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's Newcomer Award For the past 30 years, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (for pro photographers only) has honored outstanding photographers from all over the world as the winners of this prestigious contest. This year, they decided to add a new category, the " Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award", open to "prospective professional photographers" under the age of 26. To enter, submit a series of max 12 photos depicting "the interaction between man and the environment" on or before March 1. There is no entry fee, and the Newcomer Award is $2,500 Euros, and your work exhibited in Leica's online gallery.
The International Photography Awards The Lucie Foundation's annual juried competition welcomes professionals, amateurs and students to enter their work in any or all of their many categories (8 professional, 7 non-professional and one called The Deeper Perspective where the story behind the photo is as important as the image itself). It's $25/single photo, $50/series (2-5 photos) and $15 per additional category to enter. The jury chooses one winner per category, and three grand prize winners: The International Photographer of the Year, The Discovery of the Year and the Deeper Perspective International Photographer of the Year. The grand prize winners receive cash prizes ($10,000 and $5,000), Lucie statues, tickets to the Lucie awards, and a solo show at a gallery in New York (Discovery of the Year only). The Photographer of the Year also gets the opportunity to shoot a portion of (and feature in) a Pilsner Urquell documercial on site in the Czech Republic. The 2009 deadline is March 27.
Underwater Photo and Video Competition This competition is open to amateurs only, and if you enjoy diving and snorkeling, it's definitely one to put on your "submit list". There are 5 photo categories: Conservation, Majestic, Togetherness, Macro, and Wide Angle, and they are obviously looking for photos taken underwater. And check out the prizes: diving trips to the Solomon Islands, the Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Honduras, hotel stays and dive packages in several different (exotic) locations, equipment, gift cards and much more. The entry fee is $10/image, and you can enter as many as you like. The Underwater Images competition is a non-profit corporation and all proceeds from this competition go to marine conservation, education, and scholarships, so this is money well spent. The deadline is April 1, but for an additional $5/image, you can enter as late as April 10.
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 Magazine Islands' annual photo contest is on its 20th year, and if you like travel, this is one to enter for sure. They are looking for island-based travel photos, and the entry fee is only $3/photo. Prizes this year include trips to Fiji, Oahu, Iceland and Aruba. The 2009 deadline was January 31st, so set your sights on entering next year (something to keep in mind while vacationing this year). - 16890
Below are 6 annual contests that will challenge your creativity and hopefully bring you worldwide recognition:
Leica's Newcomer Award For the past 30 years, the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (for pro photographers only) has honored outstanding photographers from all over the world as the winners of this prestigious contest. This year, they decided to add a new category, the " Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award", open to "prospective professional photographers" under the age of 26. To enter, submit a series of max 12 photos depicting "the interaction between man and the environment" on or before March 1. There is no entry fee, and the Newcomer Award is $2,500 Euros, and your work exhibited in Leica's online gallery.
The International Photography Awards The Lucie Foundation's annual juried competition welcomes professionals, amateurs and students to enter their work in any or all of their many categories (8 professional, 7 non-professional and one called The Deeper Perspective where the story behind the photo is as important as the image itself). It's $25/single photo, $50/series (2-5 photos) and $15 per additional category to enter. The jury chooses one winner per category, and three grand prize winners: The International Photographer of the Year, The Discovery of the Year and the Deeper Perspective International Photographer of the Year. The grand prize winners receive cash prizes ($10,000 and $5,000), Lucie statues, tickets to the Lucie awards, and a solo show at a gallery in New York (Discovery of the Year only). The Photographer of the Year also gets the opportunity to shoot a portion of (and feature in) a Pilsner Urquell documercial on site in the Czech Republic. The 2009 deadline is March 27.
Underwater Photo and Video Competition This competition is open to amateurs only, and if you enjoy diving and snorkeling, it's definitely one to put on your "submit list". There are 5 photo categories: Conservation, Majestic, Togetherness, Macro, and Wide Angle, and they are obviously looking for photos taken underwater. And check out the prizes: diving trips to the Solomon Islands, the Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Honduras, hotel stays and dive packages in several different (exotic) locations, equipment, gift cards and much more. The entry fee is $10/image, and you can enter as many as you like. The Underwater Images competition is a non-profit corporation and all proceeds from this competition go to marine conservation, education, and scholarships, so this is money well spent. The deadline is April 1, but for an additional $5/image, you can enter as late as April 10.
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 Magazine Islands' annual photo contest is on its 20th year, and if you like travel, this is one to enter for sure. They are looking for island-based travel photos, and the entry fee is only $3/photo. Prizes this year include trips to Fiji, Oahu, Iceland and Aruba. The 2009 deadline was January 31st, so set your sights on entering next year (something to keep in mind while vacationing this year). - 16890
About the Author:
DeeDee Dobson encourages everyone to enter their photos in contests. On her blog, she writes about awesome pink digital cameras and the different brands available.
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