10 Great Photo Contests in 2014 to Get Recognition and $35,000 in Prizes

10 Great Photo Contests in 2014 to Get Recognition and $35,000 in Prizes

Photography contests not only give you great experience and exposure, but also give you a chance to compare your work to the photos of other talented photographers and win some amazing prizes, of course. Photography contests are also a great platform for launching a high profile career in the industry. There is no better way to get your name known by thousands of people all at once.

I have rounded up the 10 best photo contests of 2014 currently available. All of these allow you to win prizes in cash or photographic equipment, get recognition on an international level and simply have fun while shooting. Here you’ll find contests in various categories, such as portrait, lifestyle, landscape, black and white, wildlife, and many others. Along with contest names I added some brief descriptions, prizes and deadlines. Make sure to read the contest rules before submitting. Good luck!

1. 2014 National Geographic Photo Contest

2014 National Geographic Photo Contest is an annual photo contest held by National Geographic Magazine. There are three main categories to submit your photo: people, places and nature, but try to keep it real. The entry fee is $15.

2014 National Geographic Photo Contest

Prize: $10,000 and a trip to National Geographic headquarters in Washington D.C. to participate in their annual photography seminar.

Entry Start: September 1, 2014
Entry Close: October 31, 2014

2. Defrozo Portrait Photography Contest 2014

Defrozo is growing along with creative photographers from all over the globe. Join their journey to the top to have a chance to get the Photodoto Posing Guide ebook worth $29,99. You can enter the contest with portrait photography only. To enter the contest you don’t pay any fee. Just submit your photo to the Defrozo Facebook page or send your images to their email address.

Defrozo Portrait Photography Contest 2014

Prize: Photodoto 99 Posing Tips Ebook

Entry Start: October 20, 2014
Entry Close: November 3, 2014

3. Shoot the Frame

Shoot the Frame is an International Landscape Photography Award that offers photographers the chance to receive some serious recognition for their work on an international stage. It’s not about money, but about your reputation and image. They offer a new contest each month which is a great opportunity for you to shoot during the year. You can submit your photo in three categories: Shoot the Face, Shoot the Land, or Shoot the Wild. Entrance fees apply: $10 (one image); $15 (three images); $19 (5 images).

Shoot the Frame

Prize: The online Complete Course in Professional Photography is valued at $1499.

Entry Start: October 1, 2014
Entry Close: November 1, 2014

4. RHS Photographic Competition 2014

The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Photographic Competition is open to all amateur and professional photographers. You may submit your photo to one of the categories available here: Plants, Details and Abstracts, Celebrating Gardens, Seasons and Wildlife. The entry fee is £5 for RHS members and £6 for non-members.

RHS Photographic Competition 2014

Prize: £2,000 prize money (for adults), and each of the five adult category winners will also receive RHS Gift Membership.

Entry Start: May 1, 2014
Entry Close: November 2, 2014

5. Eyes on Asia Awards

The Eyes on Asia Awards 2014 is made to provide a platform to recognize great travel photographers. They only accept images taken in Asian Pacific countries and Australia, however the participants may live anywhere around the globe. The goal of this contest is to find inspiring images that encourage viewers to travel across Asia and Oceania.

Eyes on Asia Awards

Prize: $2323 (the prize money increases by $1 with every image submitted)

Entry Start: September 1, 2014
Entry Close: December 31, 2014

6. Your Best Shot Photo Contest: October 2014

PopPhoto hold contests each month. This October is a great time of the year when nature really shines. It’s called Your Best Shot which means any picture you want goes. Top photographers’ work will be published in the printed edition of Popular Photography.

Your Best Photo Shot Contest

Prize: First place gets $300, second place gets $200 and third place gets $100.

Entry Start: October 1, 2014
Entry Close: November 1, 2014

7. Monochrome Photography Awards 2014

Enter your best black and white snaps to the magnificent Monochrome Photography Awards 2014 and win big! Their goal is to discover creative photographers and share a monochrome vision of the world. The entrance fee is $10 for amateurs and $15 for professional photographers.

Monochrome Photography Awards 2014

Prize: $3000 and international recognition.

Entry Start: May 15, 2014
Entry Close: November 30, 2014

8. onOne Gallery Fall Colors Photo Contest

onOne Gallery conducts contests every month. This October they offer you a chance to submit your fall photos in the following categories: portrait, landscape, black and white, lifestyle and macro. Submit any photo that captures beautiful autumn colors!

onOne Gallery Fall Colors Photo Contest

Prize: 1st place wins the Suite 9 Premium + 32 GB iPad Air; 2nd place wins Suite 9 Basic + $100 Amazon Gift Card; 3rd place wins a $50 Amazon Gift Card.

Entry Start: October 1, 2014
Entry Close: October 31, 2014

9. Telegraph: The Big Picture Contest

Run by the Telegraph newspaper, this weekly competition is a good way for travel photographers to get noticed and win a Nikon camera worth £500. To enter the contest you should send your image along with your name, brief description of the picture, your address, telephone number, the location and date of the photo to: thebigpicture@telegraph.co.uk.

Telegraph: The Big Picture Contest

Prize: Nikon camera worth £500

Entry Start: each week.
Entry Close: each week.

10. Formatt Fall Photo Contest 2014

Fall Photo Contest 2014 by FormattPhoto 8 iOS app has started on the 1st of October. All the photos you submit here should be taken with FormattPhoto 8 app without any editing. You may only apply some in-app filters. The FormattPhoto app contains +100 Live DSLR camera filters and effects. To enter the competition you should buy FormattPhoto app for $2,99, take photos with it, and submit your entry.

Formatt Fall Photo Contest 2014

Prize: up to $2500.

Entry Start: October 1, 2014
Entry Close: December 31, 2014

Bonus link

Everyone loves Instagram and big brands are no exception. Tons of great contests are available in this social network on a constant basis. A large directory of open contests can be found on Iconosquare.

Iconosquare

From National Geographic’s in-flight photo contest to the snapshot showcase by local steak house, there are all kinds of photographic challenges to choose from. Good luck!

Conclusion

Photography contests are a great way to improve your skills. Be sure that you follow the rules of the contests you take part in. Choose one or two contests you like the best and enter them. As contests are a social thing, feel free to like and share this post. The more people taking part the better!

Note: Be sure to check the terms and submission guidelines for every contest you’d like to enter. Some companies seem to retain the rights to publish and even sell the photos with no compensation to the photographer (yeah, crazy!). So before clicking “submit”, double check how your works are going to be used and whether the copyright remains with you.

And remember, if you do enter any competitions listed here, please share the link with us so we can see your work.

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