There are thousands or even millions of people who claim themselves a photographer. Creativity is of one of the keys to making yourself different from other photographers. Sometimes, you want to figure out how creative the photos you took. Submitting your shots to a photography contest might is a great idea to figure out if your shots are good enough or not. If you win the contest, it can be an indication that you have taken a good, creative enough image.
There are lots of photography contests you can join out there. From the well-known Sony World Photography Awards to Pexels Photo Challenge.
The main purpose of joining a photography contest is not only to get the prize. Instead, you can make use of a contest to develop self-confident and as a learning medium. The following are some of the recommended websites you can visit to find a photography contest.
1. ViewBug
ViewBug is the first destination for photography contest seekers. There are lots of photography contests held by ViewBug regularly. Each contest itself is technically held by ViewBug users. ViewBug is a platform where photographers (or anyone who cares about photography) can hold a contest. When enrolling in a contest, you always have the copyright of the photo you submitted. Each contest has different judgment criteria according to the contest creator’s purpose. But generally, your shot will be judged based on creativity, originality and in accordance to the theme. ViewBug itself is a freemium website. You can create a ViewBug account for free to join a contest. You will have access to more contests if you upgrade your account to premium.
2. GuruShots
Having their photos seen widely is one of the best gifts for photographers. It can be more special if they can also earn a prize. Also, a photographer loves to have his/her works get appreciated by fellow photographers. GuruShots is a website that allows you to challenge yourself to earn what most photographers dream of: exposure, appreciation, and price. There is a new photo challenge you can join every day. By joining a challenge, you will earn badges that speak of your achievements. Your photos will be voted by fellow photographers (GuruShots users). This can help you to figure out if your photos are good enough. If not, you can make it as a trigger to make your photos better on the next photoshoots.
If your purpose of joining a contest is to earn a prize, this website also provides one. You will have a chance to win prizes courtesy of GuruShots corporate sponsors. Mostly, the prizes are cameras and peripheral equipment.
3. Pexels
Pexels is a free stock photo website. This website allows photographers to share their shots for free to be used by internet users for any purpose. Pexels regularly hold photo challenges you can join. Some challenges provide a cash prize, some don’t. The challenges held by Pexels are great enough if you are a photography hobbyist and want to test out if your hobby can be turned into a profession. At the time of writing, there are three active challenges held by Pexels. Visit this page to find out the active challenges held by Pexels.
4. Photocrowd
Photocrowd is pretty similar to ViewBug. It is a platform where photographers, companies or anyone who has a concern in photography to hold a contest. This website is a great place to go if you have a prize-oriented mind when joining a photo contest. The price can be vary depending on the contest creator. Photocrowd is also a freemium website like ViewBug. While you can join a contest for free, there several are benefits if you upgrade your account to premium. If you want to join a contest, Photocrow allows you to import your photos from Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, even Instagram.
5. Outdoor Photographer
If you are a nature photography enthusiast, chances are you already know about Outdoor Photographer. It’s a photography magazine with a focus on outdoor photography. While you can enjoy its magazines, Outdoor Photography also gives you a chance to showcase your outdoor photography talent by joining its contests. This website also regularly hold photo contests (usually annual photography contest). You can visit this page to find out the active photography contests held by Outdoor Photographer.
6. World Photography Organisation
Some photographers, professional photographers in particular, tend to need an acknowledgment. Sony World Photography Awards is a great photography contest if you are a professional photographer and are looking for a worldwide acknowledgment. This contest itself is a partnership between Sony and World Photography Organisation. Until 2019, the partnership has been going for 12 years. The Sony World Photography Awards is a great contest for professional photographers since the winner usually will be announced in popular media. Also, this contest is one of the world’s prestigious photography contests. In addition to Sony World Photography Awards, there are also some photography contests held by World Photography Organisation, including ZEISS Photography Award. You can visit this page to find out the contests held by World Photography Organization.