How to Increase Your Chances of Winning a Photography Contest

If you’re one of the many people who enjoy photography, and someday you hope to enter and win a contest, here are some photography contest tips and advice:

Follow all the rules of the contest

There is always a different set of rules for every contest, and you should be aware of them first and foremost. Familiarize yourself with them and follow them to the letter. It’s better to follow the rules rather than have your work returned to you because you did not follow the rules.

Research on past entries

Researching past winning entries will help you learn more about the contest that you want to join and its standards. If you know more about the standards and the judges’ basis for a good photograph, you’ll have a better edge over the other contestants. You also might get inspired by studying past entries.

Study the categories

There are different categories in every contest, and you must consider the requirements of each before submitting an entry. Your photograph should be focused on the category’s topic and characteristics. For example, there are categories that might require your picture to have a few items at the background of the photograph’s main focus. One missing item may hurt your chances in the contest. 

Consider your work with a critical eye

You might have a photograph that you’re really fond of. You might even consider it your best because of its meaning to you. Remember, your contest entry will be judged by many different people who are strangers to you. If you want a good chance of winning, better submit photographs that are good on all technical factors.

Send only your best work

There are contests that allow multiple entries, and if you plan on submitting more than one entry per category, it’s better to submit just a few of your best works rather than submit a lot of entries that include a few decent but lackluster photographs. This is to protect how the judges think of your best photograph. If you include a few second-rate photographs, chances are the judges’ opinions of those photographs might dampen their opinion of your best entry. Instead of your best photograph standing out, it might get buried under the not-so-good ones.

It’s easier now to take pictures, and it’s even easier to prepare for a contest if you only study how. Apply these photography contest tips and advice, and improve your chances of winning a photography contest.

Give your photos that extra kick they need by using Lightroom presets. Check out what we have in store for you at Duke and Prince Studio!