SUBMISSIONS CLOSED: THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPANTS – WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON DECEMBER 21, 2025

Days
Hours
Minutes
Winners 2025 Announced!

SUBMISSIONS CLOSED:
 THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPANTS
WINNERS ANNOUNCED ON
DECEMBER 21, 2025

How to prepare your photos for a photography competition?

Entering a photography competition like Photora Awards is an exciting opportunity to showcase your creativity and gain international recognition. But before hitting the Submit button, it’s crucial to make sure your images are fully prepared - both technically and conceptually.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you prepare your photos for competition success.
  • Competition Guide, Photo Awards Insights, Photography Tips

Choose Your Strongest Work - Not Just Your Favorite

Photographers often have emotional attachments to their images, but competitions are about visual impact and storytelling.

Photora Awards - How to Prepare Your Photos for a Photography Competition
  • Select images that tell a clear story or evoke emotion instantly.
  • Think from a judge’s perspective - what would stand out in a lineup of other entries?
  • Ask a few peers for honest feedback before deciding.

Pro tip

Create a shortlist of 10–15 photos, then narrow it down to 5 that best represent your concept or category.

Understand the Theme and Categories

Every photography competition has its own categories and visual language.
  • Read the Photora Awards category descriptions carefully.
  • Some awards like the Photora Awards also allow to submit one photo into multiple categories - as long as it fits. For example one photo might both fit into the Street Photography and Black and White categories
  • Make sure your work aligns with the chosen theme - whether it’s Black and White, Portrait, Landscape, or Open Theme.
  • Avoid stretching an image to fit a category that doesn’t match; it will weaken your submission.

Pay Attention to Technical Quality

A technically weak photo – even with great storytelling – can cost you points.

Check the following before submitting:

  • High-resolution file (usually 300 DPI, JPG format).
  • Correct exposure, focus, and color balance.
  • No watermarks or borders.
  • Subtle post-processing - over-editing can ruin natural tones.

Pro tip

Zoom in to 100% to check for dust, chromatic aberrations, or unwanted artifacts before exporting.

Perfect Your Editing Workflow

Editing is where your vision becomes refined.

  • Adjust white balance and contrast, not just saturation.
  • Always export a clean, final version in the correct dimensions stated in the competition rules.

Keep both your RAW and final edited versions. Judges may request originals for verification.

Name and Describe Your Photos Thoughtfully

A great title or description adds depth to your submission.
  • Titles should be short, memorable, and relevant.
  • If possible, avoid “Untitled” - even a minimal title adds identity.
  • Use the description to explain intent, story, or technique in one or two sentences.

Example: “Silent Geometry” – Capturing the harmony between light and structure in the early morning hours of Tokyo.

Preparing your photos for a competition is not just about meeting technical standards – it’s about curating your vision, your story, and your professionalism as a photographer.

Take your time to present your best works thoughtfully.

When your submission reflects both skill and intention, it stands out – and that’s exactly what the Photora Awards celebrate.

Photora Awards – International Photography Competition 2025
Photography moves the world.
Show us what you see.
subscribe to newsletter
2025 © Photora Awards. All Rights Reserved
Instagram Envelope

Be the First to Know - From Submissions to Winners

Subscribe for award updates, deadlines, tips & inspiration

World
Portrait
Photo
Prize
submit your entry
Facebook-f Instagram