Floating

It isn’t the bragging rights. It isn’t $$$ or even $$$$. It isn’t a ribbon.

The most valuable—and unexpected—prize is in the process.

Entering a photo competition helps you look at your work with a critical eye: noticing patterns, themes, and even weak spots. It lets you put fresh eyes on older photos. Suddenly, you may find yourself editing images you hadn’t considered before. It shakes up your status quo.

Bonus: Entering a competition requires you to work a mini-project from start to finish. You’ll pull possible entries from your body of work, resize and rename them to meet requirements, and submit them. Along the way, you might be asked to write an artist statement, which can clarify your vision and direction.

And then there’s my old nemesis—the title.

Titles carry more weight than you might imagine. They add context, nuance, and emotion. They reveal who you are, what the photograph is, and they open a conversation with the viewer.

 If there is going to be an obstacle in the process, it’s the title. I often gather my photos, pare them down to the contenders, and then spend time noodling titles in my head. Sometimes I circle back to the first one that popped up when I saw the image. Other times I land on something far closer to my vision. And on good day, I land on titles that feel profound.

There was a time when I thought I was pretty good at this photography thing. On film. Before digital. Then came a humbling moment: I wanted to join a photography guild that required twelve images to show who you are and what to expect. Twelve. I had been taking photographs for over twenty years—yet I came up with only three I considered strong enough. I didn’t apply.

Instead of applying to the guild, I took a hard look at what I was shooting and decided I could do better.

That honest look at my body of work helped me more than a thousand social media “likes.”

You can start today. Enter a photo competition. Here’s one you might like.

👉 The Annual Maryland Photography Alliance Photo Competition

Deadline: Sept 30, 2025, 9 PM

This is a digital submission and photographers from anywhere are eligible. If you want to join an MPA club, contact me for more information about Photo Society MD/VA/DC. We too are a digital organization with US and International photographers. 

Maryland Photography Alliance Photo Competition

 The process to a better collection of work, starts the moment you begin.