Photography contests are an excellent way to showcase your photographs and engage in some healthy competition with your fellow photographers. If you're thinking on entering a contest and are looking for an edge over the other participants, read the tips provided in this guide on how to win photography contests.
Photography contests are an excellent way to showcase your photographs and engage in some healthy competition with your fellow photographers. If you're thinking on entering a contest and are looking for an edge over the other participants, read the tips provided in this guide on how to win photography contests.
Introduction
- Whether you're a professional photographer, aspiring to become one, or simply a hobbyist with a knack for taking great photos, one way to showcase your talents is to enter your photos in a photography contest. Not only will you be able to expose your talents to a wider audience and get feedback on your photos from professional photographers, you may also be able to earn a bit of extra money.
Step 1: Know the Rules
- Even if you have submitted an excellent photo, it may get eliminated from the competition simply because it does not adhere to the submission guidelines. To avoid this, be sure that you have thoroughly read and understand all the requirements, including:
- What format your photos should be submitted in
- Whether or not photos altered using editing software such as Photoshop are allowed
- Whether there is a specific theme to which you must adhere
- Whether the photos need to be matted or framed
- Whether you need to submit an entry fee
Step 2: Study Past Winners
- A good way to get a feel for what the judges are looking for and possibly increase your chances of winning is to have a look at the photos that took top prizes in previous competitions. Study these photos, the way they are composed, their subject matter, and so on. If possible, read judges' comments on the photos to learn why they were deemed to be the best. Then, try to apply what you've learned when taking your own photos.
Step 3: Get the Right Equipment
Although photos taken with your cell phone camera may look great on a tiny screen, chances are that they will appear grainy and blurred when they are blown up. Most point and shoot digital cameras take lower-quality photos than those that will win photography competitions. If you're serious about taking photos and really want to win a competition, consider getting yourself a higher quality camera, such as a digital SLR camera. These cameras produce photos with improved color and allow the photographer much more control over exposure, focus and shutter speed.
Another invaluable piece of equipment for taking potentially contest-winning photos is a tripod. Regardless of what you are photographing, steadying your camera with a tripod will help improve focus and clarity by reducing any shaking or movement produced when holding your camera with your hands.
Regardless of what equipment you are using, make sure you know how to use it correctly. Experiment with focus options, shutter speed, flashes and different lenses to understand how they work and learn when and how to use them.
Step 4: Plan Your Photo
- Once you are ready to take your contest-winning photo, take some time to plan out the scene. Study and understand the rules of composition and then apply them accordingly.
- When planning and taking your photo:
- Be creative: Most contest-winning photos are not simple portraits. Make your photo unique by applying your personal artistic vision to the subject matter
- Keep it simple: Photographs with too many elements can be distracting and overwhelming. Try to stick to one or two subjects and concentrate on capturing them perfectly
- Tell a story: Photographs are snapshots of a specific moment in time. Great photographs pique the viewers' imagination by making them want to know more about the subjects or causing them to create their own stories around the photograph
- Use appropriate lighting: Knowing how to use light is arguably the most important aspect of photography. A great photo with poor lighting will often be eliminated from a photography contest
- Keep it in focus: Like lighting, an excellently composed photo that is even slightly out of focus may be judged poorly
Conclusion
If you're planning on entering a photo contest, you can increase your chances of winning by ensuring that your submission adheres to the contest guidelines, applying the rules of composition when taking your photo and using your own creative vision to plan a truly unique image. Even if your photo or photos don't win the first few contests you enter them in, don't allow it to discourage you. Think of it as a learning experience and then apply any feedback you received from the judges when taking future photos.
