Enter the B&H Summer Photo Challenge Sweepstakes!

It sure is hot out there… so let’s have some hot fun in the summertime with the B&H Summer Photo Challenge. Following up from the B&H At-Home Self-Portrait Sweepstakes earlier this spring, we’re now inviting you to step outside and show us your best pictures across these seven summer fun categories: Stay Cool, Sunset Silhouette, Summer Palette, What’s On Your Plate, Summer Nights, Summer Streets, and Summer Landscape.

The When

All you need to do to enter is prepare your favorite summer photos in the categories described below and submit them during the entry period, from 10:00 A.M. EDT Sunday, July 19, 2020, through 11:59 P.M. EDT Saturday, July 25, 2020. You can submit up to four photos in each category (1 via each platform mentioned below and 1 email entry) up to a total of 28 entries. So, grab your camera and scroll through your hard drives—you have a week to send us your best work!

The Image Categories

1. Stay Cool: Show us how you stay cool when the summer sun is shining.

2. Sunset Silhouette: Find that golden light to create a silhouette that’s all summer vibes.

3. Summer Palette: Capture pastels from the shore or the verdant greens of the forest: Show us your summer palette.

4. What’s On Your Plate: Are your favorite summer foods from the cookout or the boardwalk? Show us your favorite summer dish!

5. Summer Nights: Fireworks, bonfires, block parties, or serene beach strolls: Show us your favorite way to spend those warm summer nights.

6. Summer Streets: Down the shore, down the road, or down the block: Show us the way to your favorite summer spot.

7. Summer Landscape: Capture the vibrant colors of the summer season.

The How

What is your favorite summertime perk—lounging by the ocean, seeking shelter under a shade tree, being surrounded by pink flamingos, gorging on fresh fruit, chasing moon shadows, strolling through the city, or exploring the wilderness? Our seven subject categories allow plenty of room for visual exploration, so show us your view. This is a challenge, though, so think outside of the box to really impress us. Then do all your editing and get your images ready for submission using any of the following entry methods:

• ​Twitter: Tweet a summer fun photo using #BHPhotoChallenge and tag @bhphotovideo.
• Facebook: Share a summer fun photo using #BHPhotoChallenge and tag @bhphoto.
• Instagram: Share a summer fun photo as a post using #BHPhotoChallenge and tag @bhphoto (be careful here, because Instagram Stories will not be accepted).
• Alternate: Email [email protected] with your name, address, phone number, which category you are responding to, and a reference to “B&H Summer Photo Challenge Sweepstakes” in the subject field.

The Winner

When all is said and done, four winners (1 grand prize, 3 runners-up) will be chosen at random at 10:00 A.M. EDT, on Monday, July 27, 2020. They will be notified via their method of entry at 12:00 P.M. EDT, on Monday, July 27, 2020.

The Prizes

The grand prize is hot off the press: a Panasonic Lumix DC-G100 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 12-32mm Lens and Tripod Grip Kit. There will also be three runners-up, who will each receive a G-Technology 2TB ArmorATD USB 3.1 Gen 1 External Hard Drive.

Need some additional inspiration to help you tackle this challenge, or do you just want to check out some creative tips to give your summer photos an edge over the competition? In either case, we can serve up some insightful ideas to help you out.

For post-processing tips to combat harsh shadows and boost the mood of your pictures, check out the article Muting the Summertime Blues in Photoshop, by Explora writer Allan Weitz.

Or spice up your vision of summer fun by following the tips in this Double Exposure Photography and Photoshop Tutorial, created by B&H social media maven Maria Perez.

Want some inspiration for the Summer Fun food category? We scoured Instagram for the distinctive photographers to feature in the story 15 Mouthwatering Food Photographers to Follow on Instagram. Are you hungry yet?

Have you always wanted to try your hand at writing with light but didn’t know where to start? Follow along as B&H’s Gabriel Biderman gives you the basics in Create Amazing Photos with Light Writing, from the B&H Event Space.

And for landscape photographers seeking to capture a fresh vantage point by trying a different focal length lens, Explora writer Bjorn Petersen sets you straight in the article How to Choose a Lens for Landscape Photography.

There are plenty of other tips where these came from. Be sure to search through the B&H Explora Blog and the B&H YouTube Channel to find more inspiring content to get your creative juices flowing. Also, when you hop onto social media to submit your photos, you should try to interact with the community. You never know, you might make some new summertime friends!

Click here for OFFICIAL B&H SUMMER PHOTO CHALLENGE SWEEPSTAKES RULES.