In the past, I’ve organised, run, managed and judged many photo contests, and this has given me a great insight, of which I’m about to share with you.

This is not a tutorial on how to produce a winning photo, there are hundreds of those around the internet, so I thought I’d share something different with you, and tell you why so many photos are rejected at the first stage from photo contests, and why many entries fail to impress the judges.

Get insight in to what the judges are looking for and learn how to avoid the mistakes many entrants make.

1. Photo requirements and specifications are a major factor, most contests will have a set criteria that you need to meet. See the list below for examples.

a. The size of the photo is quite common, some contests require that the photo be a certain size or within a range, they may also require that the file size does not exceed a specific amount, so making sure you size your photo correctly will ensure your entry is not rejected at the first stage.

b. You need to place close attention to any rules regarding modification, some contests are very specific about what you may and may not edit. Some will only permit you to modify colour balance and exposure, crop or resize the photo, some will permit full modifications, and other will not permit any at all. What ever they stipulate, make sure you adhere to this.

c. Keep a close eye for the format they require. Some competitions have specific rules on the format of your entry, be it film, digital. be it printed or submitted by email or whether it’s JPG – Gif.

d. Some contests will permit you to enter one photo only, but others allow you to enter multiple photos, if you’ve read all the details relating to the competition you could find out that you can submit as many entries as you wish, this can increase your chances of winning, so look out for this.

2. If the competition you are entering has a theme, make sure you understand exactly what it is the judges are looking for. Themed competitions will normally have a brief, which if read fully will normally give you clues and information as to what the judges are looking for. Now, although the best advise would be to follow the theme exactly, you shouldn’t let this dilute your creativity, and stop you from producing something unique, so the advice here is to read the brief fully and keep within the boundaries of the theme.

3. Eligibility, make sure you are eligible to enter the competition, check to see if there are any age restrictions, or if you have to be from a specific geographic location and check for experience, some contests are only open to professional or amateur photographers.

4. Terms and conditions (T & C’s) , who reads them? not many at all. Why would you? They can be long and boring, but, this is one of the main reasons entries are disqualified even before the judges have seen them. Terms and Conditions contain important information regarding your entry in to the competitions, and they should inform you of your rights and what you are giving them in return. You never know, but by entering the competition you could be giving them the keys to your home, so make sure you read the terms and conditions fully, and if you don’t understand something, contact the organiser and ask for clarification or seek advice.

5. When your photo was taken can also be an important factor for having your entry accepted. Some contests have time restrictions, such as, the photo must have been taken within the last two years, so make sure you follow their rule on time restrictions

6. If there are judges in the competition, and they are named, then give yourself an advantage and do a little research on each of them, find out what they like and what they dislike, this can be used to identify if your entry would appeal to them.

7. Choosing your entry should be based on the tips above and you should always submit your best work. Make sure it is strong in composition, exposure and focus. Try different perspectives and angles and don’t be afraid to break the compositional rules from time to time.

8. It’s always a good idea to seek others advice before entering a competition, maybe use some of the many photo forums around the net to get critique and feedback, or if you prefer ask family and friends their view on your photo, but remember they may be biased, so I’d recommend the former.

The most important thing about entering photo contests is to enjoy the process and enter as many as you can to improve your chances further.

‘the heroes of modern manufacturing’

The 2012 competition has garnered increased worldwide interest with over 112,000 entries from 171 countries, with the shortlisted images depicting the stories of extraordinary lives from around the world. The Professional competition reflects a turbulent year of global events with the war in Libya; the Greek and European economic crisis; the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan and the fall of Gaddafi, in the Photojournalism & Documentary categories.  The shortlist for the Fine Art and Commercial categories gets to the very heart of daily life -  a small sheep-farming community in Iceland; the rice harvest in South China; a religious pilgrimage in Poland and gold diggers in Chile.

This year the honorary jury found the quality of work exceptionally strong across all categories, discovering many photographers new to the Sony World Photography Awards roster.  Manuel Geerinck (Belgium);  Lee Chee Wai (China); Alejandro Cartagena (Mexico), Irina Werning (Argentina); Gwenn Dubourthoumieu (Republic of the Congo) and Simon Norfolk (UK), are but a few of the new names to place as finalists and shortlisted photographers.

Returning photographers from previous years, include 2010 Professional Landscape winner, Peter Franck (Germany); who this year is a finalist in three categories; 2011 Professional Contemporary Issues and Current Affairs winner, Javier Arcenillas (Spain); and Chan Kwok Hung (Hong Kong) whose stunningly dramatic image ‘Buffalo Race’ won the  Overall Open Competition in 2011.

W M Hunt, Chair of the Honorary Judging Committee, commented: ‘As a judge, you bring an open mind and a passion for photography – its presence and its present, its past and its legacy.  You are hopeful and hungry to see great work that is fresh and full, expecting the exceptional.  The rewards are rich and delightful.  It is a pleasure to present this year’s selections.’

Astrid Merget, Creative Director of the World Photography Organisation added: ‘Looking at the vast collection of shortlisted work across the categories, is truly gratifying this year.  Within the Professional awards, the bodies of work are beautifully presented and distinctive, whilst in the Open categories, the single snapshots are diverse and demonstrate excellent skill within the amateur market.  The new Youth competition also delighted us, as we were thrilled to find some exceptional budding talent.’

In being shortlisted for the Sony World Photography Awards, photographers can now look forward to the invaluable support of the World Photography Organisation, which includes having their work exhibited at a major exhibition at London’s Somerset House, to coincide with the award ceremony in April 2012.

The shortlist for the Professional Competition was selected by the Honorary Judging committee which was chaired by esteemed photographic consultant W.M. Hunt.  This year the Open entries were judged by a pre-selection committee of inspectors from Shutterstock, WPO and representatives from Sony.  The Youth Competition was judged by a WPO and Sony selection committee.

The annual Sony World Photography Awards ceremony and gala dinner will take place on 26 April at the Hilton Hotel in London’s Park Lane.  The awards celebration will once again take place alongside World Photo, London, a month-long event which brings an eclectic mix of photographic events for all to enjoy.  The opening weekend of World Photo London will be held at Somerset House from 27 – 30 April with selected events including portfolio reviews, workshops, symposiums and the Sony World Photography Awards winners’ exhibitions, which continue through to 20 May 2012.  Honorary Judges for the 2012 Awards and other international industry experts will be leading many of the festival events.

View more here.

View photos here

It’s been an arduous task, but after thorough review, the selected photographers of EXPOSURE 2011 have been determined with the help of our jurors: Natasha Egan, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography; Stephen Walker, Photo Director of NYLON Magazine; Conor Risch, Senior Editor of PDN Magazine; Michael Shulman, Director of Publishing, Broadcast and Film at Magnum Photos; Susanne Miklas, Photo Editor; and Karen Irvine, Curator and Associate Director of the Museum of Contemporary Photography.

Without further ado, congratulations to the Grand Prize photographer Laetitia Soulier! We’re also excited to present the selected recipients of the Early Entry and Category Awards, along with the Top 110 Finalists. We can’t wait to see what’s to come for these great photographers. Thank you again for being a part of Artists Wanted – we hope to continue providing you with new and exciting opportunities to get your talent discovered.

Click here to view other winners and photographers

Congratulations to gilchristyeotunboon for winning the contest with the photo “Focus”.

“This photo is fun, colorful, interesting and very well composed – showing good use of the “thirds” rule. The girl holding the camera is a playful element while the Asian food stall evokes a sense of travel and journey.” – Shelby Chan

Click here to see other entries

Click here to see other entries in a slideshow

‘Weather‘ was the theme for the last installment of Vanguard’s eight-week long photography competition and there was plenty of wind, rain, snow and rainbow shots for the judge to work their way through.

After narrowing down a shortlist it was decided that Engulfed by Tynnwrlluniau (Alun G. Davies) really summed up what the theme was all about.

Here’s what the judge said: “The power of the wave smashing into the sea wall can really be felt and Alun timed it extremely well to ensure all that energy would be captured in the final shot. It’s wild weather snapped at its finest and Alun is a well worthy winner.”

Well done to Alun who wins a Vanguard Alta Pro 283CT tripod and congratulations to all who were shortlised.
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/vanguard-alta-pro-283ct-week-8-competition-winner-announced-18360

The winners of the ‘Living Australian 2011/2012′ photo competition have been chosen.

Congratulations to the Junior and Open winners of the 2012 Living Australian Online Photography Competition. You have all made your mark on Australia. See all the winners here

Tamron USA announced the winner of the Tamron USA My Macro Exhibit Photo Contest. The contest, offered to Tamron lens users, required that entrants create a 3D virtual exhibit on www.MyPhotoExhibits.com showcasing at least 8-14 images. The winning exhibit would be based upon overall quality and originality of the collection. Professional photographer and My Macro Exhibit Photo Contest Judge, Mike Moats selected “Backyard Macros” created by Carolyn Derstine as the winner.

Mike Moats expressed his appreciation of her work through his remarks on the photographer; “Carolyn demonstrates an ability to produce excellent images with a variety of subjects in nature. All images are creatively composed in the frame, have good lighting, and nice sharp details. A well-balanced portfolio of subjects, beautiful colors, interesting textures, and nice blurred backgrounds.”

Carolyn Derstine will have her exhibit featured on the Tamron website, eNewsletter, Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/TamronLensesUSA) and will win a Tamron lens of her choice. To view the winning exhibit, please visit: http://tamron.myphotoexhibits.com/exhibits/4248-backyard-macros. Moats also selected 10 Honorable Mentions listed at http://www.tamron-usa.com/lenses/contests.asp.

As a leader in breathtaking you-are-there photography from across the world, National Geographic Traveller launched its inaugural photo competition last September in association with The Aurora Zone and Tesco.

UK photographers were asked to submit their entries in one of six categories: People, Culture, Nature, Landscape, Adventure and City, for a chance to win a once-in-lifetime trip to see the Northern Lights in Finland with The Aurora Zone and a top of the range camera and kit, courtesy of Tesco.

The judging panel consisted of Carol Enquist, National Geographic’s photo editor; Jonathan Briggs, editor of the British Institute of Professional Photography’s (BIPP) The Photographer magazine; Marina Syrmakezi from The Association of Photographers; and Chris Hudson, National Geographic Traveller’s art editor.

Chris Hudson said: “We had thousands of UK entries in this, the first National Geographic Traveller photography competition, and were truly impressed at the incredibly high standard of submissions, whether professional or amateur. Many were exactly what we were looking for: inspirational, high quality images capturing unique moments from all corners of the globe.

He added: “In just one frame, a photo can embody the essence, emotion and atmosphere of a destination and sum up a multitude of feelings in the flash of a shutter.”

The winners will be announced in the next issue and supplement on sale 9 February 2012.

Tessa K. Hessmiller

Founder, Kutoa

Grand Prize Winner – Ly Hoang Long

Fisherman, Hoi An, Vietnam

Photographer’s Description: Fisherman visiting the fishing nets in Cua Dai beach – Hoi An, Vietnam. There are hundred of nets hang along that beach and that makes a fantastic scenery every morning. August 2011.

Kutoa Judges’ Comments: This photo succeeds in taking what must be a mundane daily activity for the man who is the subject and portraying it as a serene, peaceful, and almost hypnotically breathtaking scene. This type of window into the life and culture of another truly exemplifies the joys of travel – finding the beautiful and uplifting in the daily sights and sounds of a place.

Ly Hoang Long won a 4-night jungle cruise in Borneo with Kalimantan Tour Destinations.  Kutoa will donate 50% of all contest proceeds directly to the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, an Indonesian non-profit dedicated to the conservation of the endangered Bornean Orangutan and its habitat through the involvement of local people.

Congrats and have fun in Borneo!

Runners-Up and Honorable Mention

Also, congratulations to the following entrants for their incredible shots:

Runners-Up:

• Erin Thomas – Trek on a Glacier, Argentina
• Yen Baet – Venice Carnival, Italy
• Ly Hoang Long – Three Champa Girls, Vietnam

Honorable Mention:

• Jerry Paskowitz – Family on the Move, Vietnam
• Alastair Swan – Cormorant Fishers, China
• Ly Hoang Long – Boy on Bus, China
• Ly Hoang Long – Elephant Race, Vietnam
• Alastair Swan – Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, USA
• Yew Kiat Soh – Joys of Kids, Malaysia
• Arvid Fimreit – Extreme Western Bus, Norway
• Halbert Bai – Dog Sledding, Alaska
• Jonathan Baet – Burnham Overy Staithe Sunset, England
• Kate Seibert – Colorful Worship, India
• Marlyana Glynn Brown – Washing Man, Turkey
• Ryan Kasak – Woman in Mexico
• Trung Tin Ngo Nguyen Huynh – View of a Fairytale, Sapa City, Vietnam

View the entire gallery here.  Feel free to post comments and share with friends!

Hasselblad today announced the eleven winners of the prestigious Masters Award, one for each of eleven categories. A distinguished and diverse panel of international judges representing different sectors of the photo industry selected the winning images.

As always, the decision-making process was challenging due to the high volume and high quality of submissions, but jury members approached their task with enthusiasm and great interest, acknowledging the importance of the Masters awards program. Photographer and Grand Jury member Colin Prior explains that, “The Hasselblad Masters Competition is a showcase for photographic excellence and provides both up and coming and established photographers the opportunity for their work to be seen like no other.” Australian portrait photographer Anne Geddes was excited to participate as a judge in this year’s awards saying that, “It was an honor to be invited to participate as a jury member and to be able to give back to the photographic community.”

For the second year in a row, the public was invited to vote for their favorite images-a practice that especially appealed to Grand Jury member Thomas Gerwers, Editor-in-Chief of ProfiFoto Magazine. “What is unique is that the public can view and judge the participating pictures online, so the Hasselblad Award is not happening in a black box but is all transparent,” says Gerwers. He also comments that, “What I like is that Hasselblad has opened the contest for all kinds of professional photography, even for those which have not been taken with a Hasselblad.”

Winners will be given access to an H4D, lenses and Phocus software for this year’s project, creating a series of images based on their individual interpretations of the theme “evoke”. Paul Waterworth, Hasselblad’s Global Photographer Relations Manager explains, “The term evoke can mean many different things, so it will be very interesting to see how these photographers put their own visual spin on the theme.”

The public will have to wait until photokina in September when the final work is presented in a special exhibition to see the end results of this creative exercise. As part of the Masters Awards, winners will also have their images published in the third annual commemorative Masters book: Masters Vol. 3 – EVOKE, which will also be presented at photokina.
Given the success of the 2012 Masters Finalists Tour this past fall and thanks, in part, to the support of sponsors broncolor, SanDisk and Epson, further exhibitions are planned for the latter part of the year. Hasselblad and the winning images will travel near and far-from Los Angeles and New York to Berlin, Tokyo, Beijing, Mumbai, Moscow and São Paulo and points in between-to share some of the best images of the competition with the rest of the world. Be sure to visit the Hasselblad website, VICTOR online magazine and subscribe to the Hasselblad Bulletin to find out more about the tour later in the year.

This contest is open to photographers from any country, but you must be over the age of 18 years.

You retain the copyright to your photos and we ask for limited usage rights. We believe in fair terms and conditions.

FREE TO ENTER
$100 IN CASH TO BE WON!
WINNER CHOSEN FROM LIKES & JUDGING

THE THEME IS OPEN SO YOU CAN SUBMIT ANY PHOTO YOU WISH

At the end of 2011 we launched our unique Photo Contest Finder tool which helps our readers to find contests they are eligible to enter. Thousands of readers have already signed up to use the PCF tool, and we look to develop further improvements for you throughout 2012

During 2011 we reviewed thousands of photo contests, not all of them met our strict standards, but 994 of them met with our approval and were published on PCN. We expect to review and publish even more contests in 2012.

So with new developments & improvements on their way, along with the target of listing even more photo contests, 2012 looks to be an exciting year, and we look forward to sharing this with you.

Thank you!!

The PCN Team

Enjoy the viewing.

The establishment of New Jersey’s Green Acres Program is now celebrating it’s 50th anniversary. The Green Acres Program was created in 1961 to meet New Jersey’s growing recreation and conservation needs.  Together with public and private partners, Green Acres has protected 650,000 acres of open space and provided hundreds of outdoor recreational facilities in communities around the State.

The entrants range from 6 years and upwards, and clearly demonstrating talent at an early age!

This year, our winners’ locations were as diverse as their techniques, from Florentine snapshots to large-format landscapes of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. And despite their varied backgrounds and professions, all had this in common: For at least one moment, they captured something quite beautiful.

Sit back, relax and take a look through the very best images that you, our readers, had to offer in 2011: http://www.popphoto.com/photos/2011/12/18th-annual-readers-photo-contest

The Winners are shown here.

Visit The International Loupe Awards website for more details.

http://www.ephotoawards.com/exhibitions/wildlife-nature-2011-ephoto-awards-exhibition

Happy viewing.

PCN has developed a new and exciting tool aptly named Photo Contest Finder which is free to use, just like all other PCN services.

Photo Contest Finder will save you time and make your life much easier.  Say goodbye forever to scrolling through hundreds of contests on search engines to find those that are open to entry and for which you are eligible.

Join us today and Click Here to Start using the Photo Contest Finder.

Simon Smith

www.photographycompetitions.net

A little bit about our Winner

After finishing my 3 years apprenticeship as a photographer in 1973 I was working as a fashion and advertising photographer. In 1979 I made the master degree in photography and started to work as a tutor in the Photo Department of a vocational training school in Germany, which I left after 30 years. Now I live and work in New Zealand and run a gallery together with my partner in Woodville.

The main part of my private work was always B&W Photography and there in special B&W Infrared Photography. Since two decades I work with my 6x17cm Technorama cameras and take my landscape photographs worldwide. I still work on film and develop my negatives and my silver gelatine prints by myself. Meanwhile I published many books and calendars and part of my work goes to galleries or collectors all over the world.

Arizona-Saguaro

Utah-Aspen Trees

New Mexico-White Sands

To get more information and see more of Helmut’s work, go to : www.helmut-hirler.de

There will be three overall winners acquiring cash prizes, with the finalists receiving exposure in the online exhibition on snapalley.com

The 1st place winner will receive $500 cash prize and will also benefit from an exhibition on SnapAlley.com. The 2nd place winner will receive $150 cash and their entry exhibited. The 3rd place winner will receive $100 cash along with their entry showcased in the exhibition.  Deadline extended December 01, 2011

Juried photography exhibition – All finalists selected by the judges will obtain exposure in the exhibition.

The theme for this contest is Color and is open to international entries, for both professional and amateur photographers, but you must be over the age of 18 years old.

$500 IN CASH AWARDS
NOW EVEN MORE WINNERS
SUBMIT MULTIPLE ENTRIES
GREATER CHANCE OF WINNING
GREAT CASH PRIZES
OPEN TO ALL OVER 18
EXPOSURE OF YOUR WORK
BECOME AN AWARD WINNER
FAIR TERMS & CONDITIONS
NO PUBLIC VOTING

We received positive feedback, we also received negative feedback, and we received a lot of constructive feedback, all of which are exactly what we wanted, and It’s this feedback that has already prompted us to action some changes round here, and although it’s too early to mention in detail what we are working on, you will obviously be made aware as soon as we have finalised the details.

We did also promise a $100 cash prize which would go to a randomly selected survey participant, and that person is: Brennan Cooper from Cincinnati, Ohio, and a big congratulation goes to you.

Again, we’d like to thank everyone for their time in answering our questions, it’s been a massive help, thank you!

Simon Smith

Before entering, please consider that this is not a photo contest, it is not about any single photo, we want you to submit 3 photos of your best work so we can see what you are like as a photographer.

Oh yes!! and you could win $250 cash

For full details click here

You have only 10 days left in which to complete the survey as it will close on July 31.

ENTER HERE

Good luck to you all.

To decide on the winner of this competition, we will enter the top 25 entries into a public vote.
So get snapping and hopefully see your work recognised by other photographers on a global scale – Good Luck!.

The Theme for the awards is OPEN, there are no restrictions on the genre, or whether they are color or black  & white. This gives a very broad range, allowing you to be as creative as you like, and allowing yo to submit your very best work.

If you think you have what it takes to become an award winning photographer, or, if you want the chance to win some cash, or you simply want to gain exposure to your work on PW.O then enter today.

The 2nd place winner will receive $150 cash and their entry exhibited.

The 3rd place winner will receive $100 cash along with their entry showcased in the exhibition.

All winners & finalists will obtain exposure in the exhibition.

The theme for this contest is Black and White and is open to international entries but you must be over 18 years old.

The deadline is 31st May 2011 and the entry is from as little as $5 per photo

THEME: The theme for this photo contest is color, this is completely open and allows you to photograph anything you like, but of course it must contain color.

DEADLINE: All entry submissions must be in by March 31st 2011

SELECTION: The winner and 2 runner ups will be selected by our judges.

PRIZES: The 1st prize is $300 – 2nd Prize is $125 – 3rd prize is $75

OPEN TO: International entries from professional, non-professional/amateur and student photographers over the age of 18.

FEES: Entry fees are only $8 per photo.

There are no limits on the number of entries per entrant

This is your chance to win an acrylic printed by Photobox, Europe’s largest online photo printers. In addition to the acrylic, you’ll also receive exposure on the home page of SnapAlley for everyone to see.

In addition to the acrylic, you’ll also receive exposure on the home page of SnapAlley for everyone to see.

This is your chance to win an acrylic printed by Photobox, Europe’s largest online photo printers. In addition to the acrylic, you’ll also receive exposure on the home page of SnapAlley for everyone to see.

So good luck to you all, and enjoy yourselves!

This is your chance to win an acrylic printed by Photobox, Europe’s largest online photo printers. In addition to the acrylic, you’ll also receive exposure on the home page of SnapAlley for everyone to see.

This is your chance to win an acrylic printed by Photobox, Europe’s largest online photo printers. In addition to the acrylic, you’ll also receive exposure on the home page of SnapAlley for everyone to see.

Good luck to you all, and enjoy yourselves!

Clikpic – Websites for photographers and artists

Digital-photography-school – A photography site with tips forums and much more

PhotoBuzz – A gallery showcase for professional photographers

ePhotozine – An excellent online photography magazine

Photo.net – A community for photographers

DP Review – If you are after reviews on the latest photography equipment then DP review is what you are looking for

Photolinks – is a large list of websites of photographers along with some useful resources for the industry.

ProsPhotos – is a list of websites related to photography.