Almost every week, LUQ gives away $50 in prize money in its weekly photo contest for the best travel photo! There is no cost to enter, and you can enter as often as you like. So what are you waiting for? Submit your best shot below!
General
Where can I find the complete rules? Here: Official Contest Rules.
How much does it cost to enter the contest? Nothing. It’s free.
How much can I win? $50 is most common. If we see a photo we really, really like, we might award it more.
How do I know if I’ve won? If you win the weekly prize you’ll get email with your prize. In addition, daily winners (which are still in the running for the weekly prize) and honorable mentions are marked with award symbols, on their individual pages and here.
How many photos can I submit? As many as you like. (We may place limits on people who appear to be bulk uploading photos or otherwise abusing the contest.)
What kind of camera do I need? Any kind of camera, including your phone, is fine.
Do I have to own the photo I submit? Yes.
Do I retain ownership of my photo when I enter it into the contest? Yes! You grant us the limited right to display the photo in connection with the contest, but you keep the copyright. (See the Official Contest Rules for details.)
Can I submit photos that have already won other contests? Yes.
Can I edit my photos before sending them in? Yes. Anything beyond minor adjustments to lighting, color, contrast, and framing should be noted in the description.
Can I delete a photo that I’ve uploaded? Yes. When you upload a photo, you will get a private link that you (but no other LUQ readers) can use to delete the photo.
Can I delete my photo even after it’s won? Yes. Your photo belongs to you.
If I delete my phone after it wins, do I have to return the prize money? No. The prize is still yours to keep.
If I make a mistake, can I edit the details of my photo? No. But you can delete it and re-upload it with the right details.
Content
What kinds of photos are you looking for? Something eye-catching and out of the ordinary.
Okay, but is there anything in particular you’re looking for? We especially like signs and reflections, but don’t limit your uploads to those two themes.
Does my photo have to be recent? No, but we give preference to recent photos.
What do you mean by “travel photo”? It’s hard to pin down, but we know it when we see it.
Does my photo have to be a travel photo? No. You can submit anything. But we give preference to travel photos.
Is any content forbidden? Yes. We don’t accept anything that, in our opinion, is obscene or otherwise objectionable.
Judging Criteria
How do you judge the photos? On a variety of factors, including (in no particular order): creativity, technical merit, story telling, and overall aesthetics, in addition to recency and relevance to travel.
But I thought aesthetics died with modernism? We heard that rumor too. We don’t believe it.
If I disagree with the judges, will it be helpful if I spew vicious words of hatred on social media? No.
What if I’m really, really angry? Still no.
Okay, then. What can I do if I disagree with the judges? Even though the prizes are awarded at the sole and perhaps subjective discretion of the judge or judges, we recognize that we might miss a really good entry. If you think this has happened, post a polite comment on the photo explaining why (even if it’s your own photo). If you convince us, we might award a second weekly prize.
Prize Details
How do I win? Most weekdays a winning photo is chosen. Then a weekly winning photo is chosen from among the week’s daily winning photos. That’s the photo that wins the $50 prize.
What do you mean, “most weekdays”? Holidays or other time constraints might cause us to miss a day. Also, on days that we don’t get any photos that are good enough, there is no daily winning photo.
How do I get my prize if I win? We e-mail you a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate.
What if I provided a fake e-mail when I entered the contest? Then we won’t be able to give you your prize.
Can I win more than once? Yes. We may, however, place limits on the number of times a particular person can win.
Why do I see contest submissions from LUQ staff? Don’t worry. LUQ staff are not eligible to win the contest. It’s just that we sometimes use the convenient contest upload system to upload photos of our own.
Can I do that, too? Can I upload images even if I don’t think I’ll win? Sure!
Contest Status: paused.
(*) Make sure your e-mail address is accurate. It's how we will contact you if you win.