Why I’ve Stopped Entering Street Photography Competitions (And Maybe You Should Too)

Street photography competitions once felt like a rite of passage. They offered a chance to measure your work against others, to be recognised, to connect with a wider audience. I’ve been proud to have won and been shortlisted for a number of awards over the years. But I’ve now made the decision to step away from entering any more, and I want to share why.

1. The Rising Cost (And Questionable Value) of Entry Fees

It used to be that competitions were about showcasing work and building community. But more and more, they’ve become pay-to-play. Many now charge hefty entry fees – often £20, £30 or much more – with little transparency about where that money goes.

Multiply that across multiple images or multiple categories, and the costs mount up fast. Some competitions seem to exist primarily as money-making machines, preying on the desire for recognition. And when the prize is little more than a digital badge or a mention in an email newsletter, you start to question if it’s really worth it.

I’ve rarely seen any real value when I’ve been shortlisted or won a competition. There’s certainly very little recognition or traction from others. And that may be because many don’t feel confident in the value of awards nowadays?

2. Too Many Awards, Not Enough Meaning

There was a time when winning a street photography competition felt significant – a rare badge of honour. Now? There are dozens of new awards cropping up every year, many of them suspiciously similar.

When everyone’s a finalist or honourable mention, it starts to feel a bit hollow. The glut of competitions has diluted the impact of genuine recognition. Being shortlisted for something now often feels like little more than being part of a longlist of paying entrants.

3. The Problem With Judging

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: judging.

There are incredible, credible judges out there, without a doubt. But too often, judging lacks transparency. Criteria are vague, feedback is non-existent, and decisions sometimes feel arbitrary. Of course, these things are always going to be subjective but you do wonder how qualified some judges are to be judging street photography.

I’ve seen high-profile competitions where a well-known street photographer chose a friend and fellow member of their collective as their personal “judge’s choice.” Whether deliberate, subconscious or naïve, that kind of insider favouritism undermines the fairness of the process.

When the results feel more like networking outcomes than artistic ones, it makes you question the whole system.

4. Street Photography Doesn’t Need a Prize to Matter

The raw, unscripted nature of street photography doesn’t always lend itself well to being judged or ranked. The power of a street photograph lies in its ability to provoke, amuse, disturb, or question, not in its ability to win a certificate.

Competitions can push photographers toward trends, tropes, and aesthetics designed to please judges rather than express something authentic. That’s not why I shoot.

So, What Now?

I still respect many of the photographers who enter and win competitions, this isn’t a dig at them. And again, I’m proud of the awards I’ve received in the past. But for me, the joy of street photography is in the streets themselves – not in judges’ cliques or social media clout.

Instead of chasing accolades, I’d rather focus on telling stories, creating future zines, exhibiting my work, and building real connections with other photographers who care more about the image than the prize.

So, have you felt the same disillusionment with street photography competitions? Are they still worth entering, or have they lost their meaning for you too? Drop a comment below or reach out, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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