New Photography Contests 2016 and 2017

Photography contests are a great opportunity to both be recognized for your talent and to earn some money. What can be more fulfilling than being able to make some cash out of what you love doing? And although some of you may say that you only do art for yourself, let’s face it – it’s also a great way to boost your income.

After developing a portfolio and getting your work out there, photography contests are probably the second best way to promote yourself. You have no idea how many unknown, amateur photographers have managed to make a name for themselves by simply submitting a few pictures in the right places.

You have a lot of options when it comes to photo contests, but be careful. There are also a vast number of shady websites that ask for an entry fee but are not worth the effort nor the money. Pick your contests wisely and look for reliable photography competitions.

We’ve scouted the Web for some of the most appreciated online photography contests. Here’s what we came up with.

2016 and 2017 Photography Contests

Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

If you’re into wildlife photography you will surely enjoy this fun photo contest. It’s all about funny animal photographs, as the name so clearly suggests. The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards is free to enter.

To enter the competition, just visit www.comedywildlifephoto.com and complete the entry form. Upload your pictures prior the deadline, and hope for the best. Photographers can enter up to three images per category. There’s also a Video Clip Category, which might also be of interest for some of you. Up to two short clips can be submitted.

Deadline: 1^st of October, 2016.

Prizes: The overall will receive a one-week safari trip to Kenya. All expenses are, of course, paid by the organizers. The winner will be flown to Africa together with their partner of choice (spouse, friend, partner, etc.). Category winners will each receive a trophy made by people with disabilities at the WonderWorkshop.

Monochrome Photography Awards

Both amateur and professional photographers are welcomed to participate in the Monochrome Photography Awards competition. It’s all about black and white, so we hope you enjoy shooting monochrome pictures. We think it’s a great opportunity to make use of light and shadow to create stunning B&W photographs.

There are many categories to which you can submit your entry. This being said, everyone stands a chance to display what they’re most good at. Photographers can enter their work in the following sections: abstract, architecture, conceptual, fashion, fine art, landscape, nature, nude, people, photomanipulation, portrait, wildlife.

Deadline: 20^th of November, 2016.

Prizes: The overall professional winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize and other benefits. The overall amateur winner will be given a $1,000 cash prize and other goodies.

Smithsonian Photo Contest

The Smithsonian Photo Contest has made quite a name for itself. It may not be as popular as the National Geographic Photo Contest, but it’s an exceptional launching point. All photographers who are 18 or older are free to enter the photo contest.

There are seven categories into which participants can “pour” their creations: Natural World, Travel, People, The American Experience, Mobile, Altered Images, and Sustainable Travel. Bear in mind that if you want to submit an image which has already won other photo contests, you must reconsider it because it is forbidden. So pick a stunning image which has yet to shine on the Web or go out and start shooting new photographs as soon as possible.

Deadline: 30^th of November, 2016

Prizes: The Grand Prize consists of $2,500, but there are also other eight smaller prizes.

Travel Photo Contest

If you’re both a traveler and a photographer, then we’ve got just the thing for you. Since travel and photography go hand-in-hand, we are positively sure you already have some breathtaking pictures in your portfolio that should make their way to the Travel Photo Contest. Participants from all over the world are invited to take their chance and send their best travel snapshot.

There are no categories, which means that photographers are not restricted in any way.

Deadline: 31^st of December, 2016.

Prizes: The Grand Prize winner stands to receive $100, the second place winner will take home $25, while the third place only gets $10. It’s not much, but you never know who’s going to notice your talent.

Photo Pills Awards

If you want to go big, say hello to one of the most generous photography contests you can find. It’s free to enter (which we love), and submitting your entries is as easy as pie. However, it’s not exactly everybody’s cup of tea, and let’s see why.

The Photo Pills Awards is open to all photographers who have what it takes to shoot for the starts. Basically, you have three big categories: Night, Moon, and Sun. This means that photographers have to submit pictures of the Moon, Supermoons, moonrises, moonsets, solar eclipses, sunsets, sunrises, sun silhouettes, the Milky Way, star trails, meteor shower, and pretty much all other celestial subjects.

Deadline: 31^st of December, 2016.

Prizes: The overall annual winner will be awarded a $3,000 cash prize. Furthermore, each month you stand the chance of winning $100 regardless of the category you entered.

Embracing Our Differences Art Competition

Embracing Our Differences is a photography contest created to celebrate diversity and individuality. And what better way to embrace our unique personas than through the voice of art? To become a part of the change, photographers are invited to submit a digital art file with a short (up to 200 words) Artist Statement.

Deadline: 10^th of January, 2017.

Prizes: $3,000 worth of prizes will be awarded to three winners.

RHS Photographic Competition

The RHS Photographic Competition addresses both the young and the older participants. Encouraging individuals of all ages to go outdoors with their camera, it’s one of the few photography contests dedicated to plant lovers. You might begin to look at your garden differently once you see it as a potential subject for your pictures.

There are nine categories: Celebrating RHS Gardens, Welcoming Garden Wildlife, Pure Plants, Abstract and Details, Greening Grey Britain, Social Media, Young Photographer (age 11-17), Children’s Photographer (under 11), and Portfolio.

Deadline: 28^th of February, 2017.

Prizes: the RHS Photographer of the Year will receive a whopping £5,000, while the RHS Young Photographer of the Year will be given £750 worth of Wex Photographic vouchers.

IMAGE SOURCE: 1, 2, 3, 4

Filed Under: Contests

8 Photography Contests 2016 that Are Worth Entering

Always wanted to show the world your incredible photos? The photography contests 2016 has in store might be the perfect chance to do that! This year is filled with exciting photo competitions that you will definitely want to take part in. All you need to do is register online and submit your work. The prizes at the end are sure to catch anyone’s camera eye. Your creation could even end up in the National Geographic magazine! Here are the best 8 photography contests 2016 you need to enter right now:

World of Windows

Here’s a nice concept: windows. They make the world around us. They are the eyes of our houses and the gateways of sunshine. From the small wooden framed glass panes of a treehouse to the mammoth glass skyscrapers glaring in the sundown skyline. You can use any to capture a few pictures for this photography contest!

The theme (obvious by now) is windows and how you capture what’s going on inside or outside of them. The deadline is March 31, so be quick about it if you want to enter. According to the rules, the fee is $15 for up to 4 photos. The entries will then be reviewed by a panel of professionals in order to select the winners.

Here’s a look at the cash prizes:

First place: $250.
Second place: $100.
Third place: $75.

Apart from a prize in money, the winners will be offered their own gallery exhibition. Their work will also be promoted on social media. Last but not least: the photos will be included in the World Photography Network newsletter.

What’s New Pussycat?

Is your pet a cat and do you love nothing more than to snap photos of it? Judging by my personal Facebook news feed, most of my friends would be eligible for this purrfect contest. There’s nothing in the world that can come close to the cuteness of little fuzzy-wuzzy cat photo.

You can take part in this competition if you submit your work of photo-art by March 6. The contest is organized by the 1650 Gallery in Los Angeles. You can find out more from their Facebook Event page. The entry fee is $35 for up to 5 photos. If you want to show them more than five, you’ll have to pay $5 for every extra image you submit.

The best 3 photographers will have their photos published on the event’s page. The “Best In Show” winners get to see their 10 photos featured in the 1650 Spotlight online gallery. They’ll also be featured in the newsletter.

Showtime

The Showtime photo contest takes place every year. The downside being that it’s only open to Canadian residents only. If you like to dwell on summer dreams, catching blissful moments at parties, or anything that has red in it, then this year might be the one for you! Alight your aspirations of winning one of the photography contests 2016 holds by taking part in this one!

Local amateur and professional photographers are more than welcome to join the competition. Entry is free and you can send your images at showtime@photolife.com. Each participant can only submit 5 photos per each contest theme. The deadlines for each theme are as follows: March 15, May 15, and July 15. With such diverse themes and a total number of 15 photos that one contestant can submit, this contest is perfect for a debuting photo artist. Better yet, there’s no need for expensive DSLRs as this competition accepts even photos take with your iPhone.

A perfect summer dream photo example, well worth one of the prizes.

Abstract Nature

Looking at the world through a different view, seeing odd shapes, odd angles, optical illusions, and pixels made of dreams. That’s what the makers of this photography contest challenge you to do. The Digital Photographer Team will judge this photo contest. According to the jury, they “want to see a whole different approach to nature photography (…).”

The photos you submit should be abstract. You can choose an outdoor animal portrait, a child on a beach, or a horse in Iowa. The prizes for the expert’s winner and the crowd’s winner are two Lowepro Photo Sport BP 300 AW II backpacks, one for each. The Digital Photographer magazine will also publish the photos of the crowd winner, as well as the expert’s winner’s top 3 images. The deadline for the Abstract Nature competition: April 3.

Geometry

The grand prize for the winner is a $200 Amazon voucher. She or he will be able to use it to buy any type of photography equipment. Furthermore, the winner’s work will be work featured on the website’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Urban 2016 Photo Awards + Exhibition

The star of the photography contests 2016 has to offer, the Urban Photo Awards are centered on the urban, the natural, and the active. If you’re into equine photography, the Urban contest is one way to get your equine photos noticed. No matter whether your submission is a bird in Arkansas or a dog and its owner in Texas, the judges will be more than anxious to receive it.

The competition has 3 main themes: street photography, nature, and sports. High-quality images can be submitted by May 31. The entry fee is $11 for the first photo and extra images are $5.54 each. The winner of the Themed Photos section will receive $1,109 and a medal, second place gets $554.53 and a medal, while third place receives $332.71 and a medal.

Intrepid Travel

A popular contest, the Intrepid travel is open to people who love to snap photos while on holiday in a foreign land. You can use either a digital camera or your mobile phone. Shoot photos of exotic food, fine wines, or of teens playing on the seaside.

The deadline is June 30. You don’t have to pay an entry fee, but you do need to be over 14 to enter it. There are 6 monthly themes. The first three are “Food from the road”, “Local Faces”, and “Europe & Turkey.” The other three are “Streetview”, “Friends traveling”, and “Travel icons.”

The winner will receive an $800 voucher from Intrepid Travel.

Monochrome Awards

Photographers who like to shoot in black and white are invited to the Monochrome Awards 2016. Your images can range from fashion presentations to a baby making its first steps. A student going to school or teenagers participating in a state fair are also great ideas for submissions. You need to capture life as it is since inauthentic photos are very easy to spot. Try to incorporate everyday moments and paint them in black and white so as to give them a tinge of memory-like nostalgia. A good monochrome photo can bring even us grownups to tears.

Watch out, though! You have until July 3 to submit all your images. You’ll also have to pay a fee (unspecified) to upload them online. The Photographer of the Year will receive $2000. The Discovery of the Year winner will get $1000.

Conclusion

This concludes our list of the best photography contests 2016 has for us. Did you take part in a photo competition in 2014 and 2015 without winning anything? These 8 photography contests 2016 will give you offer another chance to make it big. Show these professional judges what images you’ve captured and your digital masterpieces could travel the world.

Image source: 1, 2, 3

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: 2016, contest, Photography, prize

Nature Photography Winners of National Geographic Photo Contest 2014

National Geographic Photo Contest is an annual competition bringing into view world’s most brilliant images. In 2014 both hobbyist and professional photographers around the globe have submitted more than 9,200 entries in three photo categories: People, Places and Nature. We’ve chosen to present best nature photography submissions as a source of inspiration and delight. Let’s check out Nat Geo editor’s favorite pics and find out more about these amazing nature photographers.

Nature photographer: Nicole Cambré

Nicole Cambré is the winner of National Geographic Photo Contest 2014 in the nature photography category. Her image of the jumping wildebeest also won the nature category of the 1X Photo Awards 2014 and the first prize in the wildlife category of the Monochrome Awards 2015.

Nicole Cambre Nature Photography Winner Photo

Nat Geo Photo Contest 2014 Winning Image in Nature Photography Category © Nicole Cambre

Photo Location: North Serengeti, Tanzania.

Nature Photography Entry Description: ‘Jump of the wildebeest at the Mara River’

You can follow Nicole’s photographic work on her Facebook page or website.

Nature photographer: Christian Miller

Christian Miller Nature Photography Honirable Mention Nat Geo Photo Contest 2014

Nat Geo Photo Contest 2014 – Honorable Mention in the Nature Photography Category © Christian Miller

Photo Location: Cairns, Great Barrier Reef, Flynn Reef, Australia.

Nature Photography Entry Description: ‘On a windy day right after a Cyclone passed the far northern Great Barrier Reef I took some friends out to the reef. Never before I saw that many glass fish on this particular coral ‘bommie’. Just when I setup my camera, this Napoleon Wrasse swam right through the school of fish building a living frame.’

Check out Christian Miller’s incredible nature photos on his 500px page.

Nature photographer: Prashant Meswani

Prashant Meswani nature photography honorable mention nat geo photo contest

Honorable Mention in the Nature Photography Category of Nat Geo Photo Contest 2014 © Prashant Meswani

Photo Location: Richmond Park, London, UK.

Nature Photography Entry Description: Stag Deer Bellowing in Richmond Park

Other beautiful nature photography examples signed by Prashant Meswani can be found on his 500px page.

Nature photographer: Henrik Nilsson

Honorable Mention in the Nature Photography Category of Nat Geo Photo Contest 2014 © Henrik Nilsson

Photo Location: Boundary Bay, BC, Canada.

Nature Photography Entry Description: ‘A wild short eared owl completes a shoulder check in case something was missed. Northern harriers were also hunting in the field and these raptors will often steal a kill from the owls.’

Henrik Nilsson’s nature photography is focused on wildlife. For more inspiring images, take a look at his website.

Nature photographer: Zik Teo

Honorable Mention in the Nature Photography Category of Nat Geo Photo Contest 2014 © Zik Teo

Photo Location: Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania.

Nature Photography Entry Description: Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, is the world’s largest inactive volcanic caldera. It is a collapsed volcano that harbors a range of African wildlife that live in relatively close proximity and competition of each other. Zebras are amongst the most common animals in the crater along with wildebeest, gazelles, hyenas, and lions. On a clear day, a 360º view of the crater rim can be seen whilst being inside.

If Zik Teo’s nature pic has captured your interest, visit his 500xp page for more images.

Nature photographer: Maie Kirnmann

Honorable Mention in the Nature Photography Category of Nat Geo Photo Contest 2014 © Maie Kirnmann

Photo Location: Estonia, Tabasalu.

Nature Photography Entry Description: Ice art on the window.

Maie Kirnmann is a photographer based in Tallinn, Estonia whose work is centered around landscape and nature photography. Her photographic work can be followed on Facebook.

Nature photographer: Archna Singh

Honorable Mention in the Nature Photography Category of Nat Geo Photo Contest 2014 © Archna Singh

Photo Location: Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India.

Nature Photography Entry Description: ‘This playful fight amongst two young sub adult Tigers was indeed a brilliant life time opportunity, that lasted exactly 4-5 seconds. The cubs were sitting in the grass as dusk approached when suddenly one of them sneaked up behind the other and what happened next is captured in this image. This playful fight among the siblings is what prepares them for their survival in the wild. The sheer power of the Tiger is beautifully captured in this image and portrays the sheer muscle power that these magnificent cats possess. May 5th, 2014, Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh, India.’

Archna Singh is a fashion designer turned photographer. She is passionate about wildlife and landscape photography and her interest in exploring the forests of Africa made her the author of several nature photography exhibitions.

These nature photographers’ submissions were judged for their level of creativity and technical quality by a panel of National Geographic professional. The Grand Prize winner, Nicole Cambré received $10,000 and a trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., where she participated in the annual National Geographic Photography Seminar at the beginning of this year. Pretty impressive, isn’t it?

You can download these amazing nature photos as free wallpapers from the National Geographic website. Also, we recommend you to explore other galleries of editor’s top pics and try your luck. If you want to submit your best photo, join their competition for a chance to win great prizes. Hurry up! They are still taking submissions for the 2015 Traveler Photo Contest until June 30. Find out more about the National Geographic Photo Contest in our post on photo contests you must enter in 2015.

If you enjoyed reading our post or want to share any thoughts, ideas or suggestions with us, drop us a line. For more insights into the wonders of photography, subscribe to Virtual Photography Studio or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Image Sources: National Geographic Photo Contest 2014 Official Page

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: national geographic photo contest 2014, nature photographers, nature photography winning images, nature photos

What’s The Purpose Of Entering A Photo Contest?

Sometimes it seems like it takes more effort than it’s worth. Not only do you have to keep up with your regular business and client work, but then you have to add in creating specialty images to enter into photo contests too? Is it really worth it?

Yes.

A photo contest ultimately does three things for you.

1. It boosts your confidence. Nothing can put a smile on your face more than being recognized by your peers. When they recognize your photographic talent, you know you’ve accomplished quite a bit in your career.

2. It educates you. Taking photographs for clients is completely different than taking photographs for awards. You look at things differently, put new perspectives on your subject matter, and learn more about the true art of photography.

3. It proves your expertise. When you market your photography, your client judges you based on your images and your marketing materials. When you add “award winning” in, it changes the dynamics. Your client instantly knows you’ve been recognized outside of the typical business world, and others appreciate what you do as well.

Win a few awards, and your business can easily become more professional, more saleable – which means you can charge more for what you do.

If you enter a local contest, you can list “award winner”.

If you enter an international contest, you can list “international award winner”.

With just a couple of wins behind you, you could quickly improve your status by becoming an “International Award Winning Photographer”.

And you could win some pretty cool prizes along the way too.

Here’s a look at contests happening right now.

2nd Annual Great Outdoors Photo Contest 2011

Have a chance to show off what you can create in nature, and have a chance at winning a week long Polar Bear Adventure.

The Photo Contest

Browse through this blog to find a variety of contests and photography competitions from around the world. They have different categories – portrait, sport, travel, etc – so you should be able to find something corresponding to your interests.

31st Annual Spring Photography Contest

Winning photographs will be published in the November 2011 issue of Photographer’s Forum Magazine, and exhibited at Brooks Institute Gallery. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Contests Tagged With: photo awards, photo competition, photo contest, photographic, Photography

Are You A Member Of Our Facebook Page? Join Now And Win

Are you one of the 500 million people currently active on Facebook? Have you joined our Virtual Photography Studio fan page?

Our Facebook page is a great way to keep up on our latest information to help you become better at the business side of photography. We share a ton of tips, interesting resources, and a contest or two along the way.

Starting today, we are running a contest through the end of September to give away one Six Figure Photographer Fast Trak training program. All you have to do is visit our Facebook page, like our page, and sign up to win. It’s that easy.

Then at the beginning of October, we’ll select the winner, and let you know who it is.

We also have a ton of new ideas planned for Facebook, so this is a great time to join and keep up on the latest information. If you’re a photographer, and want to make money with your photography, you can’t afford not to be on Facebook. And we’ll be showing you the best-kept secrets – IF you are following us.

Like us today on Facebook, and sign up to win Six Figure Photographer Fast Trak.

Learn more about Six Figure Photographer Fast Trak here.

Filed Under: Blog, Contests Tagged With: Join Virtual Photography Studio Facebook Page, Win Six Figure Photographer Contest on Facebook

Enter Digital Photographer of the Year Awards for 2010

What does winning a photographer award mean to you? It could be something you do for you – something that allows you to be recognized for your photographic skills. Or it could be something you do for your clients – something that allows you to showcase your skills. Either way, an award can help you boost your confidence and help you build your business a little bit more. It puts you into a different category of photographer. You can use it on your resume to tell your potential clients you’re an award winning photographer. And of course you can win some pretty excellent prizes along the way too.

Digital Photographer magazine just released their Photographer of the Year awards 2010 program, and you have several chances of winning between now and the end of the year. With six categories to choose from, you don’t have to enter everything right now. Each category opens up and corresponds to an issue of the magazine: Landscapes through August 26th, Portraits through September 23rd, Wildlife through October 21st, Travel through November 18th, Action through December 14th and Creative/HDR through January 14th.

When the final category closes, Digital Photographer will announce their grand prize winner, who will become Photographer of the Year for 2010.

Ready to enter?

Filed Under: Blog, Contests

Get Clients: How Photographers Are Using Facebook and Twitter

In early December 2009, I went out and asked photographers to contribute their best Facebook and Twitter tips and advice on how you can use these tools to help grow your photography business.

Over the course of the next couple of weeks, I accepted tips from photographers all over the world, and deeply enjoyed hearing how some of you are using these new tools to help grow your businesses. The questions were:

Question 1 – What’s the right way to use Twitter to promote your business?
Question 2 – What’s your best tip for getting followers on Twitter?
Question 3 – How do you manage your time on Twitter?

Question 4– What’s the right way to use Facebook to promote your business?
Question 5 – What’s your best tip for getting followers on Facebook?
Question 6 – How do you manage your time on Facebook?

My goal was twofold. First, I wanted to find out you are doing with social, and how its impacting your business. Second, I wanted to provide a resource for you as a photographer to grow your business using these top free technologies.

Using those two strategies as my guideline, I welcome you to dive into this downloadable document, learn new ideas and strategies along the way, and discover how you can make 2010 your best year yet using Facebook and Twitter to market your photography.

Feel free to share this PDF document with your friends and fellow photographers, link to it, or post it to your website or blog. I invite you to use it and benefit from it.

Download Getting Clients with Facebook and Twitter [PDF]

Filed Under: Blog, Contests, Facebook, Twitter Tagged With: get clients, photographers using facebook, photographers using social marketing, photographers using twitter

Could Your Online Marketing Ability Give You A Photographer Award?

Mashable’s 3rd Annual Open Web Awards: Social Media Edition has just been announced.

With the advance of social media this year, its hard not to have some type of social media within your marketing plan. Whether you love Twitter and use it all day long, have a great blog that people love to follow, or have a desire to be the best Flickr photographer, here’s your chance.

Start by visiting OpenWebAwards.com. Once you’re there, sign in using either your Facebook or Twitter id, and start nominating. With 50 categories, there’s one for anyone who loves being online. Here’s just a few:

open web awards 1

open web awards 2

Filed Under: Blog, Contests Tagged With: awards for photographers

Enter A Photo Contest and Improve Your Resume

Want three reasons to enter a photo contest?

1. Winning an award adds to your credentials. If you can put a long list of awards on your resume, you’ll not only have a more professional look, you’ll be able to charge more for your work as well.

2. You’ll learn a ton. Look at the winners of each contest you enter from the previous years. Study them to get an idea of what they are looking for, and improve your photography skills in the process.

3. It makes you feel great! There’s nothing like winning an award that gets you excited for your business.

I found this great list of contests – 9 Great Photo Contest To Take Part In! – and it inspired me to share the list with you, and to give you 3 more additional resources to enter.

The Center for Fine Art Photography
The Center for Fine Art Photography is sponsoring a photo contest with the theme – a visual representation that portrays the likeness of a person, animal, place or thing.

This contest is open to photographers worldwide, amateur and professional level.

Entry fee is $20 USD for 3 images as a member, $35 for non-members. Additional images are $10 each.

Deadline of August 18, 2009

Official website: http://www.c4fap.org/cfe/2009Portrait/portrait.asp
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Contests Tagged With: enter a photo contest, photo contests, photography awards