Sometimes you need a little bit of a push to get creative with your camera. It's easy to get stuck in old habits, and having a goal in mind at the outset can sometimes bring out new ideas and unexpected insights. Entering photos in competitions not only gives you something to work towards, it might also bring you worldwide exposure (as well as more tangible rewards).
Below are 6 annual contests that will challenge your creativity and hopefully bring you worldwide recognition:
Leica Oskar Barnack Award This contest has been an annual event for 30 years now, and to celebrate that, they have added a Newcomer Award, allowing prospective professional photographers, up to 25 years of age, to participate (the Oskar Barnack Award itself is for pros only). You need to submit a series of photos (12 max) that shows "the interaction between man and the environment" before the March 1st deadline. The prize? Your work on display on Leica's website and $2,500 Euros.
International Photography Awards You're sure to find a category that suits your tastes in this contest: there are 8 main and 51 subcategories for amateurs, and 9 main and 63 subcategories for pros. The deadline is March 27, and the cost to enter is $25 for a single image, $50 for a series and $15 for each image after that (for amateurs). A jury picks 21 category winners, and prizes include cash ($10,000 and $5,000), exhibits of your work, Lucie statues, and the winner awarded the "Photographer of the Year" prize will also be featured in (and shoot part of) a Pilsner Urquell documercial in the Czech Republic!
The Underwater Images Competition The prizes in this contest are jawdroppingly fabulous, AND you help support education, scholarships and marine conservation by entering. It's only $10/image to enter, and you may submit as many photos as you want. The judges select three winners from each category, and the prizes include diving equipment, gift certificates, several dive & accommodation packages, and (I saved the best for last), dive trips to Bonaire, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Hawaii, Honduras, Cayman Islands and Indonesia. The 2009 deadline is April 1 (although you may enter between April 1 - April 10 for an extra $5/photo).
National Wildlife Photo Contest This contest, held by the National Wildlife Magazine, is open to everyone over the age of 13, and divided into pro, amateur and youth divisions. (If you're not 13 yet, check out the Ranger Rick Photo Contest, held every three months). The 2009 deadline is July 20, and you can enter up to 20 photos. The entry fee is $15 (for all 20 pictures) and includes six issues of National Wildlife as well as a year-long membership in NWF. The categories this year are "Plant Life", "Birds", "Mammals", "Other Wildlife", "Connecting People & Nature", "Landscapes", "Backyard Habitats" and "Global Warming & Wildlife". Winners are awarded cash prizes, calendars, field guides and more.
National Geographic What's National Geographic famous for? That's right, great photography. It goes without saying that competition is fierce at "World in Focus", their annual photo contest, but give it a shot (no pun intended) anyway, you never know! Amateurs and Professionals compete separately, and the jury selects 11 winners from the amateur group and 6 from the pros. The 2009 contest has not started yet, but it usually runs April - September. Last year's categories were "Spontaneous Moments", "Travel Portraits", "Sense of Place", "Outdoor Scenes" and "Photo Essay" (up to 6 photos), and prizes included trips to Patagonia, Chile and Maine, photography workshops and camera gear.
Islands If you, like me, love to travel, you'll want to keep an eye out for the next annual photo contest by Islands Magazine. The deadline for 2009 was January 31st, so we missed that one, but on the upside, that gives you almost an entire year to travel and shoot in preparation for the next. Since they want island-based travel photos, that's a thoroughly enjoyable assignment if you ask me. The entry fee is usually $3/photo, and among the prizes this year were trips to Aruba, Oahu and Fiji! - 15437
Below are 6 annual contests that will challenge your creativity and hopefully bring you worldwide recognition:
Leica Oskar Barnack Award This contest has been an annual event for 30 years now, and to celebrate that, they have added a Newcomer Award, allowing prospective professional photographers, up to 25 years of age, to participate (the Oskar Barnack Award itself is for pros only). You need to submit a series of photos (12 max) that shows "the interaction between man and the environment" before the March 1st deadline. The prize? Your work on display on Leica's website and $2,500 Euros.
International Photography Awards You're sure to find a category that suits your tastes in this contest: there are 8 main and 51 subcategories for amateurs, and 9 main and 63 subcategories for pros. The deadline is March 27, and the cost to enter is $25 for a single image, $50 for a series and $15 for each image after that (for amateurs). A jury picks 21 category winners, and prizes include cash ($10,000 and $5,000), exhibits of your work, Lucie statues, and the winner awarded the "Photographer of the Year" prize will also be featured in (and shoot part of) a Pilsner Urquell documercial in the Czech Republic!
The Underwater Images Competition The prizes in this contest are jawdroppingly fabulous, AND you help support education, scholarships and marine conservation by entering. It's only $10/image to enter, and you may submit as many photos as you want. The judges select three winners from each category, and the prizes include diving equipment, gift certificates, several dive & accommodation packages, and (I saved the best for last), dive trips to Bonaire, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Hawaii, Honduras, Cayman Islands and Indonesia. The 2009 deadline is April 1 (although you may enter between April 1 - April 10 for an extra $5/photo).
National Wildlife Photo Contest This contest, held by the National Wildlife Magazine, is open to everyone over the age of 13, and divided into pro, amateur and youth divisions. (If you're not 13 yet, check out the Ranger Rick Photo Contest, held every three months). The 2009 deadline is July 20, and you can enter up to 20 photos. The entry fee is $15 (for all 20 pictures) and includes six issues of National Wildlife as well as a year-long membership in NWF. The categories this year are "Plant Life", "Birds", "Mammals", "Other Wildlife", "Connecting People & Nature", "Landscapes", "Backyard Habitats" and "Global Warming & Wildlife". Winners are awarded cash prizes, calendars, field guides and more.
National Geographic What's National Geographic famous for? That's right, great photography. It goes without saying that competition is fierce at "World in Focus", their annual photo contest, but give it a shot (no pun intended) anyway, you never know! Amateurs and Professionals compete separately, and the jury selects 11 winners from the amateur group and 6 from the pros. The 2009 contest has not started yet, but it usually runs April - September. Last year's categories were "Spontaneous Moments", "Travel Portraits", "Sense of Place", "Outdoor Scenes" and "Photo Essay" (up to 6 photos), and prizes included trips to Patagonia, Chile and Maine, photography workshops and camera gear.
Islands If you, like me, love to travel, you'll want to keep an eye out for the next annual photo contest by Islands Magazine. The deadline for 2009 was January 31st, so we missed that one, but on the upside, that gives you almost an entire year to travel and shoot in preparation for the next. Since they want island-based travel photos, that's a thoroughly enjoyable assignment if you ask me. The entry fee is usually $3/photo, and among the prizes this year were trips to Aruba, Oahu and Fiji! - 15437
About the Author:
DeeDee Dobson encourages everyone to enter their photos in competitions. On her blog, she writes about compact pink digital cameras and lists the different brands.
