Staff Report / August 18, 2026
Photographers throughout Upstate New York are invited to submit their best regional imagery as Life in the Finger Lakes magazine launches its 25th Annual Photo Contest.
The submission deadline for the milestone competition is Monday, August 31, 2026. All entries must be captured within the 14-county Finger Lakes Region and can feature any subject matter. Winners will receive prize plaques for First, Second, and Third Place in three distinct categories, with winning photographs published in the November/December 2026 issue of the magazine. A Grand Prize will also be awarded to the best overall color or black-and-white photograph, alongside Honorable Mentions in each category.
Key contest rules, submission guidelines, and category details include:
- Categories & Submission Limits: Entrants may submit up to five images per category, for a maximum total of 15 images. The three judging categories are Color, Black-and-White, and Creative Lens (formerly digitally altered).
- Creative Lens Definition: The Creative Lens category includes images featuring excessive dodging, burning, or color saturation; filters such as solarization, mezzotint, and duotone; stitched panoramas; and high dynamic range (HDR) techniques. Photo illustrations—defined as combining elements from two or more distinct photos—are explicitly prohibited and will not be judged.
- Digital Submissions: Digital entries should be sent at high resolution to
mark@lifeinthefingerlakes.com. Entrants are advised to compress large files or split submissions across multiple emails to prevent automatic downsizing. - Print Submissions: If digital versions are unavailable, physical prints measuring at least 5×7 inches with sharp focus may be mailed via U.S. Postal Mail or parcel post to: Life in the Finger Lakes Photo Contest, 171 Reed St., Geneva, NY 14456. Submitted prints will not be returned.
- Required Metadata: Photographers must remove watermarks or signatures from all photos. Entries must be accompanied by a Word document or email detailing the photographer’s contact information (name, address, phone, email), image names, judging categories, specific regional capture locations, and any additional background information.
- Notification & Usage Rights: Only winning photographers will be notified directly prior to the release of the November/December issue. The magazine reserves the right to publish entries online and in print for promotional purposes without compensation, though photos selected for separate, non-contest magazine articles will follow standard freelance compensation guidelines.
Learn more here: https://www.lifeinthefingerlakes.com/photo-contest-guidelines/
