How to Win a Photo Competition

Suppose you have been dabbling in photography for a while now and you enjoy pushing yourself and seeing how your work stacks up against other photographers. In that case, you're probably weighing up if you should start entering photo competitions. 

What are the advantages of photo contests? Beyond the thrill of winning, they offer a platform to benchmark your skills against your peers and gain valuable validation for your photographic efforts. This blog delves into the strategies for success in photo contests, equipping you to elevate your photography and potentially secure that coveted win.

Photography can be very competitive. Although the judges of a competition will likely admire and praise all entrants to a competition, when it comes down to it, there can only be one winner.

So, what makes a prize-winning photo? First, you need to ensure your entry follows all of the rules of the competition. If the competition is themed, don't try to bend the rules, just make sure your photos are suitable. Other considerations include file naming convention, and file type and size - you might have a great photo, but failing to meet these requirements can result in disqualification. 

When it comes to picking the best photo to enter into a competition, think about what you think makes a photo good. As well as the basics, such as good exposure and sharp focus, you will want your photo to have a good composition, which engages with viewers and makes them stay engaged with your photo for longer. 

When all is said and done, does your photo make you feel something? If it elicits an emotional response from you, there's a good chance the judges will like it too.

If you are getting ready to take fresh new pictures for a photo competition, as mentioned above, your first step should be understanding the theme or brief, to save any confusion. It can be helpful to make a plan or mood board before you fire up the camera so that when it comes time to capture your images, the process is fast and simple.

Now ask yourself, why do professional photos look better? Yes, part of the reason is more expensive camera equipment, such as mirrorless cameras and lenses that deliver the best picture quality. But it also comes down to practice and experience. The best photographers steer clear of auto modes, and have a firm grasp of the exposure triangle, so the overall quality of their photo is not left to chance, and they can make necessary adjustments on the fly to improve their results.

Now that you have an understanding of how photo contests work and how you can start producing your best work to enter, here is a checklist that you should consider to give yourself every chance of success.

• Are you eligible? Whether it means joining a mailing list, following a specific social media page, or being based in a particular area, make sure you are eligible for a competition before you spend time compiling your entries.
• Are you meeting competition requirements? It may be tempting to just enter your favourite photos, but competitions have themes for a reason. Don't try to bend the rules, as the winner will be the one with the best image that perfectly meets the guidelines of the comp.
• How much editing is allowed? In the digital age, we can turn average photos into total works of art using basic digital editing functions. While adjustments to colour and brightness are usually not an issue, there are often strict rules around digital manipulation in photo competitions.

• The finishing touches - Most competitions will have certain requirements that all entrants must adhere to. They are usually easy to follow, but many people still overlook them. These can include file type and size, and file naming convention. You may also be limited to a certain number of entries. Save yourself from being disqualified or overlooked immediately, and follow these simple steps.

Ted's photo competitions are run regularly and we give you the chance to show us how you are putting that new camera gear to use and win some great prizes!

Join ClubTed today to be informed of the latest competitions and camera deals.