Thinking About Photography Competitions? Read This First
Realistic advice, mindset shifts, and practical tips from a competition organiser and photographer.
If you’ve landed here, I’m assuming you have an interest in wildlife and photography, and are either considering entering photography competitions or have already dipped your toe in.
For those who are relatively new to the experience—or thinking about it for the first time—this article offers some practical guidance and, just as importantly, some realistic expectations. Photography competitions can be an extremely valuable part of your development as a photographer, but only if they are approached with the right mindset.
The first reality check
When I first started taking photography seriously, I was quickly able to impress friends and family with my work. Their feedback was always well-meaning, but let’s be honest—it tends to lean towards encouragement rather than critical evaluation.
That’s often where competition confusion begins. Someone suggests you enter that image into this competition because it’s a “winner”. So you try a few.
And then comes the disappointment.
Your “winning shot” doesn’t even make the shortlist. The judges don’t respond the way your friends did. It can feel deflating, even personal. Many people decide at that point that competitions aren’t worth the effort.
But that reaction misses the point entirely.
It’s not about validation
A few years ago, I used to take rejection personally. I’d study shortlisted images, compare them to my own, and convince myself the judges had missed something obvious.
The truth is simpler: competition judging is not about validation—it’s about comparison at a very high level, often across thousands of images.
If you can’t handle rejection, competitions may not be for you. But if you step back and look at them differently, they can become one of the most powerful tools for improving your photography.
Accept this early: you probably won’t win
This is the most important mindset shift.
You are very unlikely to win.
If you treat entry fees as an investment expecting a financial return, you will be disappointed. Instead, think of competitions as part of your photographic development—win or lose.
The real value is not in the result, but in:
the experience of competing at a higher level
the ideas it exposes you to
and the improvement it drives in your own work
Entry fees are relatively small. Most of us don’t hesitate to spend similar amounts on fuel for a chance to see a rare bird or animal—and sometimes we don’t even see it. The value is in being involved.
Photography competitions are no different.
Learn to critique your own work
Perhaps the most important skill you can develop is self-critique.
Friends and social media followers rarely offer honest feedback. Most are not photographers, and even fewer will challenge your work in a meaningful way.
If you want to improve, seek out critique from photographers whose work you respect. Study winning images. Follow successful photographers. Compare your work honestly against theirs.
Then be hard on yourself. Ask:
Why does that image work better than mine?
What makes it stand out?
What could I do differently?
And don’t just copy what you see. Competitions reward individuality. If your work looks like everything else online, it will struggle to stand out—even if it’s technically perfect.
Planning creates originality
One of the most overlooked elements of strong wildlife photography is planning.
Understanding your subject—its behaviour, habitat, and timing—gives you an advantage that luck alone cannot provide. When you know your subject well, you can anticipate moments rather than simply react to them.
And when those moments happen, you are ready.
Original work rarely comes from chance alone. It comes from preparation meeting opportunity.
Less is more
It’s important to understand that you won’t produce award-winning images every week.
Most experienced wildlife photographers would say that if they create a handful of images a year they are genuinely proud of, they’ve had a good year.
Focus on quality over quantity. Work a subject properly. Stay with it. Push it further than the obvious shot.
That is where strong images come from.
Luck is usually preparation
I’ve interviewed many competition winners over the years, and one phrase comes up constantly:
“I was lucky.”
But when you dig deeper, the pattern is always the same. They knew their subject. They understood the environment. They were ready when the moment happened.
Luck is simply preparation meeting opportunity.
And don’t assume that only rare or exotic subjects win. They don’t. Common species—and even simple subjects—can and do win major competitions.
Choose the right competitions
Not all photography competitions are the same.
Some favour documentary or naturalistic styles. Others, like WildArt, are more interested in creative interpretation and artistic approaches to nature photography.
Before entering, do your research. Understand what the judges are looking for. Tailor your entries accordingly.
And choose a competition that has a decent pedigree, is well run and seeks to promote the very best photography.
Final thoughts
If this has rekindled your interest in photography competitions, then perhaps it’s time to give them another try.
WildArt Bird Photography Awards encourages creative expression and asks photographers to push the boundaries of the artistic. I'm excited to see what the competition attracts.
Rob Read
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