ELIGIBILITY:

The Grand Prize, Readers’ Choice prize, Wildlife, Travel, People, The American Experience at 250, Artistic Images and Drone/Aerial category prizes are open to photographers who are 18 years old or older.Individuals affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, including employees, emeriti, Regents, trustees, interns, volunteers, fellows, research associates and their immediate families (children, parents, siblings and spouses) and others living in their households are not eligible for any prize. The Smithsonian will determine winners’ eligibility in its sole discretion.

Entry is free and is accepted from anywhere in the world.

To be eligible for any category, a photograph must have been shot by the entrant since January 1, 2023. This date applies to all images in a composite. The contestant certifies that he/she is the sole creator and copyright owner of the submitted photograph.

Cropped photos are eligible in all categories. Minor adjustments, including the removal of sensor dust or scratches on scans of negatives, dodging and burning, sharpening, contrast, toning, slight color adjustment and conversion to grayscale are acceptable for all categories. The addition and subtraction of objects is not permitted except in the Artistic Images category. If the judges determine that a photographer has altered his or her photo beyond normal photojournalism best practices, they reserve the right to move the photo to Artistic Images or to disqualify it. Image composites including HDR and stitched panoramas will be judged as Artistic Images. Images generated or manipulated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) are not permitted.

For a photo in which a person is recognizable, you must be prepared to provide a model release from the subject or, in the case of a minor, the subject’s parent or guardian, to the Smithsonian upon request. If the photo of the person was taken in public, a release form may still be needed but this will be later determined at the Smithsonian’s discretion. A sample model release is available here.

Please submit photographs and requested information online through our website at smithsonianmag.com/photocontest. You may submit up to 15 photographs per category for a contest total of 90 submissions. In order to be displayed in our online gallery without being stretched or distorted, photographs must be submitted in .jpeg, .jpg or .gif format, edited for web in sRGB color space, at least 2,000 pixels wide and no larger than 10 MB. You must complete a separate form for each photo submitted.

BENEFIT:

Eight prizes will be awarded, as follows:

Grand Prize: $2,500.

Category Winners: The winners of each of the six categories will receive $500.

Readers’ Choice: The winner of the online Readers’ Choice award will receive $500.

One cash prize per person; winners may receive additional non-cash prizes. Winners must sign a release and license, as well as a declaration of eligibility, and will be responsible for paying any fees or taxes associated with the prize. All prizes are awarded “as is” and are non-transferable.  In case applicable law prohibits the Smithsonian from awarding a photographer the cash prize and/or any non-cash prize, the Smithsonian may award the prize in name only.