FAQ

How to win a photography contest?

There’s no simple answer to such a question. What should you do to win a photography contest? You need to keep working on your photography skills. Keep on learning new techniques, and don’t be afraid to experiment. To find your niche and specialize in it. The most important is to participate in competitions and take chances to win while learning from your mistakes. It’s the best indicator of your current skill. Don’t let your failures to bring you down! Study the winning works, and do your homework, improve and apply for the next competition with even better works. You should also read our guidebook “How To Win a Photography Contest”. Good Luck!

How to choose the right photography contest?

Looking for a contest with a theme we find familiar it’s a common tactic; however, it doesn’t necessarily need to be the right choice. You should never forget to research before you apply a contest. First thing you should do is to read the terms and conditions. Who is the organizer? How many people does the jury consist of and who are them? You should check if the rewards are monetary, but don’t forget that prestige is the same important. In the long run, it’s the reach and prestige of the contest that can provide winners with greater opportunities. A lot of renowned competitions are followed by exhibitions, to display winning works. Our list: https://photocontestguru.com/the-best-photo-contests-to-enter-in-2020/

How to submit your photograph to a contest?

If you have already chosen the right photography contest and you wish to submit your works there, start with reading the terms and conditions! Don’t waste your time and energy on competition that doesn’t have any specific requirements. It’s usually the terms and conditions of the contest information where you can find all the instructions on how to submit your photographs. The most important thing is that your photograph should include all the elements required by the organizer. It will save your work from being disqualified at an early stage of selection. Usually, you need to choose the right theme category, create a name of your work and stick to the technical requirements. Typically, an organizer specifies the minimal and maximal size of a picture, colour space and file format.

How to choose the best photograph to submit?

Photo editing is not easy, and it usually takes an enormous experience. Choosing the best picture is another crucial moment. You need to those a picture that you are sure of. Moreover, it needs to be perfect in every aspect. The more you read about photography, and the more you extend your knowledge, the more elements you will be able to take into consideration when making a choice. You should especially note if the technical aspects of a picture are perfect. Many judges would eliminate every photograph with technical errors at an early phase of selection. You should look for interesting angles. If you find it interesting, it may also turn out interesting for the jury. Remember to avoid burns and completely black spots. Make usage of the full-colour palette, as well as shades of grey and white. Choosing a photograph you also need to keep in mind what kind of works won the contest in previous years. Usually, the jury doesn’t change, so it is more likely for the same level photographies to succeed in the following year.

How to take a contest photograph?

It’s ok if you don’t yet have a portfolio to choose from. Take a look at the contests listed on our website and determine which one is optimal for yourself. If your camera is good, you can even challenge yourself to take part in one of the recommended contests. In case you don’t, you can look for a competition that doesn’t necessarily aim at the high-quality photographs (for example, smartphone photography contest). After choosing a contest, take some time to study their terms and conditions. Check the technical requirements of photographs. Browse through winning works from previous editions of the competition. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Try to portrait something natural unnaturally. Open yourself for new challenges, and… have some fun!

How to take a contest picture of enough level of quality?

The current stage of technological development enables us to take a good photograph with any gear available on the market. A professional camera allows us to achieve high-quality pictures and better effects that would be impossible to achieve with a simple, compact camera. However, there are many examples of smartphone pictures that succeed in winning prestigious contests. Don’t worry if you are at the beginning of your photographic journey, or maybe you already have some experience, but don’t have a professional camera yet. Visit a contest organizer website and check the required picture size. If your device meets the requirements don’t hesitate anymore, just start preparations to take a contest photograph.

How to become a known photographer?

Firstly, you should ask yourself: “known by whom exactly?” There’s a lot of famous photographers around the world. They are prestigious contest winners, specialized in narrow niches. If you choose a particular theme for your pictures and you spend enough time mastering it, you will surely become known among other enthusiasts of this niche. Being known and being an expert are of course two, separate things, but expertise will surely be much of a help in getting ahead of amateur photographers. Begin with your education, submit your photographs to contests, participate in exhibitions, join photographic groups and exchange your knowledge with others, and what’s the most important – practice your skills all the time!

What is the best resolution of photography contest pictures?

Once again, we encourage you to read the terms and conditions of a particular contest. You can find there all the information about the required photography size. For example, the requirements for the https://ndawards.net/ contest state that the photographs need to be scaled to 1100 px at the longer side, and saved at jpg file format with 100% quality setting. Make sure to check contest requirements every time before you submit your photographs. Read the terms and conditions as well as all the other information on the organizer’s website.

How to scale your picture to a contest?

Taking a fantastic photograph is usually not enough to be able to send it to a photo contest. The organizers typically try to make their work easier by establishing several requirements for the pictures. One of them is the demand for scaling your photograph to a proper size. You can do it using most of the photo editing programs. To do this in Photoshop, you should choose: Image -> Image size -> Pixel Width or Height should be set according to requirements, depending on which side is longer. The shorter side will automatically match up to the new size. Confirm the changes with an ok. Now, you need to save your pictures by clicking: File -> Save As and then chose the name of a photograph following the organizer’s requirements. Confirm changes with Save. Set to Maximum in JPEG Options Quality box. If you don’t have Photoshop, you can use free Gimp or any other program that allows you to freely shrink a photograph without a loss to quality.

Which photography contest is best to begin with?

In our opinion, it’s best to learn from the best. Chose the most challenging contests, with the prizes you find appealing. Small, local competitions are tempting since the competitors seem rather harmless. Even if such a competition is free, it’s better to invest those couple $ to be able to test yourself, competing with the pros. The money invested is never lost, because even if you don’t get to the finals, the lesson you learn while researching the contest, browsing the winning works, implementing the project and submitting is priceless and worth every penny! Our list: https://photocontestguru.com/the-best-photo-contests-to-enter-in-2020/

Which photography contest is the best?

There are so many contests that it’s difficult to choose only one of them. While making a choice, it’s best to note not only the monetary rewards but also the prestige of the contest itself. Check if the jury consists of people specializing in different photography styles. Would be perfect if the jury is diverse. Check out the benefits for winners. Very often, apart from the money itself, you can participate in the after-contest exhibition. Victorious works are widely promoted on theme portals and social media. Our list: https://photocontestguru.com/the-best-photo-contests-to-enter-in-2020/

Which photography contest is the most prestigious?

It is similar to choosing the best competition section. In both cases, the first thing to do is to decide what is your priority. We divided prestigious contests into two categories: the first category are huge, international media & television contests. They are prestigious competitions, gathering the most significant amount of fans. You can find here both amateurs and pros. The quantity of the submitted pictures is overpowering, and the initial selection procedure is quite superficial. The second contest category is prestigious contests, supported by photographer society. They are not as recognizable for the ordinary layman, but they are a real treasure for photographers and for those who wish to make a name for themselves. Deciding to participate in those, you can rest assured that your work is going to be professionally examined at every stage. If you manage to win such competition, you can be sure that the whole glory will come to you, instead of vanishing among the categories and subcategories of a contest. Our TOP 10 list: https://photocontestguru.com/the-best-photo-contests-to-enter-in-2020/

Which contest is the most financially profitable?

We will keep on emphasizing, that it’s not only the financial aspect that matters. Some contest even provide a gold bar as a reward; however, it would be better to win some practical prizes.
Apart from winning several thousand dollars, you can get promoted on thematic portals and social media. It’s worth to mention the possibility of your works being displayed at an exhibition after the contest, the opportunity of meeting other contestants or judges. They usually are pros in their fields, so learning them is worth every money!

Which photography competition will make my name known?

The one supported by the biggest society. If the jury of an international contest consists of a few judges only, and all of them are the same nationality -it’s not the right path for you. Look for competitions with the biggest jury. Would be best, if the judges, apart from being knowledgeable, would also run their blogs, websites about photography, and were socially active within their countries. Most of the judges would usually present the winning works to their societies. Remember to read the terms and conditions! Check if the organizer provides promotion of winning works in thematic websites or social media. An opportunity for participation in the after-contest exhibition is also a great thing.

Which contests require a low entrance fee?

Our website provides a list of various contests. Some of them are free; the others have a low entrance fee of a couple of dollars only. You should remember to check what are the other benefits for winners, apart from just monetary rewards. In our opinion, it is better to invest those few dollars more and get enlisted to a competition with an entry fee of a couple of dozens. It’s an investment that can promote your name.

How to win a photographic competition?

First step: submit a photo. Those who don’t try can’t win! The most important is not to get discouraged. Maybe you will get spotted by jury as fast as at your first contest? If not, learn on every failure. It’s the only way your entry fee will not get wasted. Every attempt is a test of how much work you put in preparing your contest picture. Sometimes the winning picture is the one taken by coincidence; however, it’s usually the hard-earned one that wins the game. Read, watch the former winners, ask, experiment and when you decide it’s the time for a test, do a photo shoot for a specific contest. Give 100% of your capabilities, and submit.

What can you earn in photographic competition?

There are as many various rewards, as contests. Prestigious contests provide winners with monetary gratuities and after-contest exhibitions. On the contrary, there are many contests where you can win some material prizes, for example, a camera, a laptop or a tablet. Everything depends on the target and the purpose of such a contest. Always begin with reading the terms and conditions of a contest. Check out what you can win and on what conditions.

What can you gain apart from monetary rewards?

The best reward for a winner, except financial gratitude, of course, is the promotion that he receives. Depends on a chosen competition it can be a winners’ display on social media, portals and theme press. The most important aspect is, however, the personal connections. An opportunity to meet the top photographers. Prestigious contests always end with an exhibition. During a vernissage, you can meet everyone, starting from organizers, through jury and all the winners. Don’t miss such a chance! Talk to them, exchange some opinions about the works, their level and the contest itself. In the end, you can exchange some business cards as well, in order to continue your conversation online.

What do you need to win a photography contest?

The most important factors are your skills and your knowledge. Proper equipment is useful as well and can make a lot of things easier, but it’s not the most necessary thing. If you’re at the beginning of your adventure with photography, or maybe you already have some experience, you need to remember one thing. Taking part in competitions and developing your preceding skills is the only way you can actually win. Treat competitions like a journey, not like a destination. Let the contests to build your skills. Improve yourself and check the progress by taking part in competitions. It’s the only thing you need to be able to win.

How old do you need to be to participate in photography contest?

This requirement may differ in case of particular competitions. It would be best if you can check in the terms and conditions of the desired contest if there’s any requirement according to the photographer’s age. If there’s none, it means even underage contestants may participate. The only obstacle may be a formality of paying the entry fee by money transfer. You will have to ask some adult to do it for you. It shouldn’t affect your participation. Remember, in case of any uncertainties, you can always send a message to an organizer and ask about the contest requirements.

How many and what can you win in photography contest?

Usually, a reward is monetary. Depending on the scale and prestige of a contest, the prizes may vary between a couple of thousand dollars. Remember to check the additional benefits provided for winners! Check if a winner is entitled to a promotion or an after-contest exhibition.

How much time do you need to spend practising before you actually win a photographic competition?

It’s is a very individual thing. Everything depends on you. How much time will you spend practising? Reading photographic portals or blogs of famous photographers? The most crucial thing is for you to know your gear well and learn the basics of composition and rules of the photography world. Invest in your knowledge and skills. Treat every contest as a test. Learn from them and work on your capabilities.

How long does the photo contest last?

Majority of the contest is organized annually. There are of course contests connected to a single event as well. The more prestigious one, for most professional photographers, are usually held once a year. You have time to apply for a specific category until autumn. Then it’s time for a jury to examine all the works and announce the winners by the end of a year.

How many pictures can you send to a contest?

Everything depends on an organizer. There are the contests without any limitation in this aspect, but also the ones that specify the number of contest photographs can be submitted for a specific category. Remember to check the terms and conditions every time, and in case of any uncertainties, you can always contact the organizer. A meaningful contest will never leave any message without a reply. This way, you can make your own selection on which contest worth participating.

How much is it to submit your picture in a photography contest?

The cost of submitting a picture to the contest depends on the rewards, the promotion of the winners, and the events connected to the contest, such as awards ceremony and the exhibition after the contest. You can also find several free competitions, but significant competitions start at a couple of dollars or even a couple of dozens an entry fee. Based on our experience it’s worth to invest those few $ more, and send one, best picture you took last year to a prestigious contest, that to make some poor quality pictures to a few cheap competitions.

Where to draw inspiration for taking pictures?

Inspiration could be found everywhere. The diversity of the world surrounding us is infinite, giving you countless possibilities to bring your vision to life. What matters the most, is to follow the chosen direction of photography at peace. Being passionate about wildlife photography and feeling that’s the thing, you see yourself doing in the future, it doesn’t make sense to make different photo sessions at a push.

Search for famous photographers and follow their work. Some of them run blogs, where they post tips and photos. Take a look at the award-winning masterpieces of the laureates of photographic contests of the past years. Find the authors over the Internet and see which phase of their passion they are currently at. Searching for inspiration should become your everyday routine, let it get into your blood. Every time you start a computer, check what’s going on within the industry. Pay a visit to the most known portals where you can find photographers close to your heart.

Bear in mind the vocational press and books. Literature takes your imagination to a whole new level. Not only will you broaden your knowledge but also, you’ll find even more inspirations for your photos.

When is it the best time to take photos?

There’s no clear-cut answer to such question, probably the best way to reply is to say: “well, it depends…”. It depends on the premises you’ve made, chosen subject area, as well as, on many other factors, which influence the whole photo process. Without a doubt, one could say that the best time is the “golden hour”, in other words, it’s the several dozen minutes after the sunrise or before the dawn. However, it’s hard to spot award-winning photos taken within this period, e.g. in the press photography category. Most of the times, the world changing events, presenting a special stound of one’s life, don’t take place in the moment of your choosing. Take a look at sports photography, for instance, where the events change their pace in a blink of an eye. Most of those sport events take place right at noon or in the evening with an artificial lighting. That’s why it’s hard to give an unambiguous answer. Some would claim it’s the sunrise and wildlife, awaking from its sleep, other would prefer noon, dawn or night.

What do I gain, taking part in photo contests?

First and foremost, you get a chance to win and become a better photographer. Taking part in contests, you have the opportunity to present yourself and get the priceless experience. It doesn’t matter, if you have just started your photo adventure, or if you’re a pro, recognized amongst your field. It’s always worth taking a deep breath to revise your workshop and equipment. The world is constantly developing, and so is photography, which is tightly associated with technology. Take a part in a contest at least once a year and let it become a peculiar test of your knowledge and equipment. Obviously, you don’t have to follow the technological path of digital photography, however, you could always upgrade your stuff with lens, which could help you present the same vision in different ways. During such knowledge review, you can easily spot the tendencies in the development of photography, recognize popular world trends and sum up your season. Such review of photo sessions is a perfect opportunity to estimate your very own style and skills. Taking part in a contest should be regarded as the prize for the work done by you.

What should I bear in mind, when sending a photo for a contest?

The most important thing to remember, when sending a photo for a contest, is to fulfill the necessary formalities. It’s hard to imagine a scenario worse than coming unstuck due to a petty mistake, deriving from the unfamiliarity of the regulations or incorrect fulfillment of the application form. Always double check before you send anything! Start with getting the hang of the regulations. Read them carefully and note every aspect vital for the application. Pay close attention to dates, fees and technical requirements. Uncompromisingly follow the rules set by the organizers. Enrollment for the biggest contest is usually being announced in a significant advance. Try to hold your horses, however, don’t act on short notice!

What kind of photo contest should I choose? Black and white photography.

Black and white photography is often referred to as the traditional photography and against all appearances, it’s one of the hardest forms of photography. The representation of the textures of particular scenery elements already seems undoable. The masters of this art are capable of creating entire inimitable scenes, using the play of shadows and half-shades. Light plays a vital role when it comes to black and white photography. One has to acquire the skill of using the light in totally controlled manner. There’s no room for coincidence. Everything should be carefully planned and done by the book. The contests of black and white photography are thriving. If you wish to test your skills, we encourage you to use our search engine, where you will find all the current contests of black and white photography.

What kind of photo contest should I choose? Smartphone photos.

It’s one of the freshest fields of photography, which gets more and more popular. The availability of the devices along with the development of technology let the smartphone photos take the world of photography by storm. Manufacturers trump over one another, delivering increasingly better devices to the users. It’s a great opportunity for the press photography. Pictures taken here and now, in the swim of things, with simple equipment, have already gone viral many times and become engraved in the memory of the viewers. The same rules apply to the extreme sports photography or other events, where time and place play the first fiddle. A need arose, a need for places, where the artists using smartphones could have competed with one another without bending over backwards because of people who might have used professional equipment. If you are into photography, but you don’t own professional equipment, you could try to compete within the contests of smartphone photography. Using our search engine, check out, if there is a competition currently going on, which could match you up!

What kind of photo contest should I choose? Photos taken with drones.

Drone photography is the newest competitive category. The development of aerial photography with the use of drones has earned its place among photo competitors. Over the internet, you can find contests exclusively intended for such kind of pictures. The most intriguing aspects of this new photo category are the incredible shapes forming the frames of the picture. Besides the equipment, one has to prove one’s mettle with knowledge of scene creation, prediction and reactions to the conditions of the surroundings. If you own a drone and you have managed to take an exceptional photo, we encourage you to use our search engine to find an appropriate contest.

What kind of photo contest should I choose? Colorful photos.

Colorful photos contests are on the leading edge of photography. Luckily, such kinds of competitions are highly diverse in respect of categories, which increases the odds of winning, if you manage to specialize within a narrow scope. Wondering what kind of colorful photography contest should you choose? Start with checking on the competitions in terms of available categories. Most of the organizers tend to categorize their contests, making it easier to match the preferences of photographers. Use our search engine to find noteworthy contests. Bear in mind to get familiar with the regulations of certain competitions. Possibly, you will be allowed to send several photos for different categories, increasing the chances of winning!