Do people still care about Photography Competitions?

[AliciaUnderwater]

Forgive me for asking but, I'm curious: With the amount of photographers out there and the number of contests / competitions that are around, do you find that you care about who won what in photo competitions these days? Several years ago, I used to enter my imagery in a few comps (and even won gold once!) but I have found that I've recently lacked motivation to participate in such things these days. Am I alone? Do you feel the competitions provide great opportunities and exposure like they used to? 

Thoughts?

[CaolIla]

For me, competitions are not very important.
My main problem is the judges. I participated in a competition in 2022 for the Paris Diving Show.

I didn't win anything but that's not the problem. It is in the results, the winners won but when I see the results it was not deserved.  

I'm not the only one to say this...  There were so many photos that were significantly better. The criteria for designating the winners are I think other than the photos.

This disgusts me deeply, it's not honest

[Dave_Hicks]

I am at once intrigued by the possibility of entering competitions and put off to an even greater degree. 

 

I can echo the sentiment of Caolla above, but it goes beyond that for me. I take pictures for fun, to share, and to challenge myself to learn and explore wildlife photography. Once you start entered pictures into contests, it becomes about competition, status, and seeking the approval of others. It starts to feel too much like work, and I'm retired. I don't want to compete like that anymore and risk sucking all of the joy out of the process based on the inscrutable judgement of others. Been there and done that. 

[CaolIla]

Thank you @Dave_Hicks for your post.

For me, photography is a pleasure just like sharing.
Competitions are competition and personally I don't want them anymore.

My photos like it or not... Those who enjoy them have a great time watching them, sometimes we discuss them. the others and although they go their way, I don't care.

[Nando Diver]

Underwater Video & Photography competitions (at least in my country) have good sponsorship from government to promote marine life, tourism, environment, and its common the presence of Regional and National television broadcast.

Last couple years attracted huge number of international filmmakers and photographers.

 

The price is a steal

example for 2025 : 420€ per person

Hotel 4 stars for 8 days all inclusive in 2x island Paradises 

Free transfers airport hotel

Free transfers hotel to diving sites

Free Ferry transfer to another island.

8 x dives  with nitrox (4 days) 

Water temp 22C to 24C

 

Not included:

flights

Training sessions 30€ each (nitrox) 

 

Anyone with action camera/smartphone can participate in that specific category.

Financially is very attractive.

Had my first experience last year, and im going again in 2025.

This year has big bonus, that is diving in two separate islands (Madeira & Porto Santo) 

 

I attach the program in Portuguese ( this its very recent) , but you can use this contact page to get  the English version. 

 

https://www.instagram.com/madeiraunderwater/

 

https://www.madeiraunderwater.com/info/contato/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV Madeira Underwater Photo and Video Open_2025.pdf

Edited January 25 by Nando Diver

[SwiftFF5]

Frankly, to me, the idea of the art of videography (I only do video) and competitions are inherently at odds.  I have no interest in such competition and really don't even look at them, except as photos to see.  I often prefer some of the runner-ups to the actual award winners.

[bvanant]

We were recently in Lembeh with a group that were only interested in competitions. Show them a hairy frogfish and they swim away trying to find a "unique" view of something even more unusual.  Before that we were in Edinburgh and saw the World Wildlife results. To me the Judges picks were terrible but the viewer's choices were much more interesting. Guess that means that I really don't understand "art" (not that I want to)

Bill

[Floris Bennema]

There's a great difference how well your pictures are judged in competitions. See how frustrated Alex is about many of them.

 

 

[Floris Bennema]

It would be great if we could make a list of judgement systems of the major competitions. So every one can judge for themselve if  he/she want to take part. Is there enough knowledge here to make such a list?

[Adventurer]

13 hours ago, Floris Bennema said:

See how frustrated Alex is about many of them.

 

It feels as if @Alex_Mustard is really personally touched about the matter. Very heart-warming 🙂

 

I found the perspective from a celebrity in underwater photography and judge very interesting. I specifically refer to the part where he describes when a judge is approached by contest participants with the question: "How did you like my shot ?" and the honest reply should be "Sorry, I have never seen your image before you showed it to me." 😪

[Eric Hanauer]

For 47 years the only contests I entered were judged by magazine editors. I never entered contests because I didn’t think it fair to compete against amateurs, no matter how talented they may be.

[CaolIla]

18 hours ago, Floris Bennema said:

There's a great difference how well your pictures are judged in competitions. See how frustrated Alex is about many of them.

Thank you for this video... it confirm my optinion after a compétition at the "Salon de la plongée" in Paris..  

[eocean-eu]

U/W Competition is actually a word that describes different things.

 

Your image can be judged at:

- dive shows

- online scuba contest

- online U/W image competition

- film/photo festivals

- actual underwater competition/championship where you dive and then immediately submit your work. 

 

All of them are vastly different and the criteria to win are different. And since there are no real standard rules for a given category, it also adds some variability in the outcome. 

 

I've been modestly doing UW films and a few of them have won in the 4 first categories. I was also part of a national team some years ago at a CMAS underwater championship. I have mixed feelings about all this competition things but yet enjoy doing them. Here is a summary of my thoughts on this: 

 

 

** The neutral **

- Don't do this for money and don't expect visibility there might boost a career or fame. It might have happened in the past but since bringing U/W is super easy nowadays, standing out of the crowd is getting harder and harder. Most contests and especially festivals do not provide any cash reward. You sometimes get goodies, occasionally a partially paid trip, some free dive somewhere but that's all.  

 

- If you want to have pictures properly evaluated, don't submit them to contests part of dive shows or any online contest where voting is public because it's like when people post badly framed pictures on FB and their friends tell them those pictures are amazing. Some people will ask their friend to vote for them. It makes sense to them to get a prize but it's not a good indicator of the quality of their work nor the work of other contestants. 

 

- The most serious UW championships tend to me to be more like ice skating competitions where your pictures are expected to match arranged criteria to make points with an imposed theme, imposed dive schedule and post-processing. Pictures are excellent technically speaking but often tend to be  creatively dull because of all these constraints. It's perfectly normal but this is something that can be hard to fully grasp. Other championship are more relaxed on rules and are more focused on divers having a good time. 

 

 

** The ugly **

- Sometimes contestants can go too far as they manipulate the scene or animal to get the perfect picture. This is not limited to diving but wildlife pictures in general. There is a problem when subject taken is unlikely to have the common behavior or to be at its usual location. They are many pictures online of "free falling open-water octopus" (aside the blackwater ones which are normal) or swimming animal that usually rests on the bottom. It's always frustrating to see those kinds of pictures winning where one would expect the competitor to be disqualified. 

 

- People can go as far as cheating in any thinkable ways at any form of contests. That's why sometimes raw pictures are asked by the judges. That's why cards are cleared, WIFI disabled, time stamped differently at actual U/W championships. Yet, some people try to submit pictures that not belongs to them or upload stuff before the dives... and they often get caught. 

 

- Sometimes some judges are just clueless and completely miss the first point or they are just part of the dive industry with little experience on judging pictures and sometimes there are not even divers and are judging UW picture... Comparing different photos/videos with sometimes different topics between competitors is tough job so you would expect to get some professional U/W image makers in the panel with some knowledge on biology. Those guys exist and some competition are judged by those guys but it's unfortunately far from universal. 

 

 

** The good **

I kept the good for the end because it's probably the most important and what makes me still want to "play" at competitons: 

 

- it's nice to compare your work with what other do and any award is somehow some signs you're making good quality images. On the long run, it's a good record of your progress and each award raises your own bar to another level. 

 

- Actual UW competition are nice to meet other folks who shares the same enthousiam for image making. It's an occasion to share and learn and develop friendships. 

 

- Festival (especially nature ones) are great to show people the beauty of the ocean and to pass some take-home messages about threat and conservation required to our playground. 

Edited 20 hours ago by eocean-eu

[John Liddiard]

And don't forget the nasty category of competition

- the rights grab.