Photography contests are a great opportunity to win valuable prizes and have your work officially recognized. And even if you don’t normally submit your photos to competitions, you’ll still find them usefus: they let you discover plenty of new photographers whose work you’ll love.
Here at DIYP, we bring you results of dozens of different photo contests throughout the year. In 2022, we saw more amazing photos than we can count, and we thought they deserve a recap. So, we bring you our top ten photo contests, with photos that moved us, amazed us, made us cry, and made us laugh.
1. Image of a clumsy lion cub wins Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
Comedy Wildlife photographer of the Year is one of those contests I look forward to every year. While I’m not skilled at photographing animals, I love wildlife photos, and these light-hearted, funny images are my absolute favorites. Like every year, both the winners and the finalists of the 2022 will give you a good laugh and make your day better. And if you prefer domestic over wild animals, then take a look at the results of Comedy Pet photography Awards.
2. Nikon Small World Winners Show the Giant Beauty of the Microscopic World
It’s incredible how much beauty and wonder can fit in the tiniest things that we can’t even see with the naked eye. And every year, Nikon Small World shows us what’s behind the seemingly invisible, even in the most ordinary subjects like candles or house spiders.
3. Powerful Image of Storm Eunice Wins 2022 Weather Photographer of the Year
When I think of the word “weather,” nothing exciting comes to mind. Weather forecast is something I occasionally check before I head out and that’s about it. But then I I look at the wining photos of the Weather Photographer of the Year and remember everything that “weather” can mean. Fierce storms, colorful double rainbows and Brocken Spectre, trippy clouds, calming sunrays: you’ll see all of that and more among the winning images of this contest and get reminded of just how much the world around us is incredible!
4. Otherworldly Abstract Landscape Wins 2022 Epson International Pano Awards
Epson International Pano Awards is one of my personal favorites as it usually features lots of landscapes and cityscapes: and that’s my thing. Like every year, the 2022 winners didn’t disappoint, and the contest once again presented us with a stunning selection of high-quality, powerful photos.
5. Rare Photo of Comet Leonard’s Disconnected Gas Tail Wins 2022 Astronomy Photographer of the Year
I didn’t even notice when I became this interested in astronomy and astrophotography, but I’m sure it’s the influence of DIYP and all the amazing astrophotography work we’ve featured on this blog. So, it’s no wonder that Astronomy Photographer of the Year became one of my favorites. Whether its shortlists or winners, this contest always has to offer plenty of amazing photos for every astrophotography enthusiast… or anyone who is yet to become one.
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI. Image processing: J. DePasquale (STScI).
6. Captivating Photo of a Volcanic Fissure Wins Drone Photo Awards 2022
Take a photogenic subject or a rare sight, combine it with an unordinary perspective, and chances are you’ll get a photo you’ll absolutely love. Such are the winners of the Drone Photo Awards. The overall winner shows a scene that seems almost otherworldly, but if you ask me, all of the other images from the selection are equally admirable, captivating, and visually interesting.
7. Photo of A “Zombie Fungus” Infecting A Fly Wins 2022 BMC Ecology and Evolution Competition
A “zombie fungus” growing from the body of a dead fly is definitely one of the weirdest things I’ve seen all year, but also one of the most fascinating ones. And this is all thanks to the BMC Ecology and Evolution Competition. Of course, the contest shows some other fascinating images, but the winner is absolutely fantastic.
8. Photo of Graceful Cheetah and Her Cubs Wins Black and White Photo Awards 2022 [NSFW]
Black and White Photo Awards features several different categories, but the condition for entry is that they’re black and white. So, there’s something for everyone: animals, architecture, street, etc. But if you like black and white photography of any genre, it’s a real treat!
9. Powerful War Portrait Wins 2022 All About Photo Awards
All About Photo is a magazine that’s all about the art of photography. Out of its several photo contests, we shared the winners of All About Photo Awards, and it’s truly a fantastic selections, featuring plenty of stunning photos in different genres.
10. Moving Scene from Kamloops Indian Residential School Wins 2022 World Press Photo Contest
The World Press Photo of the Year is certainly one of the most famous and renowned competitions in the world. It recognizes the best photojournalism and documentary photography, and like every year, we were deeply moved by the visual stories selected as the overall, Regional, and Open Contest winners.
Honorable mentions
While I’d love to feature all of the contests here, me and the team had to make a top ten selection. Now I see what it feels like for the judges of these contests when they have to choose winners among thousands of images. :)
But hey, that’s what honorable mentions are for: so I can mention at least a few more contests that I like!
Among them are certainly Mobile Photography Awards and iPhone Photography Awards. They not only feature some fantastic photos of different subjects, but they also remind us of two things. First and the most important: you don’t need super-expensive gear to take amazing photos. And second: technology and smartphone cameras have come a long way!
The other two contests are the Northern Lights Photographer of the Year and the Milky Way Photographer of the Year, both organized by Capture the Atlas. They bring together my relatively new interest in astrophotography and my long-lasting love for landscapes, turning them into a selection of photos that are truly awe-inspiring.
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