Photography Competitions

A great way to gain recognition for your photography is through competitions. I know several photographers who found new work opportunities after their photos were recognised in international competitions. Though many competitions are well worth entering you should also be aware that some are rights grabs for your images and not worth entering. I have listed a few well respected competitions below, however I recommend you visit Jen Guyton’s website as she already produced an amazing list of photo competitions a couple of years ago which has a lot of helpful information!

Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPOTY) is an international nature photography competition which has been recognising the world’s best nature images every year since 1965. Winning images are showcased to a global audience. It is worth keeping an eye on this competition and entering some of your images! The rising star portfolio award is a good option for those aged 18-26.

British wildlife photography awards (BWPA) are a great place to gain national recognition for your wildlife photos. I was highly commended in the black and white category a few years back after a friend encouraged me to enter. For those based in the UK I recommend entering your work as the award ceremony is a good networking opportunity!

This annual photo contest rewards photographers for the best pictures contributing to the past year of visual journalism. They have an Environment category for single pictures or stories documenting human impact, positive or negative, on the environment.

Awards for films

By entering your videos into film festivals you can also gain recognition and many festivals also provide excellent networking opportunities. The entry requirements and fees vary but some competitions cost as little as $1 to enter. The best place to browse the latest film festivals is on the Film Freeway website.