Deadline: 01-Dec-2025
The Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest offers a prestigious platform for photographers worldwide to showcase their creativity, skill, and unique perspectives.
Open to both amateur and professional photographers, the competition invites submissions that capture the beauty, complexity, and wonder of the world through the lens. Participants can enter their best work across diverse themes such as nature, travel, people, artistic expression, and more, making it one of the most inclusive and celebrated photography contests globally.
Entrants can submit multiple photographs—up to fifteen per category—provided each image follows the technical and ethical guidelines outlined in the competition rules. Accepted formats include .jpeg, .jpg, and .gif, with specific size and resolution requirements to ensure print and digital quality. Finalists must be prepared to submit high-resolution originals for verification and exhibition purposes.
One of the key features of the Smithsonian contest is its commitment to recognizing artistic ownership. While photographers retain full rights to their work, they grant the Smithsonian a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce and display the images for promotional or exhibition purposes. This ensures that photographers gain significant visibility through one of the world’s most respected cultural and educational institutions.
Integrity and authenticity are fundamental to the contest. Participants must ensure their images are original and ethically captured, without misrepresentation or harmful manipulation. The competition also prohibits entries that include offensive, defamatory, or inappropriate content, and requires consent releases for identifiable people or private property featured in any image.
As the contest concludes, the Smithsonian’s judges will select finalists and winners based on originality, technical excellence, composition, and emotional impact. Winning photographs will gain international exposure through Smithsonian’s publications and digital platforms, inspiring audiences worldwide.
In addition to the honor of global recognition, the competition offers generous prizes. Eight awards will be distributed among winners. The Grand Prize winner will receive $2,500, while the winners of each of the six categories will be awarded $500 each. The Readers’ Choice Award—selected through an online public vote—will also carry a $500 prize.
For photographers eager to share their vision, this contest represents more than a competition—it is an opportunity to tell stories that transcend borders, celebrate creativity, and connect humanity through the power of images.
For more information, visit Smithsonian Magazine.