Every category winner will be awarded $500, a 3-month 3rd Ward work residency and inclusion in a Group Show in the 3rd Ward Gallery. One Grand Prize Winner, as determined by the public, will win a $5,000 cash grant, a 1-year 3rd Ward work residency, and inclusion in a Group Show at the 3rd Ward Gallery!

For the past six years, 3rd Ward has been a leading resource for artists and creative professionals in New York City and around the world. You create inspired work. Now share it with the world

$15 per image, you can submit 7 or more images for a flat rate of $99 (maximum of 20 images). The $99 package includes a 1-year Basic 3rd Ward Membership free of charge.

Monthly Categories:

February: Nature
March: Adventure
April: Street life
May: Water
June: Journey
July: Colour
August: Culture
September: Sport
October: Weather
November: Markets
December: Food

Monthly Themes

January: Winter

February: Nighttime

March: Cities

April: Spring

May: Water

June: Summer

July: Weather

August: Americana

September: Fall

October: Wildlife

November: Transportation

December: People

The competition consists of three separate Seasons. The opening and closing dates for each Seasons are as follows:

Season 1 (3rd January 2012 – 29th February 2012), midnight GMT
Season 2 (1st March 2012 – 30th April 2012), midnight GMT
Season 3 (1st May 2012 – 30th June 2012), midnight GMT

Submit your favorite shot — or your 25 favorites — for a chance to win dream trips, photo gear and, of course, fame in the pages of ISLANDS magazine
All entrants must submit an original photograph taken on an island or in island waters

The Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition® recognizes outstanding images of life science specimens captured through light microscopes, using any magnification, any illumination technique and any brand of equipment. Each person entering can submit up to five movies, images, or image sequences (such as time lapse series). Entries must include information on the importance or “story” behind the images. Winners are notified in late October and are announced publicly in November. Selected winning images also become part of a traveling exhibit tour of museums and academic institution

COMPETITION JUDGING: All eligible images will be judged by an independent panel of experts selected by Sponsor based on the following criteria:

Science – Uniqueness of the specimen or processes shown, importance of work, new information revealed, “story” told.
Aesthetics – Beauty or impact of the image, balance, composition.
Technical merit – Challenge of specimen itself – difficulty of capturing structures or data shown, photographic excellence.

Global interest in the year 2012 inspired the founding of Project 12 – a global art and photography project/competition making an historical record of the year 2012, inspiring world peace and encouraging environmental awareness.

At 12 noon on the 12th of each of the 12 months in 2012, participants are invited to take photographs or make art each month. Entries are uploaded each month where they can be viewed and voted on by the general public.

There are 4 categories or themes participants may choose from:

12:12:12 – A record of the mystical year of 2012 in 12 moments. (N.B. deadline for entry into this category is midnight 11th Jan. Don’t miss out!)
Peace 12 – Art and photography inspiring World Peace.
Gaia 12 – Art and photography encouraging environmental awareness.
A Study of 12 – Highlight your favourite things with one example a month.

Membership in Project 12 is a one time registration fee of 12€ (Euros)

Project 12 (2012 Project 12) headquartered in Akranes, Iceland, is an independent, registered non-profit association founded in 2011 which aims to make a historical record of the year 2012, inspire world peace and encourage environmental awareness.

Submissions received by December 31, 2011 11:59pm EST will be considered for the $1,000 Early Entry Award in addition to the Grand Prize and Category Awards.

Year in Review is an international open call for Painting, Sculpture & Installation, Photography, Design & Illustration, Motion & Sound, and more, with a mission to present a range of technique, style and narrative that captures the best emerging artists of the year. Our goal is simple – to find amazing talents and expose them to the world in the most potent way possible.

Jurors:
Executive directors, editors and curators have been selected from esteemed publications and institutions ranging from The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney and New York Photo Festival to ArtStars*, Printed Matter Inc. and Independent Curators International to act as the Jury Panel for Year in Review.

When choosing the finalists and winner, the judge will take into account the following criteria:
a. Whether the celebrity is likely to be remembered in history; and
b. The quality and composition of the photo.

Exposure 2011 is an international competition celebrating the power of the image. Open to photographers of all backgrounds who speak in the language of lenses and aperture, the third annual EXPOSURE competition will award $18,500 in cash grants, an exhibition and reception in NYC’s Aperture Foundation, and a projection series of the selected photographer’s images all across New York City.

Enticing people to share their backcountry exploits through the written word, still pics and video. We’ve taken it up a notch with the prizes this year and have literally thousands of dollars worth of goodies to lay-on the lucky winners. Muchos gracias to our partners for providing the prizes. The comp. would be considerably less interesting, or non-existent, without their kind contributions.

This year’s comp format has evolved a little from last year. We are having three“heats”–one each for the months of December, January, and February respectively. Each month, we’ll pick five winners who get a small prize and are automatically advanced to the jumbo schwag round at the end of the season. Capiche? In other words, come March 1st when the comp closes, we’ll have 20 entrants from which to choose the four big winners. We want to empty out some of the gear closets here at BSC HQ, and we want to encourage backcountry skiers to submit early (and often)

Only images clearly reflecting the theme “Reflections” will be considered for the competition. All photos submitted that are not representative of the specific theme will be removed.

They will have the opportunity to experience new and exciting cultures and attractions as they compete to earn the title of Canon-Better Photography Photographer of the Year 2011. As the grand prize, the winner will receive a Canon EOS 7D, among other exciting prizes.

Better Photography and Canon will appoint a panel of judges to determine the winning images. The parameters will include vision, composition, exposure, technique, message conveyed and the overall appeal of the image.

If you are a student aged 18 years or older then this contest is for you. Pick from one of 10 categories below and submit up to 8 of your best shots

Me : Show  images that best capture you — moments with friends and family, dancing with your dog, or your favorite pair of beat-up sneakers

Food: Shots that tantalize — from mouthwatering ingredients to dishes to die for.

Travel : Take us there with photos of your travels that give us a sense of place and culture.

Fashion : Here’s your chance to stroll the catwalk and reveal your fashion sense.

Action : Action takes many forms—whether it’s the raw speed of a racetrack or the gentle ripple of a waterbug on a still pond.

Street : Capture the urban vibe with big city boulevards, tree-lined avenues, or the street where you live.

Sport : Bring your A game. Show us the passion, excitement, and athleticism of sport.

Night : Keep us in the dark or light up the night. Any natural night view is eligible.

Sound/Silence : What does sound look like? Can you show us in a photo?

Point of View: Document what is happening now – from protests to celebrations.

Last year a superb pastel study of a pair of Amur tigers bewitched the judges with its powerful composition and strong sense of movement and light. Amur Ambush won Stella Mays the prestigious title of BBC Wildlife Artist of the Year 2011 and an unforgettable trip to Sabah, Borneo, in search of orangutans.

You could win an amazing painting safari in Botswana with Pip McGarry, and see your art take pride of place in a special display of all of the category-winning pieces at the Marwell International Wildlife Art Society exhibition in August. So go wild, and get arty!

THE CATEGORIES

British Mammals (behaviour and portraits)

British Birds (behaviour and portraits)

All Other Wildlife (behaviour and portraits, in the UK and worldwide)

The Wonder of Plants (British and worldwide)

Beneath the Water (marine and fresh water)

Animals in their Environment (British and worldwide)

World Mammals (behaviour and portraits)

World Birds (behaviour and portraits)

Black and White Nature (pencil, lino cuts, etchings, wood block etc)

Visions of Nature (innovative, creative impressions of wildlife)

Frozen Planet (please note: entries must feature animal life)

Endangered Species (entries must feature species listed by the IUCN as ‘Endangered’ or ‘Critically Endangered’)

International Artists – a category judged digitally, exclusively for artists outside of the UK. This is to save our international entrants the great costs of sending artwork to the UK.
PLEASE NOTE: International artists can enter up to eight images in this category only.

Artwork must feature wildlife – birds, mammals, waterlife, invertebrates and plants – in a natural or captive environment.

Fee is $10 to enter three photos that express the Joys of Travel, and 20% of all proceeds go directly to support social causes in the destinations chosen by the winners. Each photograph will be judged separately based on (1) creativity 40%; (2) photographic quality 40%; and (3) capturing the theme of “Joys of Travel” 20%.

Kutoa is an innovative new company that promotes “socially green travel” by providing travelers with a centralized, user-friendly online location to find accommodations and tour companies that make a difference. All destinations listed on Kutoa give time, goods, or money to important social causes in their local communities.

Great prizes for a great cause. Good luck!

And the 2011 competiton, energised by E.ON, will be bigger and better than ever before, offering a total £700 for the overall “winner of winners”.

Submitting pictures is a great chance to showcase your skills behind the camera and a chance to see your work published on our website and magazine.

* Arable scenes
* Livestock scenes
* Natural world and landscapes
* Pets
* People
* Humour
* Young snapper (open to anyone who’s 16 or under on the closing date)

The Contest also aims at broadening social awareness of the Millenium Development Goals and the issue of global development, as well as understanding its complexity.

The subject matter of the Contest are the development challenges of poor countries and of countries undergoing political transformation. The Works submitted to the Contest should present the daily life, culture and problems of the inhabitants of the developing countries.

The Contest is divided into four categories:
Water – the source of life and health
Education and entrepreneurship – the key to a better life
The influence of the natural environment on human life
Photo essay – concerning one of the Contest categories above.

You can enter one of six categories: People, Culture, Nature, Landscape, Adventure and City.

The focus of Accademia Apulia Photography Award 2011 aims to highlight Migrants’ struggle and difficulties as well as to show Migrants’ many accomplishments and contributions as successful members and leaders of the new host society in which they now live.

Migration, Stores of a Journey is under the Patronage of Amnesty International, the British Council, The European Commission and the international Organisation for Migration.

Entrants will be assessed by leading figures in the fields of Photography and Journalism:

Barbara Roche – Migration Museum Project, Diane Smyth – British Journal of Photography, Jennifer Francis – The Royal Academy of Arts, John Ingledew – University of Gloucestershire, Lucilla and Fabrizio Barbieri -  Coppi Barbieri, Stefano Tura – RAI, Steve Macleod – Metro Imaging, Susan Jenkins – The Art Newspaper.

The three finalists will be revealed on 10 January 2012 and the winner on 10 Feb 2012. Their works will be showcased in a group exhibition curated by Elisa Canossa at the Royal Horseguards in London. The three finalists will be flown in as guests of Accademia Apulia for two nights. The winner will also receive 1,000 Euros cash prize.

To raise awareness and funds for A&K Philanthropy’s global projects, A&K, in conjunction with The Australian Newspaper, encourages travellers to share their travel photography. This year, the theme of the competition is: ‘Every Journey tells a Story.’

Wherever and however you engage with the outdoors, just show us your favorite way of getting dirty in the natural world and you could win our grand prize – airline tickets. Get your friends to vote and they could win SCA gear, too.

Got dirt? We got prizes. Enter the Got Dirt? Photo Contest.

Photographers of all ages and levels are invited to submit colour or black & white photos that depict the unique character of the NSW Central Coast – its people, locations and lifestyle.

Each entry will be individually judged based on the following criteria:

• Artistic merit of the image;

• Technical competency of the image;

• Photographic quality of the image;

• Photo taken within the NSW Central Coast region; and

• Adherence to the theme of “interpreting the uniqueness of the NSW Central Coast region – its people, locations and lifestyle”.

$15 for one (1) photo;  • $40 for three (3) photos submitted at the same time;  • $60 for five (5) photos submitted at the same time.  • Multiple entries are encouraged

Users are encouraged to submit their best images (“User Content”) into the Contest for a chance to receive votes for the People’s Awards and to be eligible to win a CATEGORY PRIZE or the overall GRAND PRIZE.

The Essentials of Photography online tutorials consist of 6 lessons presented by Canon “influencers” on the following subject categories:

(i) Learning to see;
(ii) Light & Landscapes;
(iii) Moments in Motion;
(iv) Subject standout;
(v) Getting in close; and
(vi) Using your environment

Images should be entered into the category to which they most relate but can be entered into multiple categories.

The World Youth Movement for Democracy is pleased to announce the launch of its Global Photo Contest. Fifteen semi-finalists (Five in each category: Building a Movement, Democracy in Action, and Youth Igniting Change) will be announced on 1 December 2011, and will have their winning photo published on the WYMD Web site. One finalist will be selected from each category through online open voting for a total of three finalists.

Contestants will be judged on (1) Photography, (2) Style, (3) Creativity, and (4) Composition.

Plus, there are awesome Nikon cameras up for grabs, too. So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get snapping!
There are four categories you can enter this year…

Category 1 – People

Category 2 – Animals

Category 3 – Scenery

Category 4 – Humour

‘Landscape’ invites submissions on land, sea and coastal locations; ‘Worldwide Wildlife’ looks at animal and birdlife from outwith Scotland; while ‘Scottish Wildlife’ explores the amazing wildlife on our doorsteps.

‘Creative Visions of Nature’ seeks entries that use nature as inspiration but looks for alternative or unexpected ways; ‘World Flora’ focuses on plant life and ‘Environmental Impact’ explores the themes of climate change and the impact of humans on nature.

Young photographers up to age 15 also have the opportunity to compete and this year the theme of ‘Back Garden Biodiversity’ invites entries that take inspiration from nature close to home.

• Judges: Scotland’s leading natural history photographer, the award-winning Laurie Campbell, and outstanding freelance photographer Graham Riddell
• Public vote is also crucial – shortlist on display from 18 November in the Discovery Centre

Competition categories include.

ALL CAMERA’s – REFLEX & COMPACT CAMERA’s

THE GREENFORCE COMPETITION : Picture has to show a Green Force Light and can be a creative shot, wide angle shot, shot with model, ……

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY: Pictures of small subjects ( nudibranchs, shrimps,..)  and close-ups (eye of a fish, details).

THE FISH PORTRET COMPETITION: Picture of a fish

THE NUDIBRANCH & SEASHELL COMPETITION: Only pictures of nudibranchs & seashells.

WIDE ANGLE PHOTOGRAPHY: Any wide angle picture reflecting Dahab’s unique environment.

HUGYCUP PHOTOGRAPHY TROPHY: A serie of 10 pictures photographers choice which will be evaluated together !

HUGYCUP ABOVE WATER AMBIANCE PHOTOGRAPHY: Photo best expressing the HUGYCUP competition & atmosphere above water !

Only COMPACT CAMERA’s

MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY compact camera: Pictures of small subjects ( nudibranchs, shrimps,..)  and close-ups (eye of a fish, details).

THE FISH PORTRET COMPETITION compact camera: Picture of a fish

PORTFOLIO PHOTOGRAPHY compact camera: Photofolio of 3 pictures a photographer’s choice.

When the competition closes on 31 August 2012 all regional heat winners will go through to the grand national final to be held in autumn 2012, and our Portfolio Photographer will be chosen and awarded the grand prize of a trip to Antarctica.

Autumn heat
1 September – 30 November 2011

Winter heat
1 December 2011 – 29 February 2012

Spring heat
1 March 2012 – 31 May 2012

Summer heat
1 June – 31 August 2012

2011-2012 entry categories

All entries in the first three must be taken at one of WWT’s nine wetland centres:

Wetland Wildlife

Wetland Landscapes

Wildlife & People

World Wetlands – entries to this category can be taken anywhere in the world.

Young Photographer of the Year – all entries made by under 18s in any of the four main categories will be transferred to this category as under 18s are ineligible to win the main category awards. A winner will be chosen for each centre for each of the seasonal heats to go forward to the national finals.

People’s Choice – the public are able to vote online for their favourite photographs in any of the above five categories during each seasonal heat. The photograph with the highest number of overall votes from each seasonal heat will go forward to the national finals.

Additional award:

Portfolio Photographer of the Year – photographers entering two or more of the seasonal heats will automatically be entered into the national final to be in with a chance of winning this additional award and a once-in-a-time trip to Antarctica, courtesy of Exodus in partnership with Quark Expeditions.

Well, it’s that time of year again—the 2011 submission period begins September 1. Send us your winning shots in any of these three categories: people, places, and nature. Please submit images that accurately reflect the captured moment in time.

There’s no need to specify your category; our editorial team will place your image in the category that best fits and then present the two categories to our judges. A grand-prize winner and nine runner-ups will be selected from each category.

PLANET’s photo contest offers photographers from around the world a unique opportunity to share their vision of travel, life, people, and sub-culture with our top editors and a distinguished panel of judges culled from the highest levels of New York’s international photography community.

Our ongoing theme is ‘Many Worlds, One Planet’, and we’d like to ask photographers to not only capture defining images of a particular place but to also consider the people, lifestyles, and subcultures of the places they document; a powerful portrait or image of a gathering can equally reveal the depth and mystery of the travel experience.

The competition has 12 categories, including a Novice dSLR category and 3 compact camera categories, giving underwater photographers of all levels a chance to win a great prize. Unique categories include SuperMacro, Cold/ Temperate Water, Nudibranchs, and Divers/ Fashion. The more traditional categories include Wide-Angle, Macro, Marine Life Portraits, and Marine Life Behavior.

Winners from each category will be awarded a package at a fantastic resort or on a liveaboard. Winners will be able to rank the prizes they would like to receive, making it more likely for winners to receive a prize they want.

Judges include world-renowned underwater photographers Martin Edge, Marty Snyderman, Tony Wu, and Bonnie Pelnar. Martin Edge is the author of The Underwater Photographer, a top-selling book on underwater photography. Marty Snyderman has won an Emmy and has been published in dozens of top publications such as National Geographic. Tony Wu is a renowned underwater photographer and author of Silent Symphony. Bonnie Pelnar has been published in numerous diving and travel magazines, and conducts photography workshops at tropical destinations around the world

We look forward to your participation.

Then the four First Place winners will go on to compete against other First Place Winners from international National Geographic photography contests. The best photo will win the Grand Prize in the worldwide contest—a trip to Washington, D.C.

Good luck, or as we would say in Scot’s Gaelic – g’un rob h math agad!

To have the chance of winning this remarkable prize, submit a photograph that captures life – in any of the categories: Places, Nature, People – from a personal or fresh angle.

Islay, the home of Bowmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky, presents many views to a photographer. The light and even the landscape seem to change from moment to moment; it is this environment that shapes the character of Bowmore’s perfectly balanced Single Malt Whisky. With a passion for photography and with nature at our core, we invite you to capture moments at their finest.

The votes collected on the website will help decide the winners of the two main categories; best photo and best photographer. The photo with the highest amount of votes will win the best photo category. The 20 collections of photos with the highest collective amount of votes will move on to the jury stage for the best photographer category, along with five staff picks from the GetYourGuide Staff. The jury will announce the winner for this category one week after the end of the contest.

Every Monday throughout the competition, the GetYourGuide team will announce a weekly category (e.g. best mountain photo) and then the winner will be announced the following Monday. Every photo uploaded into the competition will be eligible to win these mini contests.

THE 2012 CHARLATAN INK ART PRIZE for the Visual Arts is open WORLDWIDE to all artists practicing VISUAL ART : painters (in any medium & stylistic expression from classical painting to collages to illustrations to graffiti to drawing to print); photographers (film/digital); sculptors (3D works/jewellery); film-makers (video/film-camera/animation film); conceptual artists (working in all mediums mentioned above); crafts (from pottery to weaving to carpet-looming)

The 2012 Edition of the Charlatan Ink Art Prize Competition Exhibition will be held in Brisbane, Australia.

International Jury: David Bromley (AUS); Mercedes Helnwein (AUT); Jason Freeny (USA); Mikael Alacoque (GBR); David Rex-Livingstone (AUS); Gigi Bio(USA); Alana Victoria Hunt (AUS).

International Advisory Board: Thorarinn Leifsson (ISL); Nikolaus Eberstaller (AUT); Heidi Yardley (AUS); Bing Dawe (NZL); Damien Kamholtz (AUS); Marilyn Domenech (AUS); James Guppy (AUS)

Every single entry to the competition gives you as a photographer the chance to exhibit your stunning pictures in our online gallery. You get to genuinely move the viewing public with the incredible moments you have captured through your lens. You get the attention of our impressive judging panel, who are all celebrated in the industry for their exceptional talent.

Then there’s the prizes! The chance to win the trip of a lifetime, be exhibited in a London gallery, and be published in our 2011 competition book

But the reasons don’t end with this. By entering the competition ActionAid receive vital funds that allow them to change the lives of countless people, who without their help, would be stranded by the cruelty of poverty.

Our competition is themed around ‘Change’. This theme was selected partly for its versatility and but mainly as it underpins everything we stand for at Picture the difference. We are here to represent a different focus, and what better way to start this, than with your images of change. This could be personal change, the changing of the seasons, environmental change, political change, the changing of cultures, the possibilities are vast.

You have complete creative licence, freedom of interpretation, and a description box to communicate with the public and the judges how your picture best represents this theme.

The competition closes on 30 June each year. Entries received after this date are entered into the following year’s competition. All winners are announced in our weekly email newsletter, Intrepid Express and are notified directly.

Categories: Real Life Experience, Travelling Families and Local Friends, Icons and Landscapes

Send the Rainforest Alliance your best photos in the following categories:

- Forests: boreal, tropical or temperate forests
- Water: rivers, streams and waterfalls; beaches; wetlands; coral reefs
- Wildlife: insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles or fish
- People and Planet: images that celebrate communities and culture; or that depict children and/or adults conserving natural resources, including water, flora and fauna; or that show children and/or adults engaging in environmental education
- Macro Imagery: close-up or macro images that reveal the splendor of the natural world

Enter our photo contest through Flickr™, an online photo-sharing website.

We will select up to five finalists in each category, post them on our website and invite the public to vote on category winners. Celebrated nature photographer Art Wolfe will select the grand prize winner from the group of finalists.

Entries for the 2012 Sony World Photography Awards close on 04 January 2012 and the vast majority of winners will be presented with their trophies at a ceremony in London in late April 2012.
A display of entries and winning work – the Sony World Photography Awards Winners’ Showcase – will be exhibited at Somerset House in April and May 2012 as part of the World Photography Festival 2012.

The editorial staff of DivePhotoGuide will select a first, second and third place winner. Winning images will be entered into an annual contest for a chance at the grand prize, which will be awarded based on votes from the DivePhotoGuide community.

By uploading an image, you’ll also be in with a shout of winning a pair of our latest walking boots and a fantastic HF Holiday family walking holiday worth over £1000. Good luck!

Entrants just need to visit the Image Wall to upload their image and all entries will appear on the Hi-Tec website and Facebook page. There is no limit to the number of entries that can be submitted.

Each month a winner will be announced, as chosen by a select Hi-Tec judging panel, and will win a top of the range pair of Hi-Tec walking boots. At the end of the first year all 12 monthly winning photographs will go head to head – with the judging panel choosing an Ultimate winner from the year. The Ultimate winner will win a fantastic HF Holiday family walking holiday worth over £1000.