Smithsonian Photo Contest

Scholarship Sponsored by Smithsonian

Smithsonian magazine’s 23rd Annual Photo Contest opens on September 15, 2025 and closes at 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on December 1, 2025. By entering, participants acknowledge they accept the contest rules and confirm they are at least 18 years of age. Eligibility - Entrants must be 18 years or older to compete for the Grand Prize, Readers’ Choice prize, and category prizes in Wildlife, Travel, People, The American Experience at 250, Artistic Images, and Drone/Aerial. - Employees and other affiliates of the Smithsonian Institution (including emeriti, Regents, trustees, interns, volunteers, fellows, research associates), their immediate family members (children, parents, siblings, spouses) and others living in the same household are ineligible for prizes. The Smithsonian has sole discretion to determine eligibility. Categories (what to enter) Photographs should be entered into one of six categories that reflect Smithsonian magazine’s areas of interest: - Wildlife: Images of animals and plants in natural settings that evoke wonder about the natural world. - Travel: Photographs that convey a strong sense of place — locations, people or activities in the U.S. or abroad. - People: Portraits or pictures of individuals and groups. - The American Experience at 250: In honor of the U.S. 250th anniversary in 2026, images that illustrate events, objects, places or stories connecting Americans to 250 years of history and cultural heritage — what it means to be American today. - Artistic Images: Photographs that use the medium creatively to express an idea or concept; manipulation of images by editing or other techniques is permitted in this category. - Drone/Aerial: Pictures taken with unmanned aerial vehicles (drones); images made from planes or helicopters are also acceptable. Image eligibility and ownership - All submitted photographs must have been captured by the entrant on or after January 1, 2023. For composites, every source image must meet this date requirement. - By entering, the photographer certifies they are the sole creator and copyright owner of the submitted image. - Cropping is allowed in all categories. Minor retouching (removal of sensor dust, scratch repair on scanned negatives, dodging/burning, sharpening, contrast/toning adjustments, slight color tweaks and conversion to grayscale) is acceptable. The addition or removal of objects is prohibited in all categories except Artistic Images. - Composites such as HDR and stitched panoramas will be judged within the Artistic Images category. If judges determine an image has been altered beyond accepted photojournalism practices, they may reclassify it to Artistic Images or disqualify it. - Images created or manipulated with artificial intelligence are not permitted. Model and property releases - If a submitted photo depicts an identifiable person, the entrant must be able to provide a signed model release from that person, or, for minors, from a parent or guardian, upon request. Photos taken in public may still require a release at the Smithsonian’s discretion. A sample model release is available on the contest pages of the website. - If an image includes copyrighted works (sculpture, paintings, etc.), entrants must be ready to supply an art-release from the rights holder on request. When photographing someone else’s work, it should appear as an object in its environment rather than as a full-frame close-up of the work. - If requested releases cannot be produced, the Smithsonian reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify the submission, attempt to obtain required releases, or allow the entry to remain in the contest. Legal and content restrictions - Photographs must be taken in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local laws. - Submissions that infringe on another person’s rights, including copyright, are ineligible. - Images containing sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent or other content deemed objectionable or inappropriate by the Smithsonian are not eligible. Ethics - Entrants must disclose how an image was made and report any direction given to subjects. - The wellbeing of people, animals and the environment must take priority over capturing a photo. By submitting, entrants certify that no people, wildlife or habitats were harmed and that subjects were treated with dignity and respect. - Use of bait or special equipment (camera traps, drones, etc.) must be disclosed. Live-baiting of wildlife is prohibited. How to enter / file requirements - Submit photographs and entry information online at smithsonianmag.com/photocontest. You may enter up to 15 images per category (maximum 90 images across all categories). Each image requires a separate submission form. - Files must be .jpeg, .jpg or .gif, edited for web in sRGB color space, at least 2,000 pixels wide and no larger than 10 MB. This ensures proper display in the online gallery without distortion. - We do not accept mailed submissions and permit only one entrant per email address. High-quality scans of non-digital photos are acceptable; digital images should be captured at the highest available resolution. - Finalists must be prepared to supply an original, unedited digital file or an original negative, print or slide if requested. Originals will be returned to finalists. The Smithsonian reserves the right to disqualify incomplete entries or entrants who cannot provide, upon request, a high-resolution file of at least 300 dpi and 3,000 pixels on the longest side, or an original negative, print or slide. Mobile-phone images are exempt from the 3,000-pixel requirement but must be submitted at their highest available resolution if requested. - The Smithsonian may collect image metadata at entry. Rights and use of submitted images - Photographers retain copyright in their images. By entering, you grant the Smithsonian Institution and authorized parties a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to display, reproduce, distribute and create derivative works (in whole or in part) in any media now known or later developed for any purpose, including advertising, promotion, exhibitions, commercial products and Smithsonian publications. Where feasible, the Smithsonian will include a photographer credit. No additional payment or approval will be required for such uses. Use of personal data - Entry requires collection of your name and email address. By participating you consent to the use of this information for communications about the contest. The contest privacy statement is available on the website. Deadline - The contest opens September 15, 2025. All entries must be submitted online through Smithsonianmag.com by 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on December 1, 2025. Judging and winners - Entries will be evaluated on creativity, technical quality, originality, relevance to the category prompt and overall impact. - The Smithsonian will choose ten finalists in each category (60 finalists total), a category winner for each of the six categories, and a Grand Prize winner selected from the 60 finalists. Finalists will be notified and published on the website in March 2026. At that time, the public will be invited to vote online to select the Readers’ Choice winner from among the 60 finalists. Category winners, the Readers’ Choice winner and the Grand Prize winner will be announced online in spring 2026. These dates are subject to change. - Winners will be contacted using the information provided at entry; failure to respond within five business days may result in disqualification. General note - Please do not inquire about entry status or judging decisions.