184
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After a continuous run of almost a decade, contest participation has gotten extremely low. See Contest is definitely dead. Now what? for more, and for possible next steps to revitalize it.

Also, you may instead want to check out the new Photo Competition on the main site! See also the Meta post, New Photo Contest.


This is the place to submit and vote on photos to be featured on the the main site. This contest should showcase your best quality work, demonstrating at least moderate skill with a camera and a general understanding of the artistic aspects of photography. Remember, the selected photo will be displayed on our main site header for a week. Submit something that you and the members of our site will want to look at and admire for seven days! This contest is for the community to choose what they LIKE (not what they dislike), so downvotes aren't allowed — see below for more.

Contest Format

Starting in December 2012, this contest follows a new perpetual format with continuously-rolling voting. Submit and vote on photos whenever you like. Every Monday (give or take; it's done by hand when site moderators have a spare moment), the top-voted image will be selected as the winner, and:

Then, the contest will continue with the remaining photos in the thread.

(Note that the themed photo contest will work on a different scheme.)

Voting Rules

  • Vote up as many images as you like.

  • Make sure to look at the "active" tab for this question to see new submissions.

  • Up votes only! Do NOT vote down your competitors! If you don't like an image, don't vote. (If you notice a downvote on an entry, make a note in a comment, and that will be taken into account when the weekly winner is selected.)

  • When you vote, consider the small size primarily, even if a larger image is linked. This contest's primary function is to select a header image, and we need the winners to be successful at that size.

Submitter Rules

  • Showcase your best work in any genre of photography by providing your image inline in an answer.

  • You may enter one photo per week. This is on the honor system, but abuse will eventually earn a strong talking-to.

  • Don't re-enter the same photo. Since the contest is continual, there's no need. You may withdraw an image from the contest at any time by deleting the answer.

  • You may edit your entry to fix problems or to add missing information, but don't switch the photo itself for a different one, or make gratuitous edits simply to "bump" the entry.

  • Images must be 210 px high and up to 375 px wide. This is the requirement for the header. Please feel free to provide a link to a larger version, but as explained above, the primary focus is on the header image.

  • For the same reason, images must be in landscape orientation.

  • Images must not contain any artificially added borders, watermarks, or decorations of any kind.

  • Do not use this as a forum for photo critique. Use chat instead, or ask a specific question about your image on the main site.

  • The submitted image must conform to this site's content license, cc-wiki with attribution required. If you're not comfortable with that, this isn't the contest for you.

Submitter notes

Be patient! This contest is relatively obscure, and it takes a while for images to accumulate votes. It's normal for really excellent images to have only one or two upvotes even after a time. The format of the contest should let them rise to the top eventually.

Feel free to include a concise description that explains the image, the emotions behind it, and so on, and perhaps some explanation of gear and exposure settings. This site is a collaboration for teaching and learning, so it's great to know those things — but it's not required for the contest.

When we get up and running with featuring these photos on the blog, this will provide the opportunity to go into more depth and to engage in conversation about your work.

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    \$\begingroup\$ As with all past contests, I'd like to stress the up-vote only policy. Let's keep our contest cordial. This is not a place for critique or a forum within which to express dislike, choose what you like, have fun, and let the contest roll! \$\endgroup\$
    – jrista
    Dec 4, 2012 at 22:22
  • 2
    \$\begingroup\$ See also: Regarding ties. Regarding image size/shape/orientation. \$\endgroup\$
    – jrista
    Jan 8, 2013 at 1:53
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ Please use this thread for discussion of what we should do about the PotW contest threads going forward. I agree that there are issues involved with a single everlasting thread, and we should be open to suggestions. \$\endgroup\$
    – jrista
    Apr 8, 2014 at 0:16
  • \$\begingroup\$ I suspect very few people are digging down to the bottom - based on dates and my past upvotes on other pictures and where they are in the heap now. A link to the entry page may help (or may exist and I've missed it). Something like ENTRIES START AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE - HAVE A LOOK \$\endgroup\$ Oct 9, 2014 at 13:27
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    \$\begingroup\$ @RussellMcMahon It does say Make sure to look at the "active" tab for this question to see new submissions. which is like that but better. :) \$\endgroup\$
    – mattdm
    Oct 9, 2014 at 13:33

468 Answers 468

4
votes
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Montopolis Bridge's new life

enter image description here

Repost of my entry from the new photo contest on the main site.

The photo depicts Montopolis Bridge, an important vehicular river crossing originally constructed in the 1930s and had around 30,000 vehicles crossing every day on average at its peak, but just this year, was closed to vehicles and got a new life as an exclusively pedestrian and bicycle path.

Shot on black-and-white film (Ilford HP5 Plus 400 pushed one stop).

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4
votes
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Strange new world

It's a strange new world out there.

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4
votes
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I hope my image will be seen.

enter image description here

I know it may not be the best, but it's one of my favourites.

This was taken with a NIKON D5000, with:

shutter speed: 1/500
ISO: 800
F-stop(aperture): F4.5

I am only 13 yrs old, and I know this is definitely not the best(in terms of geometry).

I can't upload the original because it is too large.

I hope you like it!

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3
  • \$\begingroup\$ These are some beautiful colors! As a word of advice: watch the corners of your photos. Having things cut off by a corner or a side of the photo makes for a distracting effect. It's best to watch for it when shooting, but you can often crop so that the photo does not cut through anything. As a last resort, you may use the clone tool to cover these things. \$\endgroup\$ Aug 19, 2020 at 13:40
  • \$\begingroup\$ @TomášZato-ReinstateMonica Thanks man! I will use the clone tool to cover it up. I really wanted to have the bottle show up, but I guess you are right. \$\endgroup\$
    – 10 Rep
    Aug 19, 2020 at 15:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ It was just advice. If it goes against something you wanted with the photo, there's no need to follow it. What you wanted is more important than technical advice. \$\endgroup\$ Aug 19, 2020 at 16:46
3
votes
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House, London, United Kingdom

Taken during a stroll through London, United Kingdom. Larger version available at http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiredpixel/8466050072/.

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3
votes
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Children in Boston

Children in Boston

Playground with iconic Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge in the background, the day after the marathon blast suspect showdown is resolved.

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3
votes
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God at work!

God at work!

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0
3
votes
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Vast Ocean

Here is direct link to view large size. Link

enter image description here

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6
  • \$\begingroup\$ Hi Abhishek, to be eligible for this contest your image needs to be scaled or cropped to be 210px high and UP TO 375px wide. This is so that the image can fit in the header on the main site. Thanks. \$\endgroup\$ Aug 12, 2013 at 8:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ @damnedtruths thanks for notifying, i will add cropped image too. \$\endgroup\$
    – Abhishek
    Aug 12, 2013 at 8:15
  • \$\begingroup\$ Sorry, your cropped image is still 3px too tall \$\endgroup\$ Aug 12, 2013 at 9:13
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    \$\begingroup\$ Just put the cropped image in your answer. You can always put a link to the large image. \$\endgroup\$ Aug 13, 2013 at 11:26
  • \$\begingroup\$ Now its in correct dimension. \$\endgroup\$
    – Abhishek
    Aug 13, 2013 at 16:32
  • 1
    \$\begingroup\$ Hi @AbhishekGahlot, could you please post the cropped version only? Although it's not explicitly stated in the rules I think it keeps this thread organised and uniform, preventing people from grabbing attention with extra large images. As Abhranil Das states you can link to a larger image (that is hosted somewhere else, like on Facebook, Flickr, 500px, etc...). Thank you! \$\endgroup\$ Aug 13, 2013 at 20:45
3
votes
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enter image description here

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3
votes
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Miniature Monument in Berlin

enter image description here

Camera: Canon 550D
Lens: Sigma 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM
Focal length: 50mm
Aperture: f/10
Shutter: 1/60
ISO: 250
Post-processing: Graduated Blur Filter in Lightroom
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  • \$\begingroup\$ Where is the monument? I see a bunch of buildings and a parking lot, but nothing that looks like a monument. \$\endgroup\$ Oct 17, 2013 at 13:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ Maybe it's because of the size, but open up de flick link and it becomes clear that "the parking lot" is actually the Holocaust monument in Berlin. I agree it's not the best picture for the contest. \$\endgroup\$ Oct 17, 2013 at 14:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ For clarity: it's this monument seen from a higher point. \$\endgroup\$ Oct 17, 2013 at 23:43
3
votes
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Yesterday's Campfire

Yesterdays Campfire

Shutter: 1/4000
Aperture: f/5.0
ISO: 400

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3
votes
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Calm in the Center of the Storm

chill

On the Esplanade Thursday after the Boston Marathon bombing. Suspects still at large. This area is normally full of activity.

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3
votes
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Ladybug!

enter image description here

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3
votes
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Shining

Shining

Full version

Camera: SONY NEX-5, Taken on 2012/09/02 17:45:27, Exposure: 0.001s (1/1000), Focal Length: 18.00mm, F/Stop: f/8.000, ISO Speed: ISO200, Exposure Bias: -1.30 EV, No flash

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3
votes
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Epipremnum aureum

Epipremnum aureum

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3
votes
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Happy Flowers

Happy Flowers

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0
3
votes
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Sparrow Chick Sparrow

enter image description here

Fujifilm X-E1, 35mm, f/1.4, 1/125s, ISO 200

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3
votes
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Separation
enter image description here

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3
votes
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Into the Sky

Into the Sky

Camera : Olympus FE 210

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3
votes
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Taken with SLT A58 at 2.10 pm in the afternoon. No post processing, 1/2 second exposure, ISO 800, F/4.5

Taken with SLT A58, at 2.10 pm in the afternoon. No post processing, 1/2 second exposure, ISO 800, F/4.5

Full size.

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4
  • \$\begingroup\$ "Images must be 210 px high and up to 375 px wide. This is the requirement for the header." \$\endgroup\$
    – B Faley
    Sep 28, 2014 at 13:12
  • \$\begingroup\$ I see, I'll try to fix it. \$\endgroup\$ Sep 28, 2014 at 15:57
  • \$\begingroup\$ You have exceptionally interesting afternoons!. Where was that taken? \$\endgroup\$ Oct 11, 2014 at 15:04
  • \$\begingroup\$ From the Paris of the North, see here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tromsø The two panorama pictures featured in the Wiki article were taken from the top of the hill you see on the left in my image. I was standing approximately behind where you see the boat in the second panorama picture. At 350 km North of the Polar circle, in the Winter you only have a bit of light around Noon time, dawn from 10.30 till 12.00 and then dusk from 12.00 till 13.30, and then it quickly gets very dark. \$\endgroup\$ Oct 11, 2014 at 19:02
3
votes
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enter image description here

Gulab Jamun - Indian Dessert

Larger version

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3
votes
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enter image description here

Orginal Image

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  • \$\begingroup\$ that would make a god top of page photo BUT please note the maximum allowed photo size. In the submission rules it says "Images must be 210 px high and up to 375 px wide. This is the requirement for the header. Please feel free to provide a link to a larger version ..." - this is an essential requirement as the image MUST fit as-supplied in the space on the front page. Height MUST be 210. Width can be 375 or less. So both size and aspect ratio may need adjusting. I have added a cropped downsized adjusted version of your image as an example only. Please replace with your version. \$\endgroup\$ Dec 8, 2014 at 14:49
3
votes
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Christmas old days

enter image description here

Link to the original photo

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3
votes
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White-Breasted Nuthatch in winter.

enter image description here

Larger here.

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3
votes
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Strawberry, a macro picture using extension tube

Strawberry

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3
votes
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enter image description here

while i went to trekking at ooty of tamilnadu snaped this image at my xolo hive mobile phone

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3
votes
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Potato flowers!

Potato flower

Taken in my garden!

See full size

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3
votes
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3D Sky!

sky

Full size

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2
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    \$\begingroup\$ Please resize the image according to contest rules. Thank you. \$\endgroup\$ Dec 25, 2013 at 22:17
  • \$\begingroup\$ @EsaPaulasto thank you! I fixed it \$\endgroup\$
    – Majid
    Dec 26, 2013 at 11:28
3
votes
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enter image description here

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3
votes
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enter image description here

Equipment: Canon EOS1200D, Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM. 1/80s ISO100 f/1.8

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3
votes
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Tree silhouette in clear sky.

Capture with samsung j5. UNEDITED picture. no filters.

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