11 Photography Contests to Enter This Year

Whether you are an experienced photographer or a beginner who is just starting a career, you want your works to be recognized. That’s exactly why contests are a great opportunity for photographers of all levels of expertise.  An interesting fact is that photography contests attract not only photographers, but also media, sponsors, and companies interested in the winners and participants.

If you have a sharp eye, and a good camera (or even an iPhone), why not submit your works to international photography contests? Apart from the success and recognition, you can get quite valuable awards, from hefty cash awards to top camera equipment or inspiring trips to unique places.

Here are some of the most prominent photography contests we found around the web.

IPPAwards 2019

This popular competition for mobile photography is completely dedicated to iPhone photography. Over the years, this has become an independent genre. IPPAWARDS has been held each year since 2007, and it is the longest running and the most famous competition of this kind. The contest is well-known by media worldwide and attracts thousands of participants from over 140 countries.

• Submission time: up to 31 March 2019.
• Costs to participate:
  • 1 image — $3,50
  • 10 images — $29,50
  • 25 images — $65,50
• Categories: 18 genres including nature, people, news, and abstract photography.
• Awards:
  • 1st place — a Golden Bar (1 per each category).
  • 2nd and 3rd places — a Palladium Bar.
  • The winners also get:
    • IPPAWARDS certificates;
    • publications in IPPAWARDS online gallery.
  • Several Honorable Mentions to acknowledge talent.
• Link: https://www.ippawards.com/

Marumi Cityscape Photography Contest 2019

Marumi Optical company, Japan, holds a number of photography contests with different themes several times a year. One of them is the Cityscape Photography Contest which accepts all kinds of cityscape photos. Photographers noticed and appreciated by the organizers of the competition can become photo ambassadors of Marumi.

• Submission time: up to 31 March 2019.
• Cost to participate: free.
• Categories: cityscape photos taken with a filter.
• Awards:
  • sets of high-quality photo accessories (holders, filters, circulars) for Gold, Silver, and Bronze Prize.
  • Plus Special Awards are prepared.
• Link: https://photo.marumi-filter.co.jp/contests/details.php?id=19

Nikon’s Small World 2019

Nikon’s International Small World contest started in 1975 and is quite a niche contest for professionals and enthusiasts that shoot macrophotography through a microscope. Some of the participants are scientists, some are simply enthusiasts of the genre. It’s a huge source for inspiration for scientists, amateurs, and simply people that can appreciate the capturing of things we can’t see with the naked eye. There will be 20 winners with their pictures exhibited in the museums and science centers across the USA and Canada.

• Submission time: up to 30 April 2019.
• Cost to participate: Free
• Categories: images and movies.
• Awards: $100 — $3,000 cash Awards.
• Link: https://www.nikonsmallworld.com/

Golden Turtle Wildlife Competition 2019

The contest is held by MY EQUATOR Charity Social Support Fund located in Russia. They position themselves as an eco-educational project, and this tells a lot about their objectives. The main goals of the competition are to accentuate the problems of modern wildlife and show the beauty of a natural environment.

• Submission time: up to 30 April 2019.
• Cost to participate: free.
• Categories: wildlife.
• Awards:
  • From $1,000 to $2,000 for 3 best works;
  • Sponsored Awards;
  • Two or more winners will be nominated for the Photographer of the Year award.
• Link: http://wncontest.ru/en/

2019 Inaugural “Perfect Moment” Photo Contest

The contest is held by Our World in Focus and invites photographers of all genres to submit their works and visions on what the ‘perfect moment’ is. It may be anything, from wildlife to city photography. Among thousands of works, the jury will choose 5 of the best ones which will receive rewards.

• Submission time: up to 1 May 2019.
• Cost to participate: $10 per image.
• Categories: none.
• Awards:
  • 1st — 5th places: $2,950 in cash;
  • 1st — 3rd places: $2,200 in camera equipment.
• Link: https://ourworldinfocus.com/contest-premium-perfectmoment/

CEWE Photo Award 2019

This is one of the most prominent photo competitions based in Germany. The contest is  working closely with a charity SOS Children’s Villages which supports disabled children all over the world. This year, for each entry the contest will donate 10 cents to charity.

• Submission time: up to 31 May 2019.
• Cost to participate: free.
• Categories: 10 categories including landscape, people, nature, animals, sports, architecture, food, travel and culture, hobby, and even humor.
• Awards:
  • First prize — €15,000 for a holiday, plus €10,000 in photo equipment and a CEWE certificate.
  • 2nd to 10th places —  €10,000 in photo equipment and a CEWE certificate.
  • 11th to 30th places will receive €3,500 in camera equipment and a CEWE certificate.
• Link: https://cewe-photoworld.com/cewephotoaward

Vincent Van Gogh Photo Award 2019

The contest is held by Rotary Club Nuenen in the Netherlands, inspired by the creativity of the great artist. Photos will be viewed “through van Gogh’s eyes” which means they should be unusual, surprising, and reminiscent of the style of Van Gogh’s pictures. Each year’s contest has its own theme and this year it will be “Faces of the World”.

• Submission time: up to 30 June 2019.
• Cost to participate: €10 — €25. All entrance fees will be forwarded to charities.
• Categories: Faces of the World.
• Awards:
  • 1st — 3rd places will receive from €250 to €1,000 awards;
  • Winning works will be published in the online gallery and used in promotional materials of Vincent Van Gogh Photo Award 2019.
• Link: http://vincentvangoghphotoaward.com/en/

The International Photography Awards 2019

This is a very famous contests, considered one of the biggest in the modern photography scene. IPA holds this international photography contest in New York, USA  in order to discover new talents and recognize the best professional achievements.

• Submission time: up to 14 July 2019.
• Cost to participate: from $15 for a single image to $60 for series.
• Categories: 13 categories, both for professional and non-professional photographers, including nature, fine art, advertising, people, sports, and others.
• Awards:
  • More than $47,000 paid to winners in cash.
  • A number of honorable mentions, titles, and publications appreciated by photo professionals all over the world.
• Link: https://www.photoawards.com/

International Photography Grant 2019

This competition is held by the International Photography Magazine. Its goal is to find and sponsor young promising photographers who  want to be recognized by media, art gallery curators, and different kinds of companies and cultural institutions from all over the world.

• Submission time up to 31 August 2019.
• Cost to participate: free.
• Categories: creative, documental, landscape, portrait, and travel.
• Awards:
  • the creator of the best work will receive $1,000;
  • the authors of other noticed photos will get honorable certificates.
• Link: http://internationalphotogrant.com/

Neutral Density Photography Awards 2019

ND Magazine has been carrying on with their contest since 2014. The contest tries to combine traditional and modern approach to photography and has already become a highly-recognized international contest. 

• Submission time: up to 22 September 2019.
• Cost to participate (early entry):
  • single entry — $15 for non-professional, $20 for professional.
  • series (up to 5) — $20 for non-professional, $25 for professional.
• Categories (for professionals and non-professionals):
  • architecture, editorial, nature, people, special genre, fine art (only for professionals);
  • 30 subcategories within the main ones.
• Awards:
  • The winner among the professionals will get a $2,500 cash prize.
  • The winner among the amateurs will get a $1,300 cash prize.
  • Winners in each of the subcategories will get Gold, Silver and Bronze awards.
  • The best professional and amateur winners will receive $300 — $500 cash prizes.
• Link: https://ndawards.net/

Monochrome Photography Awards 2019

The competition is held annually to promote the monochrome photography genre for both professional and amateur photographers. Its aim is to find new talent and recognize professionals through the beauty of black and white works. There are no limitations with genres or levels of expertise, anybody can apply for this contest.

• Submission time: up to 17 November 2019.
• Cost to participate: single entry $25 for professionals and $20 for amateurs.
• Categories: 13 categories for both professional and amateur sections, including abstract, fashion, nature, portrait, street, wildlife, photojournalism and photo manipulation.
• Awards:
  • Winners will receive from $1,000 to $2,000 cash prizes, titles, certificates, and a display of their works at the online Monochrome Gallery.
  • 2 best photographers among professional and amateurs will receive honorable titles.
  • The best works will be published in the Monochrome Photography Awards Book.
• Link: https://monoawards.com/

What next

If you are an experienced photographer, taking part in these kinds of competitions will give you a chance to gain worldwide recognition. The publicity is important in the professional community and amongst professionals interested in discovering and promoting new talent. This can be a powerful boost to your career. Ready to start?