In the never-ending struggle to get your work seen by the right people who can help you advance your career, contests and competitions are one of the most accessible ways. But are they worth it after all?
If you’re like me, you probably wake up every morning and see at least a dozen marketing emails from various organizations asking you to enter your photos into one contest or another. These contests come in all shapes and sizes. They vary slightly in theme and vary significantly in value (we’ll get to that later). One thing they all have in common is that they may promise you great exposure and access to very important people as part of their offer to get you to pay an entry fee. But the exact value you’re getting in exchange for that entry fee isn’t always so clear.
A couple of things are pretty clear. One, if you tried and entered your work into every competition out there, you would quickly go broke. Two, if you’ve been in the competition scene long enough, you’ll realize that the vast majority of art competitions don’t benefit anyone other than the organization that hosts them. There are competitions that are absolutely worth the entry fee, which we’ll discuss later. But, when thinking about the value of competitions in general, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Who is running the contest?
First, anyone can create a photo contest. Just because it has an official website and promises you a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow doesn’t mean it can actually boost your career. This brings us to the second thing to remember. The purpose of an art contest company is not to boost your career. They are a for-profit business. And while winning an actual contest can help boost your career, the primary goal of a for-profit business, any for-profit business, is to make a profit. So the goal of an art contest company is not to boost your career, but to bring in enough money through entry fees to make a profit.
Now, again, that’s not to say that every contest out there is a money grab by some heartless corporate monster. Instead, we just need to be aware of the fact that the vast majority of these contests are for-profit businesses. As such, it makes sense that the goal of the business is to make more money than they spend. It’s just simple Business 101. They don’t win when you get a job. They win when they get your entry fee.
With all that said, you’re probably guessing that my opinion is that no contest is worth the price of admission. I believe that all the money spent on entry fees is wasted money. Well, not so fast.
When photo contests matter
I’ve spent a lot of money over the decades on entry fees for various competitions. I’ve even been fortunate enough to win awards at more prestigious competitions and to be entered into some of the more prestigious fellowships (more on fellowships vs. competitions later). I can say with 100% honesty, with numbers to back it up, that winning certain competitions has had an immediate benefit on my career. For example, winning one of the more prestigious national competitions a few years ago also happened to coincide with the most productive year of my career in terms of the number of emails I received from major clients asking me to bid on their projects. Was there a cash prize from the competition itself? No. But there was a not-so-coincidental increase in client work immediately after I won. So it’s not hard to see that the competition had an impact on my bottom line.
Scholarships, which differ from competitions in that the end goal is often less about a one-time trophy and more about gaining mentorship, exclusive networking opportunities, and prestige, have also been a huge benefit for me. Mainly in the sense that when I introduce myself, I can mention that I was selected for this or that major scholarship. Depending on your client base, naming it like that can actually mean something and give you instant credibility in the eyes of the market. Additionally, while competition winners are reset annually, scholarships can often be more permanent. A small number of people are selected for more prestigious scholarships, which is like being part of an alumni network of an exclusive network that you can tap into for years to come.
Another good thing about scholarships is that many are run by non-profit organizations, and many have very low application fees or are completely free to enter. I mention this because, on the other hand, most art award competitions usually require a substantial entry fee. Again, that’s how the competition makes money. Now, if winning the competition leads directly to the possibility of a salary, then the entry fee might be a worthwhile investment. But if the only reward for winning the competition is being able to tell your friends and family that you were the best in the Greater North South Falls Photo Contest, then that reward is just a compliment to your ego and unlikely to do anything for your career. Unless, of course, you’re hoping to land a job as the official photographer of Greater North South Falls.
By the way, I wrote this under the assumption that there is no such place as Greater North South Falls. I completely made it up. So if by any chance it is a real place, I am very sorry, and I meant no offense.
Will victory change the situation?
So how do you know if the contest you’re about to enter is actually worth it? Well, most of the time, it’s not that complicated. Why? Because depending on your area of expertise, there are probably only a handful of contests that can truly transform your career. You’ve probably heard their names many times because they’re often run by organizations that have been around for decades and are really deeply rooted in both the photography community and the specific industry that your expertise is in. As a commercial photographer, there are probably 5 or 6 contests that are truly transformative in terms of impressing potential clients. They’ve been around long enough that when I email my clients that I’ve won a contest, I don’t have to explain it any further. My clients already know the caliber of artists who have won those contests, and their bosses and their bosses’ bosses. Winning those competitions isn’t just a weapon for me to get them to look at me again. It’s also a weapon for an art producer who wants to hire me and needs to sell me to a creative director. I speak in advertising terms because that’s my business. But every other industry, from weddings to photojournalism, will have its own list of legacy competitions that have had real impact. So when deciding whether a competition is worth paying the entry fee for, first ask yourself whether winning the competition will actually have a tangible impact on your business or simply boost your ego.
Another way to assess the value of your entry is to look at the contest judges. Not all contests have a list of judges, but many do. I entered many contests, but not necessarily because I had any grand dreams of actually winning. Instead, I entered because there was a specific person on the jury who I had been trying to get my work in front of for years. Whether I actually won or not ultimately didn’t matter. I won because that person saw my work through my entry. The point of the game is to get potential buyers to remember you. And every potential touchpoint can be a point where they remember you. So knowing who will be on the jury and therefore will definitely see your work can be a huge value in itself.
Conversely, if you’re entering a newer contest and the judges aren’t listed or are people you’ve never heard of, there’s a good chance the value of your entry is pretty low. Again, remember that anyone can start an art contest. In the next half hour, I could register a URL for a new contest, create a website to accept entries, and promise that everyone who enters will be recognized. I could even promise cash prizes, since the entry fee would probably cover the nominal amount I’d give away. Then I could nominate myself and my friends from down the bar as judges. Pick a few images I like, and bingo, we’ll have a winner. But that doesn’t mean that winning my made-up contest will actually help your career in any way. So what’s the real value of entering?
Additional benefits
Speaking of entry value, what do you get for winning the contest? I mentioned that winning some of the larger contests have led directly to business opportunities. And, if you’re doing this as a business, that’s really the only end goal that matters. But, I’ve also won other contests that may not have presented such a straight line from trophy to winning a specific task, but still came with benefits.
There is an actual cash prize. Those are always welcome. However, I see a lot of contests that offer donated products as prizes instead of actual checks. But the items you win may be just what you need. I remember winning first place in a particular category a few years ago, but not winning the top prize for best overall. I got a bunch of stuff from camera bags to free subscriptions, etc. But the overall winner took home a brand new Sony camera. Now, to be fair, I am a Nikon guy. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want that camera! And, depending on whether it’s something you can use, it might be worth the entry fee in itself.
Sometimes more important than tangible rewards or cash is the opportunity to mentor or secure meetings with hard-to-reach executives. Sure, I might like the check or the free Sony camera, but getting real one-on-one mentorship can be a huge benefit at this point in your career.
And that brings me to my final point. Whether or not a contest is worth the price of entry can depend a lot on who you are. Maybe you’re just starting out and could really use the boost you get from winning the Greater North South Falls Photo Contest. Maybe you’re in the early stages of your career and what you need most is mentorship or some sort of formal guidance to help take your career to the next level. Or, maybe you’re already well established and what you really need is a major contest to co-sign your talent as a weapon to bring to your next meeting with a creative director.
I can’t tell you that every art competition is a waste of time and money. I can’t tell you that you should apply to every competition. It’s certainly not a smart financial decision. What I can tell you is that you should do some research and find out which specific competitions and scholarships might impact your specific area of the industry. Find out who actually judges the competition and whether they’re people you want to get your work in front of the public. Find out what the potential reward for winning the competition is and whether it’s worth the price of entry. Then, decide if that competition is right for you at this particular point in your career. If it is, go for it. If not? Well, that’s what spam folders are for.
