Online photography contests are a great way for photographers to gain massive international exposure, and even win cash and prizes (digital cameras, lenses, photo gear, premium memberships on photo portfolio websites, etc.). There are a variety of free competitions, but finding the best ones can be a little tricky. Here, I show you 4 FREE online photography contests that are open to photographers of all skill/experience levels from around the world.
1. Sony World Photography Awards
This is the largest and one of the most respected free online photography awards today. There are 5 different competitions open to photographers of all abilities, from students to professionals. The submitted photographs are judged by the World Photography Organisation and a carefully selected jury from the World Photographic Academy. Prizes include $30,00 (USD) in cash, as well as the latest Sony digital image equipment. Learn more and enter the Sony World Photography Awards 2016 before January 12, 2016 for your chance to win.
2. ZEISS Photography Award
The ZEISS Photography Award invites photographers to submit work in the theme “meaningful places” and gives one winning photographer a free choice of ZEISS lenses worth €15,000 (Euros). In addition, the winner has the opportunity to work individually with ZEISS and be flown to London to receive their award at the Sony World Photography Awards gala ceremony in April, 2016. Entrants should submit between 3 and 10 images, paying particular attention to the edit of the photos. The competition is judged by a distinguished panel of industry experts. See all the details and enter the ZEISS Photography Award before February 5, 2016.
3. HIPA Photography Award
The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award is in its 5th year, and offers photographers from around the globe the chance to enter 1 photo in each of 4 categories. This year’s categories are happiness, wildlife, father and son, and general. Entrants must be at least 18 years of age at the time of their photo submission(s) and images must be titled, in high-quality JPEG format and a minimum of 2MB. This is the highest paying photography award, giving out a whopping $400,000 (USD) in total prize money, with a grand prize of $120,000. Learn more and submit your photos to the HIPA Photography Award before the December 31, 2015 deadline.
4. Red Bull Illume Image Quest
The world’s premier photo contest dedicated to action and adventure sports, Red Bull Illume showcases the most captivating action sports photography. It is open to photographers from all over the world, but must adhere to the action and adventure sport culture/lifestyle theme. The categories include: close-up, energy, enhance, lifestyle, masterpiece, mobile, new creativity, playground, sequence, spirit and wings. You may submit a maximum of 5 images to every category and submitted photos must have been taken after April 30th, 2013. See all the details and enter the Red Bull Illume Image Quest photo contest.
Can you think of any FREE online photography competitions that I’ve missed? If so, mention them in the comments below.
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