There are many mechanisms and ways to track your improvement in your photography. Many of us post our images, ask for critique, or engage in portfolio reviews. One other way is to enter photography competitions. Below are a list of photography competitions with a plethora of categories. There are a few competitions that actually provide feedback and some will provide scoring and virtual “medals” depending on the score.
Most competitions will require an entry fee.
We at Focus may be a bit biased but the Focus Awards are one of the best photographic competitions to enter! The competition runs for the month of September each year with an amazing number of prizes. For 2015, there are the 5 traditional categories that have been a hallmark of the Focus Awards and they are :
- Landscape
- Seascape
- Black and White
- Panorama
- Cityscape
This year, 2 new categories will be unveiled, be on the lookout for the announcements very soon as well as the awesome prizes that are on offer.
Moran Photographic Portrait Prize
2015 closing date 31st August 2015
Has been running since 2007, is an Australian photographic competition, which is part of the Moran Portrait competition that has been in running since 1988. The photographic competition asks photographers to “interpret ‘Contemporary Life in Australia’ with an emphasis on Australians going about their day-to-day life. We aim to encourage the production of photographs taken in Australia, by Australians, that reflects the diversity, multiculturalism and uniqueness of life, no matter where you live in Australia.”
It is perhaps one of the most lucrative competitions anywhere with a $50,000 AUD first prize.
Better Photography Magazine Photograph of the Year
The top prize is the Better Photography “Photograph of the year award” which rewards the photographer with a $5000 AUD first prize.
2015 closing date is September 15 2015.
For those entering competitions, this competition is valuable as each entry will receive not only a score but feedback. There are 6 categories:
- Emotive Portraits
- Classic Landscapes
- Creative Flair
- Exotic Travel
- Incredible Sport
- Revealing Nature
World in Focus Travel Photography Competition
2015 closing date is September 24, 2015
Open to professionals and amateurs with a top prize of $2500 USD
The competition, recognises the best single travel image in the following categories:
- Portrait
- Outdoor
- Local
- Spontaneous moments
AIPP APPAs
October annually
Australian Professional Photography Awards
For professional photographers in Australia who go through a qualification process of entering images through their state run competitions and the annual awards recognizes the best of the best.
Travel Photographer of the Year
1st October 2015
A travel photography competition that is run out of England. Prizes range from $250 GBP to $2500 GBP for the overall winner prize.
Photographers have the choice of entering a series of images into three portfolio categories or multiple one shot categories:
- Faces, people, encounters – Portfolio
- Nature and environment – Portfolio
- Monochromal – Portfolio
- Street culture – One shot
- A moment in light – One shot
- Colours of the world – One shot
- iCaptured(phone)
- Travels through my lens – Junior one shot
Overall Winner
International Garden Photographer of the Year
October 2015
A lucrative photographic competition with many categories to choose from and an overall $7500 GBP first prize for the overall winner.
Categories include :
- Beauty of plants
- Beautiful gardens
- Wildlife in the garden
- Breathing spaces
- Wildflower landscapes
- Trees, woods and forests
- The bountiful earth
International Loupe Awards
November Annually
Open and Amateur categories. The Open category award is $15000 USD. Within the Open category there are 8 categories with a $1000 USD first prize. The categories are:
- Commercial and Advertising
- Illustrative
- Landscape
- People and Portrait
- Photojournalism
- Science and Nature
- Sport
- Wedding
Sony World Photography Awards
Entries now open for 2016
Billed as the largest photography competition in the world it’s brief is to “to recognise and reward the best contemporary photography in the world”
Entry is free and there are prizes to the value of $30000 USD, Sony digital imaging equipment and exposure through worldwide exhibitions.
Head On
Mar-April Annually
It’s been described as the 2nd biggest photography festival in the world and has become one of the most prominent portrait competitions in Australia. Headon has now expanded to include landscape and mobile prizes.
Significant cash prizes are on offer as well as exhibitions of both winners and finalists work throughout the city of Sydney.
Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year
March-April annually
Conducted by Royal Museums Greenwich, this competition recognizes outstanding imaging in relation to astronomy. The overall prize is $2500 GBP and there are several category prizes as well. The categories are :
- Aurorae
- Skyscapes
- People and space
- Our Sun
- Our moon
- Planets, comets and asteroids
- Stars and nebulae
- Galaxies
- Best newcomer
- Robotic Scope
International Landscape Photographer of the Year
May Annually
The top two prizes are for international photographer of the year and international photography of the year. Prize pool for 2015 was $10000 USD.
Additionally, the Top 101 images are published in a Hardback book. There are multiple specialist categories including :
- The mist and fog award
- The long exposure award
- The aerial award
- The abstract award
- The snow and ice award
Epson Pano awards
June/July Annually.
Both digital and film panoramic photographs are accepted with a prize pool in 2015 of $20000 USD(cash) and $50000 value overall. The competition is split into Open and Amateur categories:
- Nature and landscapes
- Built Environment/Architecture
- VR/360
National Geographic Traveller’s Photography Competition
March-April Annually
A prestigious and popular competition that recognizes the best photographic talent in relation to travel photography. The main overall prize for 2015 was a wildlife tour to Kenya to witness the wildebeest migration. There are category prizes as well.
The categories are :
- Action
- Animal
- People
- River
- Rural
- Urban
Fine Art Photography Awards
April Annually
Open to both professionals and amateurs. The $5000 in prizes are divided between Professional and Amateur. There are 25 categories to choose from!
Black & White SPIDER Awards
June Annually
A competition that has been going strong for 10 years.
Multiple categories and while it is not clear what the actual cash prize is, winners do receive a cash prize, as well as, publication in a journal, and their photographs are exhibited.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
June-July Annually
Owned and run by BBC and National History Museum in England, it is a competition that has been running for 50 years and showcases the very best nature photography! A lucrative overall prize of $10000 GBP for the overall prize is on offer. There are 17 categories spread over 5 general themes:
- Earth’s diversity
- Earth’s environment
- Earth’s design
- Documentary
- Portfolio
USA Landscape Photographer of the Year
August Annually
A new competition for photographers around the world to showcases both the urban and rural landscape of the USA. The top prize is $5000 USD and there are category prizes as well. Categories include :
- Black and white
- Classic View
- Landscape on the move
- My USA
- Urban Landscape