Entering contests can be a way to sharpen your photographic skills. It can teach you how to edit your photos and push you to become a better photographer. But what does it take to win? I’ve entered many contests and even won a few. I’ve even been a judge also, so I’ve been on both sides of the equation.
I’ve read articles that promise foolproof ways to win but there’s no real formula for victory. And there’s the biases and inclinations of the individual judges that you can’t account for. But are a few tips to improve your chances of winning.
The first step to winning a contest is to make sure you’ve enter your photo in the right category. You could have the most beautiful image of a landscape, but if you enter it into a portrait category, it will be tossed out without a second thought. I’ve judged the San Joaquin County Fair’s photo contest a few times and there were many pictures that were simply entered in the wrong category. It’s not up to the judge or contest organizers to correct your mistake.
To win, your image must reach a certain level of technical expertise. You must show that you know your imaging device’s strengths as well as weaknesses and that you know how to exploit the former and minimize the latter. In other words, you must be able to make your camera do what you want it to do. It’s something that the best photographers, amateur or pro, know how to do.
On top of that, your photos must attain a certain artistic level of excellence that’s above the rest. That means is has to be well composed, well lit and have an attention to detail. It also has to reach the viewer/judge on an emotional level. That comes from your approach to the subject matter. Whether it exhibits strong visual impact or a high level of intimacy, the image has to have enough appeal to viscerally move the viewer and not just you.
The last thing is the most important and the hardest to achieve. Winning photos tend to have something different or special about them that the other entries lack. Atlanta-based commercial photographer Zack Arias recounts a story when he as a young photographer helping out at the National Press Photographer Association’s Pictures of the Year contest. His job was to show the slides to the judges who would say “yea” or “nay” to the pictures on the screen. Arias says that he would see some images pictures that he thought were incredible but were quickly dismissed by the judges after only a few seconds of viewing. Arias learned that the judges were looking for something more than just excellence. The were looking for something different as well. They wanted to be surprised.
A contest like the NPPA one receives thousands of photos. If, say in the sports category, they get a hundred pictures of a player sliding into the catcher at home or a wide receiver fighting for a catch with a defender, all of equal quality, how can anyone judge one image over another? Something that’s different will catch the judges eye and give you a chance to win.
Not winning can be discouraging but don’t give up. Keep entering and then follow up by seeing what won. This isn’t to say that the same subject matter will win again. Most likely it won’t, but look at the quality of the winners. Look for the artistic and emotional content and how the photo might have surprise the judges.