Read This to Boost Your Chances in the Sony World Photography Awards

Photography competitions are an important part of a photographer’s career trajectory. The ones successful in the awards see their work gain global recognition through press and media coverage, have their work exhibited around the world and get to build connections with peers and professionals who can help to push their career forward. Not to mention the incredible prizes awarded to the winners, including $25,000 and Sony digital imaging equipment.

To help you succeed in this edition of the Sony World Photography Awards, we put together eight useful tips that will ensure your entry has the best chance at winning.

Don’t miss your chance to enter - the Sony World Photography Awards close on 10 January at 13:00 GMT.
 

• Familiarise yourself with the Professional competition rewarding series of images. Don’t forget that you don’t have to be a working, professional photographer to enter - all you need is a series of images, for example 5-10 stunning landscapes that work well together. You can enter a photo project per category for free.
   
• Got a series of images that tell a story through multiple genres, for example mixing portraiture and still life? The Perspectives category in the Professional competition was created this year specifically for those kinds of projects. A perfect opportunity for a photographer who doesn’t focus on just one genre.
   
• Make sure your images are in JPG format, saved at quality 10 or above, are set to sRGB colour mode, and between 1-5MB.
   
• No watermarks please! Otherwise, your stunning photograph will be automatically disqualified.
   
• Fancy knowing what the judges look for in each category? The category descriptions of the Open and the Professional competitions are a great resource for finding that information out.
   
• Read the rules of each competition - they do differ! For example, in the Open competition your image has to be taken in 2024. In the Professional competition, your images can’t be published before 2024.
   
• Avoid last-minute entries—plan ahead and take your time! The Open and Youth competitions close on January 3rd at 13:00 (GMT), while the Professional competition remains open until January 10th at 13:00 (GMT).
   
• Remember that perfectionism won’t help you in the long run - while you should ensure that your entry complies with all the rules, don’t forget that this opportunity only happens once a year. An image entered is better than an image wasted - and as the competitions are completely free, you really have got nothing to lose.
   

Enter the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 for free