 (up to $550), enabling them to have their winning work professionally printed and framed, further celebrating what makes photography so special.

A modern living room with a tan leather armchair and ottoman, a small wooden side table with a stack of books, and a large black-and-white photograph of people walking down a lantern-lit street hanging on the wall.Framed photograph by Phil Penman

However, the German photography printer and photo lab says its involvement with Irys will extend beyond contests.

“The competitions are just the beginning of our cooperation. Our goal is to make high-quality WhiteWall prints available to order directly from the app in the future. We have found the ideal partner for this in the Irys app,” says Thomas Alscheid, WhiteWall CEO.

“All the photographers I know who have worked with WhiteWall are enthusiastic about their print and framing quality. I’m therefore very pleased that WhiteWall has joined Irys as a founding partner,” Schaller explains. “Together, we will organize competitions for the community, with winners receiving their works printed and framed. We have many more plans with WhiteWall, which will follow soon. The photographers at Irys can’t wait to finally showcase their work in this way.”

Two smartphones display the IRYS app interface, showing a user profile with photo galleries on one screen and a feed of colorful images in various categories on the other. The IRYS logo appears above both phones.

Irys is available for free on iOS and Android. The Irys community is free to join. Free members can post up to 10 images per day, up to 100 in total, and join up to five groups.

Premium members have access to spotlight competitions, higher-quality uploads, more uploads, more groups, and other features. The full breakdown of the membership differences is available on Irys’ website. Premium memberships start at $5.99 monthly or $59.99 per year.


Image credits: Irys, WhiteWall