Your stunning mountain sunset capture could win you $10,000 and worldwide recognition. Enter the right contests and watch your work reach millions worldwide, earn prestigious awards, and open doors to gallery exhibitions.
These eight competitions welcome photographers across all skill levels and styles. Submit your misty valleys, rugged coastlines, or urban landscapes - 2025 might be the year your photography breaks through and transforms from passion to profession.
Why Photography Competitions Matter
That stunning mountain shot sitting on your hard drive deserves more than just Instagram likes. Photography competitions can be game-changers for several reasons:
Exposure for Emerging Photographers
Remember how challenging it was to get your first 100 followers? Competitions fast-track visibility by putting your work in front of thousands of viewers, including industry professionals who might never have discovered you otherwise.
Your captivating sunset photo could land in a printed publication or gallery exhibition overnight.
For those just starting out, here is a list of the best photography contests for beginners to build confidence before entering more competitive events.
Opportunities for Recognition
Nothing validates your artistic vision quite like external recognition from respected judges. That validation isn't just emotionally rewarding—it becomes a valuable asset when building your photography portfolio.
Imagine they ask, "Why should I hire you?" and you have "Award-winning photographer" in your bio. Sounds amazing, right?
Potential Career-Boosting Platforms
Many successful photographers trace their career breakthroughs back to competition wins. These platforms can open doors to:
Professional assignments
Print sales
Teaching opportunities
Gallery representation
One well-placed win can generate momentum that propels your work forward for years.
Networking with Photography Professionals
Beyond the immediate prizes, competitions connect you with fellow photographers, publishers, gallery owners, and potential clients. These relationships often prove more valuable than the competition itself.
The photography world gets considerably smaller once you start participating in these events.
Now, let's explore the 8 competitions that should be on every landscape photographer's radar for 2025.
1. The Artist Gallery Landscape Photography Contest
If you're looking for the perfect entry point into competitive landscape photography, The Artist Gallery might be your ideal starting line.
Unlike some exclusive competitions that cater primarily to established professionals, The Artist Gallery welcomes photographers from every corner of the globe and all skill levels.
Their Landscape Category has become a particular favorite among photographers who specialize in capturing nature's grandeur.
Their approach celebrates diverse perspectives, allowing photographers to showcase their unique vision—whether that's dramatic mountain ranges, serene seascapes, or intimate woodland scenes.
What makes this competition stand out is how it creates opportunities for photographers at all career stages.
Entry Fee: Starting from just $9 per single photo submission, making it one of the most accessible competitions on this list. For photographers testing competition waters, this low barrier to entry is refreshing.
Prizes: Winners receive a compelling mix of rewards including:
Cash awards for top placements
Featured spots in their printed magazine
Digital certificates for portfolio enhancement
The 25 best photographs shared across social media channels and digital gallery, reaching thousands of viewers and potential clients
Visit www.theartistgallery.art for submission deadlines and detailed guidelines.
2. Natural Landscape Photography Awards
This competition emerged from a simple yet powerful idea: Landscape photography should honor the natural world as it exists.
While many competitions reward dramatic, heavily processed images, the Natural Landscape Photography Awards celebrates authenticity. Their approach emphasizes:
The beauty of natural landscapes without digital enhancement
Connection to real places and moments
Photography that respects the integrity of the scene
Their philosophy resonates with photographers who believe the natural world is impressive enough without excessive digital manipulation.
Entry Fee: Approximately $16 per entry.
Prizes: The $14,500 total prize pool makes this competition financially worthwhile. Beyond cash, winning photographers receive a free copy of the annual fine art book—a beautifully produced showcase of the year's best natural landscape photography.
3. International Landscape Photographer of the Year
This competition has established itself as a premier platform celebrating diverse approaches to landscape photography. Whether your style is minimalist, dramatic, abstract, or documentary, ILPOTY welcomes your unique perspective.
What distinguishes this competition is its dual focus—awarding both individual images and bodies of work. This approach recognizes both the photographer who captures one extraordinary moment and the artist who demonstrates consistent excellence across multiple images.
The competition's global reach ensures that winning images reflect worldwide landscape diversity, from arctic vistas to desert abstractions.
Entry Fee: $25 per image..
Total Prize Pool: The $12,500 prize pool attracts serious competitors from around the world.
Photography Equipment Awards: Beyond cash prizes, winners receive photography equipment from industry sponsors—practical rewards that help photographers continue developing their craft.
Annual Hardcover Book: Perhaps the most coveted aspect of winning is inclusion in their annual hardcover book featuring the top 101 images. This beautifully produced publication has become part of photography collections worldwide, providing lasting recognition beyond digital features.
For many photographers, seeing their work in this physical format represents a career milestone.
4. Nature Photographer of the Year
Nature Photographer of the Year stands out by celebrating the interconnectedness of landscapes with the broader natural world.
While maintaining strong landscape categories, this competition extends into multiple specialized areas including:
Landscape
Wildlife
Macro
Underwater
Aerial perspectives
Environmental issues
This category diversity allows landscape photographers to showcase work that might include wildlife elements or environmental storylines.
The competition's international participation ensures global perspectives, with entries regularly submitted from over 40 countries.
Overall Winner: The overall champion receives €3,000—substantial recognition for exceptional nature photography.
Category Winners: Each category winner receives €500, rewarding specialized excellence.
Youth Category Winner: The youth category winner receives €250, providing meaningful encouragement for developing photographers.
Beyond monetary prizes, winners gain substantial exposure through the competition's media partnerships and publication opportunities.
For landscape photographers whose work connects to broader nature themes, this competition offers specialized recognition and substantial rewards.
5. Monochrome Photography Awards
There's something timelessly powerful about black and white landscape photography. The Monochrome Photography Awards celebrates this classic approach.
Black and white photography strips landscapes to their essential elements—light, shadow, texture, and form. Without color's distraction, composition and emotional impact take center stage.
The competition celebrates both traditional darkroom techniques and modern digital monochrome approaches.
Entry Fee: Starting from $20 per entry, reflecting the competition's professional standing.
Professional Winner Prize: The professional winner receives $2,000, providing substantial recognition for established photographers.
Amateur Winner Prize: Amateur winners receive $1,000, offering meaningful encouragement for emerging talent.
For photographers looking to refine their black and white technique, learning how to edit black and white photos can significantly improve competition submissions.
6. BigPicture Natural World Photography Awards
Unlike purely aesthetic competitions, BigPicture has an explicit conservation mission. It aims to showcase natural diversity while inspiring action to preserve it.
The competition welcomes images that:
Highlight natural world diversity
Document environmental challenges
Celebrate conservation successes
Connect viewers emotionally to landscapes
This mission-driven approach attracts photographers whose work carries environmental messages alongside artistic merit.
Entry Fee: $25 for up to 10 images, offering excellent value for photographers submitting multiple works.
Grand Prize: The $5,000 grand prize represents significant recognition for conservation-minded landscape photographers.
California Academy of Sciences Exhibit Feature: Perhaps even more valuable than the cash prize, winners gain exposure through exhibition at the prestigious California Academy of Sciences—putting their work before thousands of visitors.
For landscape photographers whose work carries conservation messages, this competition offers both meaningful recognition and the opportunity to contribute to environmental awareness.
7. Fine Art Photography Awards (FAPA)
FAPA distinguishes itself by evaluating landscape photography through a fine art lens. Here, landscapes transcend mere documentation to become artistic expressions.
The competition welcomes diverse approaches, from traditional large-format film landscapes to experimental digital techniques, provided they demonstrate artistic vision.
Both professional and amateur categories ensure fair competitive environments for photographers at different career stages.
Professional Entry Fee: Starting at $24, reflecting the competition's professional standing.
Amateur Entry Fee: Starting at $19, making the competition accessible to emerging photographers.
Professional Grand Prize: The professional grand prize of $3,000 provides substantial recognition for established photographers.
Amateur Grand Prize: Amateur winners receive $2,000, offering meaningful encouragement for developing talent.
For landscape photographers whose work blurs the line between documentation and art, FAPA offers specialized recognition that technically-focused competitions might overlook.
8. Neutral Density Photography Awards
Rounding out our list, the ND Awards offers another prestigious platform for landscape photographers looking to expand their audience.
While including multiple categories, landscape photography consistently stands as one of the ND Awards' strongest divisions.
The competition's name—Neutral Density—references filters often used in landscape photography, signaling its connection to the craft.
Professional Entry Fee: Starting at $29 per image, reflecting the competition's professional standing.
Non-Professional Entry Fee: Starting at $24 per image, accessible to serious amateurs.
Professional Grand Prize: The $3,500 professional grand prize represents substantial recognition.
Non-Professional Grand Prize: The $2,400 non-professional grand prize offers meaningful encouragement for emerging talent.
Global Audience Exposure: Winners gain exposure through the competition's international media partnerships and online gallery.
For landscape photographers seeking to expand their audience beyond local markets, the ND Awards offers international visibility and prestigious recognition.
Next Steps for Aspiring Landscape Photographers
Now that you know where to showcase your work, here's how to maximize your chances of success:
Prepare Your Best Work
Competition success begins with strong curation:
Select images that tell compelling stories, not just pretty scenes
Choose technically excellent photos with proper exposure and sharpness
Ensure your submissions align with each competition's specific focus
Prepare images according to submission guidelines (file format, size, etc.)
Remember, judges often review thousands of entries, so learn techniques to help your photographs stand out in photography contests.
Submit Strategically
Don't scatter submissions randomly:
Match your photographic style to appropriate competitions
Read past winners' galleries to understand what succeeds
Consider entering less-crowded categories when allowed
Budget wisely—focus on competitions offering best exposure-to-fee ratio
And be aware of common photography contest mistakes that judges immediately notice and that might disqualify your entries.
Learn from Every Submission
Competition participation offers growth opportunities regardless of outcome:
Study winning images after results announcement
Identify elements that distinguished successful entries
Apply those insights to future field work
Connect with fellow participants through competition communities
The feedback loop from competition participation often accelerates photographic development. To significantly improve your chances of success, explore these proven strategies on how to win photography contests.
Final Note
Whether you're submitting your first competition entry or your fiftieth, these eight platforms offer meaningful opportunities to gain recognition for your landscape photography in 2025.
The journey from capturing an image to seeing it celebrated can be remarkably short when you find the right showcase for your unique vision.
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