How do I enter the competition?

To enter the competition, you must either create an account with the Canadian Geographic Photo Club or log in with your existing Photo Club account. Click “Login/Register” at the top right of the website. Once you’re logged in, an “Enter” tab will appear in the main website navigation.

Do photographic entries have to have been taken in 2023?

Yes. This annual competition honours the best Canadian photographs taken during the calendar year.

Is there a limit to how many images I can submit?

No! In fact, we encourage you to submit multiple entries as the grand prize winner is selected on the basis of an outstanding body of work rather than a single image.

How is the Canadian Photographer of the Year (grand prize winner) chosen?

During the judging process, our judges look for a photographer who demonstrates all-around excellence in their craft. That is why we encourage entrants to submit multiple images in a range of categories, so our judges have a body of work to assess.

Can I edit my images? How much editing is okay?

We understand that in the age of digital photography, many photographers develop their own style of tonal and colour corrections, adjust the clarity and sharpness of an image, and/or add effects such as vignetting, dodging and burning. For the purposes of this competition, these types of edits are allowed. Ultimately, our judges are looking at your skill as a photographer, not as an editor. Images are judged on the basis of their originality, composition and technical execution. What we DON’T want to see are photos where the saturation has been blown out way past the point of what would be possible in nature, or where subjects have been digitally added, removed, or altered.

Why is the entry period so short?

Because this is a competition honouring the best photography taken in the 2023 calendar year, we are assuming that most photographers have already captured a number of outstanding images between January and October that they would wish to submit for consideration. But there are still two months left in the year to snap a winning shot!