Photography Competitions

All year round many photography companies and associations organise competitions that can range from all different levels of photographers and normally have a certain theme, which the photographs that are entered will have to follow and present within their work. Prizes are part of the event that can be money, being part of an exhibition or the work being shown somewhere and sometimes often the most latest photography equipment. Competitions are a great way to get your work out there and become known in the photography world, which can often result in being spotted by business's and that may become commissioned jobs and overall benefit your work. In most cases it costs to enter a competition because that is what keeps it funded, it can range from £10 to £50, but is worth it in the long run if you win somewhere in the competition. One of the most crucial factors in entering a competition, is your statutory rights. It is so easy to enter what you think is a legitimate event that can take your copyright of your images away and use them for their use only and end up losing protection and right to your photographs. It is important to read carefully and make sure in the terms and conditions that your work will stay your own work.

Photography Competitions:

• Sony World Photography Awards

The Sony Competition is one of the worlds leading photographic awards today. It launched in 2008 and its aim is to support the cultivating photographic culture in the world. They hope to look for new talent in the world of photography and is offered to all levels and experiences. There is an awards ceremony and includes a range of prizes and each category has a different theme and concept.

• LensCulture Visual Storytelling Awards

This competition is focused on visual storytelling and is offered to all levels and genre's of photography. It is open to all themes and approaches and does not have much rules when what the photograph/s have to be about.

• British Journal of Photography International Photography Award

The British Journal competition also has no theme and can be any style or genre. Anyone can enter, but the aspect has to be a recognised coherent series and the other a stunning single image, so you can either enter both categories or just one. The prize is an exhibition.

• National Portrait Gallery Photographic Portrait Prize
• Save the Children International Photography Commission
• Travel Photographer of the Year

There are hundred more competitions, I have just named a hand full. I think it is important to enter competition because it means getting your work out there. As a student studying photography with not a major amount of experience, entering competitions will help me become more motivated in producing more work and push me into want to go further in the photography world than I already want to. Over the next coming months I plan to enter as many competitions as I can, so that I will share my work with more people and hopefully resulting in some good results.