5 Photography Competitions for April
It’s been a little while since Point 102 did a round-up of photography competitions so this week that’s what we’re doing! We bring you our five picks of a diverse range of opportunities open in April from the UK and around the world - from microscopic photography to travel to social change. Where possible we also always try to focus on the ones that are free to enter.
Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016
Entrants can submit up to ten images for the annual Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition which closes fairly soon. With both adult and young person (15 years and under) categories, the prizes are quite generous with £10,000 (cash) for the overall Adult winner, £1500 for the Young category and quite meaty cash prizes for 2nd/3rd/Highly Commended in both. The prizes also include inclusion in the exhibition of the competition which is held at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and inclusion in the exhibition catalogue.
Deadline: Midday (BST). 14 April 2016
Photocrowd Wanderlust Amateur Photography Competition
Photography platform Photocrowd have a whole heap of challenges on their site where you can win anything from photography gear to holidays. Their Wanderlust prize which closes in a couple of weeks is quite a big one with the best travel-focussed image winning the photographer a scholarship on a Maui Photo Expedition. You will stay for five nights at the Four Seasons in Maui and get treated to tuition, excursions, camera equipment and there is also an exhibition held at the end of each expedition where participants can promote, and hopefully sell, some of their work. This all sounds pretty sweet. The way it works is you upload your image on Photocrowd and it gets judged by both the public and the judges who then make the final decision.
Deadline: 15 April 2016
Guardian Readers Travel Competition
This year The Guardian’s monthly Readers Travel Competition has no set themes and photographers are just encouraged to submit their best travel shots. As ever, this one is open to UK entrants only and you just submit via Guardian Witness during the month and the winner is normally announced on the first of the following month. This month’s prize is a self-drive holiday to Iceland, inclusion in the annual Guardian photography show at Guardian HQ and a professional print for you to hang on your own wall produced by us here at Point 101!
Deadline: 11pm. 25 April 2016
IREX 5th Annual Photo Contest 2016
This competition, which comes with a $1000 cash prize split between four winners, invites images from amateur and professional photographers whose work fits into one of the following four categories: Empowering Youth, Cultivating Leaders, Strengthening Institutions and Extending Access to Quality Education and Information. Quite specific and quite broad at the same time. You can submit up to five images. There will also be a People’s Choice Award voted for my the public on IREX’s Facebook page and there seems to be another $250 prize for that category.
Deadline: 23.59 (EDT). 25 April 2016
Nikon Small World Competition 2016
This competitions celebrates all things in the world of microphotography/microscopy. Last year’s winner, Ralph Claus Grimm (Australia) captured dandelion pollen stuck on to the eye of a honey bee and in 2014 Rogelio Moreno Gill chose to close-up on a rotifier - a type of microscopic wheel-animal that is found in water. Although the majority of past finalists do seem to have captured the natural environment, past winners and finalists have also focussed subjects such as the circuitry in DVD readers. The competition is open to international entrants (over the age of 18) and the prizes are money towards buying Nikon equipment. This may seem a little limiting but might be useful to kit out your office with a couple of things. Top prize is $3,000 going down to $100 if you are placed 11 – 20th. Additionally the winning image are taken on an exhibition tour to various science centres and galleries across North America. There is also a video version of the prize which has been running since 2011 – more info on that can be found here.
Deadline: 30 April 201