| Copyright | Entrants retain copyright over each of their images. Entrants grant Red Bull GmbH and its affiliates, subsidiaries and partners the right to use the submitted photos without compensation in the context of Red Bull Illume, the Red Bull Illume contests, the Red Bull Illume Tours or for Red Bull Illume promotions, marketing, advertising, events and exhibitions. |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Open to all photographers, worldwide. |
| Finish | 31 March 2016 |
| Entry fee | Free |
FinishedOnly images that capture the action and adventure sport culture and lifestyle may be submitted. Whether they take place in the air, sea, mountains, cities or on rivers and trails, a broad range of adventure sport submissions are accepted. Excluded, however, are traditional team sports and motor sports, such as formula one, stock and sport car racing and MotoGP.
Prizes:
- The Overall Winner will walk away with a Yodobashi voucher to the value of €40,000, which can be redeemed for any number of the company’s massive selection of consumer goods.
- Sony will award the various winners with photography gear worth over €60,000. The prizes will include cameras such as the Sony ILCE-A7RII (Overall Winner) or the Sony DSC-RX1RII, along with a variety of accessories and lenses. The overall winner will also receive a Vario-Tessar T* FE 16-35mm F4 ZA OSS, a Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm F4 ZA OSS and an FE 70-200mm F4 G OSS
Online submission of digital photographs via the website. Photographers may only enter a maximum of five images per category. Judging criteria: technical superiority, composition, creativity, impact, artistic flair and overall qualities of photographic excellence.
Image requirements: JPG format; Minimum picture size: 8 mega pixels; Maximum file size: 10 megabytes; All digital images must contain original metadata. If such information is not provided, images may be disqualified. All semi-finalists will be required to re-submit the originals in RAW or tiff format at 300dpi. For the mobile category the image will be requested in its original format with no adaptions.
Frequently asked questions — Free photography contests
Who can enter free photography contests?
Most free contests welcome photographers worldwide, regardless of experience level or equipment. Many explicitly encourage students, hobbyists, and emerging creators—always verify age requirements or thematic restrictions on the official contest page.
Are free photography contests really free?
Yes—entry is $0 across the board. Some contests offer optional paid perks like expedited feedback or printed certificates, but submission, judging, and basic participation remain completely free. Fee status is confirmed in the Quick Facts section on each PhotoCompete listing.
What prizes do free photography contests offer?
Prizes vary widely: cash awards range $100–$5,000, while non-monetary rewards include online features, publication credits, mentorship sessions, exhibition inclusion, or gear donations. Even without cash, free contests offer valuable exposure and portfolio-building opportunities.
How do I choose which free contest to enter?
Prioritize contests whose theme or mission aligns with your work. Review past winners to gauge style preferences, confirm technical specs (resolution, file format), and read rights clauses carefully—even free contests may request usage rights for promotional purposes.