# Photo Contests: Legit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 26, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203 "2009-10-26T18:14:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/1 "2009-10-26T18:14:52Z")
I am an aspiring photographer looking to start entering photography contests but have found a myriad of confusing options out there. Many sites offer prizes and publicity for the winner but also charge for entry. Here is one example: > **[internationalapertureawards.com - This website is for...](http://www.internationalapertureawards.com/)** > > This website is for sale! internationalapertureawards.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, internationalapertureawards.com has it all. We... The fee is around $40. That sounds fishy to me but I can’t really be sure…it makes sense in a way because it would limit the entries to those people who are really serious. So is paying to enter a photo contest a rip-off? What legitimate photo contest sites are out there? I’d think the best option would be something local but so far I haven’t had much luck. I live in Bucks County PA. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/2 "2009-10-26T18:50:05Z")
I’m not sure any of them are legit. I know we covered some of them in the past that let you enter for free, tell you how great your photo is and that they will publish it, and then want you to purchase their published album of all the winners for big $$$ (psst, everyone who enters gets published). I’d imagine the other pay to enter ones are similar. Everyone forks over $40. They give the winner a $300 prize. They keep all the rest of the money for profit. ---
**Author:** ![pan1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@pan1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pan1)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/3 "2009-10-26T19:09:17Z")
Not Legit in any sense that make it reputable. The partner links, while looking like legit partners are all mono-directional for one and not all that impressive once you look closely. If you want a Legit photo contest, check with reputable organizations/publications in the photo industry. They will and do have regular contests. As a writer, I can guess that the prize money isn’t the goal anyway. You want publication. Avoid contests with a large entry fee, just as you avoid publications with a submission fee. It’s not a prize you could put on your resume. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/4 "2009-10-26T21:49:24Z")
I know [http://jpgmag.com](http://jpgmag.com) is legit, as a friend of mine was the editor for a while. Entry is free. ---
**Author:** ![Cleophus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@Cleophus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cleophus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/5 "2009-10-26T22:02:09Z")
One other thing to watch out for are contests where as a term of entry you give the contest organizers royalty-free rights to use your photographs, or even worse, full ownership. See [this post](http://www.jmg-galleries.com/blog/2008/02/19/how-the-rights-to-your-photo-are-being-hijackedthrough-photo-contests-social-media/) for an example. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/6 "2009-10-27T12:17:12Z")
Great info, thanks all! I figured the pay to play contests couldn’t be for real and its good to know that some of the others are just a scam to get you “published.” Photography is a tough field to have any commercial success in, thanks all! ---
**Author:** ![Chris\_Luongo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Chris\_Luongo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chris_Luongo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/7 "2009-10-28T17:53:25Z")
If you’re starting out, I would think your initial goal would be name recognition and getting to know others in the industry…I’d imagine the money would come later, if at all. My father and I both enjoy the camera-review site [www.stevesdigicams.com](http://www.stevesdigicams.com). He sent in a picture and had it up on the site as “photo of the day” or whatever it was. No monetary prize, though. [www.wunderground.com](http://www.wunderground.com) is a weather forecasting site, but has a section where users put up photos of sunsets and snowstorms and such. I know neither of those sites will make you famous or rich, but those might be some of the places to get started. ---
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/8 "2009-10-29T18:09:36Z")
> [@pan1](#): > > Not Legit in any sense that make it reputable. The partner links, while looking like legit partners are all mono-directional for one and not all that impressive once you look closely. > > If you want a Legit photo contest, check with reputable organizations/publications in the photo industry. They will and do have regular contests. > > As a writer, I can guess that the prize money isn’t the goal anyway. You want publication. Avoid contests with a large entry fee, just as you avoid publications with a submission fee. > > It’s not a prize you could put on your resume. I can’t remember who said this…but it was something like “Money flows TO the artist…not away from”. I am not an artist…but that sounds like a rule that should be 100% adhered to. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photo-contests-legit/515203/9 "2009-10-29T23:45:50Z")
There are some pay to enter contests that are legitimate, but you’ll know them by the reputation of the organization. My experience is more in indie films than photography, but I think they’re similar. One example is Sundance, where entry is definitely not free… but then you’re not entering Sundance just to make a buck. You’re entering because it’s really good exposure to reviewers, critics and other professionals in the industry. Seattle’s local film festival has something like a $6 entry fee. If you feel like an entry might get you enough publicity to be worth the entry fee, go for it. Don’t enter just in hopes of winning something, though.