Submit Your Photos to These 8 Free-to-Enter Photography Competitions Now

It's well known that competition can bring out the best in you. It makes you want to win. You learn in a competition more than a course can teach you in weeks and what you learn stays with you for a long time. It's for these reasons that one must participate in competitions. Oh, and there's a chance to win great prizes too. Here are some free-to-enter photography competitions from many different genres. Pick the ones you find suitable and submit your photographs as soon as you can. Who knows you may go on to win the competition. All the best! (Listed in order of approaching deadlines)

1. The North American Photo Challenge

On the occasion of completing 20 years in 2014, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) of North America is organizing this photographic competition on the theme –  ‘Celebrating Our Shared Biodiversity.'
Theme: Celebrating our shared biodiversity
Deadline: 23 May
Entry Fee: Free
Winner Selection: Judged
Eligibility: Open to residents of Canada, Mexico, or the United States
Prizes: An exclusive invitation to the 2014 CEC Council Session to be held in Canada, and a photography exhibition there

2. On the Move International Award

The Cortona On The Move festival of Italy invites photographers to submit photos on the theme ‘Happiness ONTHEMOVE – travel photography'. 
Theme: Happiness ONTHEMOVE – travel photography
Deadline: 31 May
Entry Fee: Free
Winner Selection: Judged
Eligibility: Open to all worldwide
Prizes: €4,000

3. Chobi Mela International Festival of Photography

Asia's largest biennial photography festival that takes place in Dhaka, Bangladesh, invites photographers to submit photos on the theme – ‘Intimacy' in the eighth edition of the festival.
Theme: Intimacy
Deadline: 8 June
Entry Fee: Free
Winner Selection: Judged
Eligibility: Open to all worldwide
Prizes: Photography exhibition at the festival

4. The Other Hundred Entrepreneurs 

Participants are encouraged to submit photos capturing people's livelihoods. They will have to submit a 200-250 word description of the story behind the subject.
Theme: Capturing people's livelihoods through portraits
Deadline: 8 June
Entry Fee: Free
Winner Selection: Judged
Eligibility: Open to all worldwide
Prizes: First prize winner – $5000, second prize winner – $2000, third prize winner – $1000

5. Camera Trap Photo of the Year 2014

BBC Wildlife is inviting photographers and field researchers to participate by submitting wildlife photographs captured using a remote camera or using the camera-trap technology.
Categories: Camera-trap Research Project of the Year – New Behavior, New Range, Rare Species, Camera-trap Photo of the Year – Animal Portraits, Animal Behavior and British Wildlife.
Deadline: 30 June
Entry Fee: Free
Winner Selection: Judged
Eligibility: Open to all worldwide
Prizes: Camera-trap Research Project of the Year receives a prize of £3000 (approx. $5071)

6. DJ Memorial Photo Contest

The contest in its 3rd edition, organized by LMW, India, invites submissions from photographers on the theme ‘Nature except mammals'. The photographs must be captured within India.
Theme: Nature, except mammals
Deadline: 30 June
Entry Fee: Free
Winner Selection: Judged
Eligibility: Open to all worldwide but the photographs must be captured within India
Prizes: Contest total prize money INR 725,000 (approx. $12,200)

7. Horticulture's 2014 Garden Photo Contest

Presented by Horticulture magazine, participants can submit up to 20 photographs in this competition about gardening.
Categories: Nature's Bounty, Gardens of the South, City Gardens, Small-Space Gardens, The Garden Landscape, Wildlife in the Garden, Beauty in the Details
Deadline: August 15
Entry Fee: Free
Winner Selection: Judged
Eligibility: Open to all worldwide
Prizes: The grand prize winner will receive $1000

8. HIPA Photography Contest

World's biggest photography competition in terms of prize money, the Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award invites photographers to participate in three categories in the third edition of the award.
Categories: Life in Color, General/Entrant's Choice, Faces and Night Photography
Deadline: 31 December
Entry Fee: Free
Winner Selection: Judged
Eligibility: Open to all worldwide
Prizes: The grand prize winner will receive $120,000

Copyright/Usage Rights: As much as we could find about it, the entrant, in the competitions listed above, retains the copyright of the submitted photos but grants the organizers the right to use the photos in connection with or promoting the event/contest and the photographer receives credit. Don't take our word for it though. We strongly recommend you to go through the usage rights of the contest before submitting your photos. Good luck!