Our Photo of the Day Contest is still alive and kicking!

posted Monday, October 14, 2019 at 2:57 PM EDT

As you'll have all likely read both on our site and a few additional camera sites recently, our publication will be minimizing our traditional output somewhat beginning in 2020. But I wanted to let you all know that for now, and hopefully for a long time to come, our esteemed Photo of the Day Contest is still very much alive.

For more than 15 years, our Photo of the Day contest has given photographers a chance to pit their best images against the competition and hone their hard-fought skills in the process. It has also given upstart photographers a valuable gallery against which to assess their skills, and glean ideas for their own craft and style. And for those of us at IR, it's been a way to take a break from reviewing cameras every once in a while... and vote on (and dote on!) your wonderful images!

Peregrine on the Beach • by Robert Kaplan • First Prize March 2019

For many years we've also voted for the best of the bunch at the end of each month, and awarded actual prizes for the top three. Then at some point along the way, we added two additional images to be awarded as worthy runner-up candidates. Time-permitting we've even posted news stories to discuss the winning images as well.

(Index image courtesy of Bob Jensen • Agathla Peak • Second Prize December 2018)

The only thing that will change now is that prizes will no longer be awarded, though there's always a chance we'll find a sponsor by 2020 and reinstate that feature down the line. But the prestige and glory of being awarded as a daily winner and being displayed on our homepage, in addition to the potential of being crowned with a bigger award at month's end, are still very much alive and well here.

Glow • by Greg Miller • Second Prize February 2019

So please keep submitting your wonderful images! And if you don't succeed right away just keep trying... we've known many photographers who didn't "get it right the first time" and who had the guts and determination to just keep on firing and submitting, and who eventually went on to win prizes. (This applies to both photo contests and life!)

And thanks so much to all of you who've been a big part of our contest through the years. You've truly made it special, and it has kept us special.

Cheers,
-IR Team