Photo contests offer a fantastic opportunity to showcase your work to an international audience, enhance your portfolio, and, in the best case, significantly advance your photographic career. At the same time, the winning images of many competitions often seem intimidating. Perhaps you've also asked yourself: How am I supposed to find a moment like that? I don't live in a breathtaking environment, don't have weekly access to top models, and definitely don't have the time with my job and family to travel through distant lands for months to hunt for the perfect subject.

However, after many years of intensive engagement with competitions such as the Sony World Photography Awards, the International Photography Award, or the Hasselblad Masters, I have come to a surprising realization: you don't need any of that to be successful. In my YouTube video “How to WIN Photo Contests: 5 Insider Strategies from a Hasselblad Master”, I'll show you the five strategies that have helped me make my images stand out from the crowd:

1. Find a topic that truly fascinates you

A great image doesn't start with spectacular technique or exotic travel destinations – but with an idea that personally touches you. Only if you are passionate about your subject will you succeed in creating images that emotionally reach others. Wind turbines have been with me for years. On my journeys through Germany, they repeatedly appear on the horizon – huge, majestic machines that seem to rotate silently through the landscape. At some point, I realized that they are not only visually interesting but also an exciting symbol of technology, sustainability, and landscape change. And so, my idea to develop a photographic series about wind turbines was born. The first step was research. I specifically searched for the largest wind farms in my region, saved their locations on a map, and began to observe them under different lighting and weather conditions. This was not just about aesthetics but about a genuine understanding of the subject – its presence, its impact, its environment.

Here's how you can apply this step in your own work:

• Consider which topics have accompanied or fascinated you for a longer period – even apart from current trends.

• Specifically research locations, objects, or situations that are associated with this topic.

If you find a topic that truly interests you, you will automatically invest more time, energy, and patience. And that is exactly what you will see later in your images. Instead of interchangeable subjects from Instagram hotspots, a photographic story with personality, depth, and recognition value emerges – a decisive advantage in every competition entry.

The huge towers of the wind turbines have long fascinated me.

Step 2: Shape your idea into a clear visual concept

A topic alone is not enough – you need a visual vision that holds your series together. A common thread that shapes your enthusiasm into a clear concept. That's exactly what happened with my series about wind turbines. At the same time, I was fascinated by large storm fronts that moved across the flatlands in the summer. As soon as dark clouds appeared, I jumped in the car and drove to a wind farm near me. I photographed until the first heavy rain started. The drama of these moods fascinated me. And although I had many individual images, the stringent direction was still missing. That only came later. A few months later, I was driving to a customer meeting when I caught a glimpse of a glittering frozen winter landscape out of the corner of my eye. I spontaneously turned off, got out of the car with a pounding heart – and there they were again: wind turbines. This time embedded in snow, light, and fog. That was the moment when everything came together. I knew: This series should be about reduction, tranquility, and sculptural presence. Wind power in an almost empty, white world. Without distraction. Without sensory overload.

Here's how to develop a strong concept from your topic:

• Consciously choose a specific lighting mood, weather condition, or time of day that makes your subject particularly effective.

• Focus on a visual idea that you consistently implement – e.g., minimalism, symmetry, or extreme contrasts.

• Observe your subjects over time and develop a series with its own visual language.

A well-thought-out concept brings structure to your project – and that's exactly what juries are looking for. They don't want ten beautiful but completely different images, but an idea that is reflected in every subject. The clearer your design decision, the stronger your images will be as a series – and the higher the chance of standing out from the crowd.

Experiment and find a visual style that fits your topic.

Step 3: Develop a recognizable style – and stick with it.

During the development phase of my series, I came across the American Medium Format Magazine, published by Olaf Sztaba. It's a treasure trove for anyone interested in high-quality photography beyond the 35mm format. One morning over breakfast, I was captivated by a photographic essay by fine art photographer Bastiaan Woudt. His works – almost white surfaces, punctuated by deep black, graphic figures – seemed not just like images, but like sculptures on paper. This visual clarity and texture immediately captivated me. Nevertheless, I never thought I could transfer this style to my own work. Black and white studio portraits were as far removed as could be from my color-intensive architectural landscapes. But on a foggy winter morning in a wind farm, I realized: I have all the ingredients for exactly this style here – but in my world. I took test shots, applied Bastiaan's visual language to my subjects, and realized that even without deep black shadows, a distinctive style can be created through texture, brightness, and image composition. In this reduction – through fog, snow, and reduced forms – my series began to speak. A few days later, when I drove to the largest wind farm in my region under ideal conditions, I had clearly defined my tools: the Hasselblad X2D and the XCD 90mm V lens for a graphic compression, the portrait format for more presence of the towers, and a tight image section in which almost every subject carried a compositional punchline. Over the course of the day, over 300 shots were taken, the strongest of which naturally fit into the stylistic concept.

How to develop a recognizable style for your series:

• Consciously decide on an editing style, e.g., black and white, high contrasts, or soft color palettes.

• Limit yourself technically: e.g., to one focal length, an aspect ratio, or only portrait format.

• Use repetitions of form, composition, or lighting to create visual coherence.

A strong style brings clarity – and that's exactly what jury members need when they review hundreds of submissions. Your series should not appear arbitrary, but like a cohesive whole. This is exactly how professionals recognize that you understand your craft. And that is exactly the difference between good pictures and a convincing submission. If you manage to implement your visual language so clearly and consistently, your series will not only be visually strong – it will also remain in the memory.

Create a coherent series of images in which the subjects mutually support each other.

Step 4: Think in series – not in individual images

After my winter shooting in the wind farm, I had hundreds of images on my hard drive – all with a similar aesthetic, but very different effects. The next step was crucial: the selection. In Adobe Lightroom, I initially gave all the images my developed style to create a uniform look. This was the only way I could realistically assess how the subjects would work together as a series. Then I began to rigorously sort out: from over a hundred potential images to seventy, fifty, thirty. It was hard work – but I knew: For a competition series, I ultimately need five to ten images that are self-contained and yet show variety. Five subjects should form the centerpiece – so-called Hero Shots – that convey my theme in its depth and variety. In addition, there were supporting images that complement the rhythm of the series without repeating themselves. The final selection was a mixture of intuition and critical analysis. In Photoshop, I fine-tuned details, retouched distracting elements, adjusted compositions – all with the aim of strengthening the coherence within the series. Nevertheless, I found it difficult to say goodbye to certain shots. Some were personal favorites – but they simply didn't fit into the overall series. And it is precisely at this point that external perspective is worth its weight in gold.

I created an online gallery and asked a small group of people for their feedback: photographers, art lovers, curators. The feedback quickly revealed that individual images polarize, but overarching trends can be clearly identified. Some subjects were highlighted several times, others questioned several times. There is a real treasure in these critical voices: What really works – and why?

If you are at this point in your series, the following process can help you:

• Reduce your series to 5–10 main subjects, each of which makes its own contribution to the story.

• Make sure that each image harmonizes formally and in terms of content with the rest.

• Get feedback from people whose views you respect – but don't be unsettled by individual opinions.

• Test different image sequences and formats to find the best form of presentation.

A series is more than the sum of its individual images. It tells a story, conveys atmosphere and shows that you as a photographer can not only see, but also think. If you master this step, you show the jury that you not only have a good eye – but also a plan. And that clearly sets you apart from the average.

If you are unsure about the selection of your series or you are missing an experienced external perspective: Under the heading Workshops on my website you will find my 1:1 online coachings. There we analyze your image series together, discuss strengths, weaknesses and the effect of your work – completely individually and with a clear focus on your goals. Sometimes only a small impulse is missing to turn a good series into a great one.

What fascinates you about your topic and why did you take each individual picture?

Step 5: Tell the story behind the pictures

Your pictures are finished. You have selected, edited, exported them and are actually ready to upload them to the competition. But right now the last decisive step begins – one that many underestimate or only half-heartedly tackle: the content submission. Because no competition just wants to see pictures. Almost always a series title is required, as well as an artist statement about you and your work, sometimes even individual image titles and short descriptions for each photo. That sounds like a lot of effort – but this is exactly where you can make the crucial difference. So: Sit down in your favorite armchair, take your time and go through your series again with a fresh perspective. Consider:

What was the trigger for this project?
Why are you so fascinated by the topic?
How has your view of it changed during its creation?
And very importantly: What should the viewers of your pictures feel or take away?

Make a note of what each individual image means to you. Why did you choose it? What makes it special? What contribution does it make to the overall story of the series? If you then formulate these thoughts into a text, tools like ChatGPT can help you to sharpen your statements linguistically – especially if writing is not your main talent.

For the titles and descriptions, it is worth working with structure: Perhaps you decide on a numerical sequence such as Autobahn I, II, III, or you use a thematic approach – such as song titles, as I did in my series. Titles like Thunderstruck, Rocket Man or Heroes arose spontaneously when we looked at the pictures together. And that's exactly what gave the series an additional emotional level.

What can help you with the implementation:

• Read the competition requirements carefully: How many characters? Which texts? Which file names?

• Write a series title that arouses curiosity and matches the mood of your pictures.

• Formulate a statement that is honest, personal and reflective – without exaggerating.

• Ensure consistent language between series title, image titles and descriptions.

The crucial thing is: You are telling a story. Not only with your pictures – but also with words. The jury wants to understand what motivated you, what is behind your work and how consciously you made your decisions. A strong series with a well-thought-out concept, a clear aesthetic and a comprehensible intention remains in the memory.

Pro tip: Take a close look at the categories in the competition. Landscape or portrait categories are often completely overcrowded. Sometimes it's worth thinking creatively: Could your series be submitted under Architecture, Sustainability or Still Life? In less frequented categories, the chance of standing out with an unusual idea is often greater – provided your topic fits the category. Because: Many series fail not because of the quality, but because they do not fit the topic and are therefore sorted out directly.

If you approach this last stage with the same care as the images themselves, you will create the basis for a submission that not only looks good – but also has a lasting impact.

Sometimes the path to winning a competition begins right on your doorstep.

Summary & conclusion

So – that was my path to an award-winning photo series and my five steps that can support you in developing your own work. At the beginning there is always a topic that really touches you. No Instagram cliché, no competition trend, but something that means something to you personally. Because real fascination is the engine that drives you to stick with it for a long time, dig deeper and develop your own perspectives. It is crucial that you formulate your topic specifically and develop a visual concept that guides you. Not only what you photograph, but also how. With what lighting mood? In what format? With what stylistic device? Restrictions help you to work in a more focused way and to create a recognizable visual language. It is this consistency that makes your series look strong and professional.

But a good series is not only created in the camera, but above all when selecting the images. Look for motifs that complement each other and together tell a larger whole. External feedback can be worth its weight in gold here – especially if it comes from people whose perspective you value. When everything is in place, the last step is also worthwhile: Take your time to choose titles, texts and the right category. Your series deserves to be presented in a linguistically strong way. And if you need support, use tools like ChatGPT – they will help you to get your thoughts across clearly.

My own series, Eternal Echoes, was not finished with that. Over the months, I continued to develop it, added night shots, experimented with light and perspective – and finally submitted it to several competitions. The result: Awards at the International Photography Awards, the Prix de la Photographie Paris, the ND Awards and the Fine Art Photography Award. Exhibitions from Germany to China. And it all started with a walk through a wind farm very close to me.

So you don't need spectacular destinations, a huge team or a huge budget. What you need is curiosity, an idea – and the willingness to really engage with your topic. If you do that, you will automatically develop a language that touches others. And perhaps your next competition victory is just a photo series away.

Fancy more?

On my website you will find individual online workshops and photo trips, as well as detailed insights into my photo projects. And if you're not already a member, sign up for my VIP Club Newsletter – where you'll receive exclusive content and a free screen background to download every month.

Happy shooting, and see you next time!