SIMPLE TIPS for winning PHOTO COMPETITIONS (that will also improve your photography)

There are certain things that you can do to increase your chances of winning a photography competition. In this videos I share some photography composition tips

NIKON GEAR (Main STILLS camera)

FILM GEAR

OTHER PHOTO GEAR

#photographycompetition #like #subscribe

[robertd.skonbladandersson]

One thing that struck me a while back: whenever you see someone else’s photos, you’re only seeing their best work. When you see your own photos, you’re almost only seeing your worst work.
If you’re like me, you have thousands of photos and you’re probably only really happy with a couple of dozens (on a good day).
This made me think differently about comparing myself to others :)

[bluejay]

I will always be an amateur seeking to create a better me. One thing I have learned is that the vast majority of the winning images are sunrise or sunsets and that the pros spend hours if not days getting that one shot at that perfect location. There were times when I adamantly pursued that one shot but as I age I’ve found I missed so much more along the way. Now we travel to incredibly beautiful places and immerse in that experience. I take”my best shots” when I can and never feel the pressure to do more.
God bless those who are so singularly focused that the shot becomes the experience. Beautiful stuff but I’m not going there anymore

[antonoat]

Remember also, travelling to amazing places doesn't guarantee an amazing photo and is not the answer to finding memorable, unique photographs! This is really exciting Nigel, can't wait!

[LisaFrostPhoto]

Some really great tips here that are well worth considering for improving your photography, even if competitions aren’t your thing. I think something that is worth keeping in mind for people entering competitions is there is still an element of subjectivity to the choosing of competition winners even if you have all the elements, so don’t be discouraged if your image isn’t chosen. For example, the image with the mountain and the rainbow, whilst I can see the point being made and think it’s certainly worthy of being chosen, for me personally the rainbow cutting through the mountain makes me uncomfortable and I’d prefer the image without the rainbow, so were I a judge I wouldn’t have chosen it - it’s just purely subjective to personal tastes. I think ultimately the most important thing is that you’re making images that you enjoy and are happy with, and that you can use information like these great tips to help you evolve and grow in a way that satisfies you, whether you’re winning competitions or not.

[GeminionRay]

I've entered a competition only once (a Nikon's photo marathon at the zoo) but I learned one thing: You need to figure out what the judges are looking for. My biggest mistake was looking at recent competitions without checking out the styles of each judge. Basically I saw winning photos at local Canon and Fuji competitions, which took place prior to the Nikon one. All of the winning photos had pretty bad composition and colors but they stood out in their own way. Therefore I took that approach and tried to do some macro shots while everyone was taking pictures of big animals.

2 days after submitting my photos, there was only 1 macro photo among 15 photos picked by the judges, and it wasn't mine. I looked at them and found that the Nikon judges were very different from the Canon and Fuji judges. All chosen pictures had excellent composition, colors and contrast, and mine didn't. By this point I had learned that the Nikon judges were more conservative. I had no regret though, because I joined the competition not to win but to learn, plus to test lenses for free (Nikon brought a bunch of lenses and camera there for everyone to borrow in case they might need something different from their usual gear), and my primary goal was fulfilled, so it was all good.

Thanks for the video btw. Really great tips there.

[davebrown]

The one thing that, as an amateur, that has always put me off from entering competitions is the fact that I'd be in competition with, established, well known professionals, I know it's only a tenner to enter, however when up against professionals it always seems to be a case of throwing money down the drain.

[wrus]

I have watched your videos for several years now and I just love them. Always full of incredible tips and guidance. Your presenting style is so easy to watch. Thank you so much.

[mariebird]

Thank you for your explanation on the rules and really helpful hints and tips to help us, not just on this photo competition, but on everything photography-wise.
Excellent, as ever.
Thanks Nigel. I will definitely enter, after re-watching this video and digesting the helpful tips.

[PatchesCody]

Good luck on raising money for the causes you believe in. I look forward to the video showing the culling down to the winners. Last years was awesome.
These weekly videos are always so inspirational. Cheers from Florida.

[pewent]

The mountain with reflection (by Andrés Buiggros) is Volcano Parinacota located in northern Chile.

[JuanCristobal]

Nigel, the shot at 11:10 was taken in the north of Chile. That´s the Parinacota Volcano in the chilean altiplano at Lauca NP. Love to see images from here.

[Optidorf]

Some very useful tips I must say!

I do agree with the feedback regarding flat lighting, but I'm the type of photographer that thinks the art of photography is taking nice pictures whenever you are and whatever the topic. Waiting for the right conditions is not my cup of tea, but I understand it can augment the quality of a picture.

[MichaelShainblum]

Great video Nigel, I loved the image examples. Thanks for including me! :)

[AaronBrownStudios]

that photo at 12:00 is basically an exact recreation of that famous winter tree from Final Fantasy VII when you pass out on the side of the mountain, and it's awesome lol

[alanwsmith]

Some great tips for photography in general, not just for photo competitions.

One question about the World Landscape Photographer competition, what time frame does the photo need to be taken in? For example are only images taken in the last year allowed?

[paulcollingridge]

Wow, your subscribers are rocketing up.... 313k, you deserve it

[masterjanglez]

Been a long time hobbiest photographer. (Random photos) I've started to focus technique and understanding photography elements. I've never entered a photography contest before but I'm going to do this!

[katechaston]

That mountain with the reflection in the tarn - I am 99 pct certain it’s Mt Taranaki in NZ. You need to go to NZ Nigel - its’s a landscape photographers dream! Thanks for the tips - your videos are always very helpful. 😊

[guykerr]

Thank you for this. My thought on being a may take a great photo but my post-processing skills are still under development and no matter how well I composed the photo, chose my light etc. it still comes down to how well I processed it.

[willemakit]

Thanks, Nigel, wow, great photos. I have to say, I am pretty new at this, so for me, my goal is to do the best that I can do. Donation alone, I am happy to make. I hope my images will be better than my last images. Weather and a Lockdown here have been very difficult lately, but that is changing. Yea. finally. the object for me is to join in, have fun, and hope it pushes me to do better work than I have in the past. Winning is always nice. I am just happy to see the experience I get out of this, and hope I walk away with photo ideas for next year's contest.