The 2026 AMS Photo Contest is now open! The submission deadline is 30 June 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Winners will be announced in early Fall 2026 and featured prominently across AMS platforms, including AMS Headlines. See the Rules and Guidelines section below for additional details.

Photo Subject and Theme

Submitted photos should capture weather, water, and climate, ranging from subtle atmospheric scenes to extreme conditions. Examples include:

Clouds

Waves

Storms

Atmospheric conditions

Oceanic phenomena

Hydrologic features

ELIGIBILITY:

The contest is open to:

The general public

AMS members

AMS volunteers

AMS employees

Both amateur and professional photographers are welcome.

Participants must be 13 years of age or older.

Submission Limits

Maximum of one (1) photo per person

Each submission must be under 5 MB.

Contest Requirements

Digital photography only; printed photos will not be accepted.

Watermarked photographs are not permitted.

Images must be at least 2000 pixels wide at 300 dpi.

Photos must accurately reflect the subject and scene as they appeared.

Submissions must be authentic, original photographs, not AI-generated images. Standard editing is acceptable, including minor corrections such as dust removal, noise reduction, sharpening, cropping, and color adjustment. However, excessive manipulation that alters the reality of the scene, such as adding or replacing major elements, is not permitted. AMS may request RAW files to verify authenticity.

Files must be submitted in JPG format.

File size may not exceed 5 MB.

Photos may not contain added text.

AMS reserves the right to color correct or crop submissions if necessary.

BENEFIT:

1st Place: USD $500

2nd Place: USD $300

3rd Place: USD $200

Member’s Choice: USD $500

All winners will receive a complimentary AMS Associate Membership.