Top 5 Photography Contests for Commercial Photographers

Winning a key photography contest or award can be some of the very best promotion for your business.  According to Suzanne Sease and Amanda Sosa Stone, many art directors are known to use Award Annuals as source books.   Contests can be inspiration to shoot new work and a tremendous boost of confidence.  Do research on past winners and enter contests often.  What's that old saying…you'll lose 100% of the photo contests that you don't enter.   You never know when the judges are going to pick your work.  If you are talented enough to win, make sure to let people know with press releases and other promotion.

 Here are some of the best Photography Contests for commercial photographers:

1. Focus Philadelphia 2012:  Unseen Philadelphia

Deadline: August 15

Focus Philadelphia is the perfect opportunity to be noticed in our local market and to show nationally what Philadelphia area photographers can produce.  Winners will be published in a beautifully crafted book which will be distributed to key art buyers throughout the area.    

2. International Photography Awards 

Deadline:  May 31 Early Bird Deadline (10% off) April 30

This contest has very specific categories such as Architecture: Bridges and a special section Emerging Photographers: Discovery of the year.  Again, beautifully laid out and widely spread in the creative community.

3.  Communication Arts Photography Annual 

Deadline: March

This is probably among the most competitive, but also the most rewarding.  The photography Annual is beautifully designed and is known to have the best of the best. Communication Arts is widely circulated among the folks that hire top photographers. 

4. Photo District News Magazine's Photo Annual

Deadline:  January

Prizes and exposure are tremendous.  If you didn't make it in this year, start planning for next.  PDN's June Photo Annual issue is sent to over 5,000 creatives and there's even a May exclusive party for winners.

5. Graphis Photography Annual

Deadline: August

Here's your chance to be published alongside names like Annie Leibovitz.  Graphis publications are seen by professional and corporate audiences internationally.