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Photo Challenge

The Photo Challenge inspires photographers to take great pictures and upload them to Commons. Monthly thematic competitions encourage participants to try new subjects, new photographic or processing techniques, and to develop skills while improving the Commons repository of free images. Photographs entered into a competition must be new to Commons and taken by a Commons user.

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Formal things

Challenges

Challenges are based on a theme and run for a month. The theme may be a concrete subject, an abstract concept, a photographic technique or artistic style.

Participation

Everybody can participate in challenges open for submission. You simply

  1. Choose one or all of the current challenges
  2. Read the challenge description(s), which may vary in their rules (e.g., some place restrictions on when the photos are taken)
  3. Take picture(s) for the challenge(s) during the challenge period (or, if allowed, select from your own existing pictures that are not yet on Commons)
  4. Upload your picture(s) during the challenge period
  5. Submit your candidates at the top of the current challenge gallery during the challenge period. To do that you click the [Edit] button of the Entries section of your chosen challenge and insert the File name above the last entry (or above File:-Insert image here-.svg for the first entry).
    Add your entry between the <gallery> tags as indicated. Gallery entries are placed each on a new line, and consist of the filename, a vertical bar |, and a description. For example:
    Electric steam iron.jpg|An electric steam iron
    For help on the syntax of entries in a gallery see Help:Gallery tag. Please do not add square brackets [[ ]] or include a thumb parameter or the full URL. The File: prefix is not required, but harmless.
  6. Do not sign your submission(s)
  7. If you want, you can have a look at previous challenges and Vote

Challenges are open to any Commons user. Submissions must be your own work, not previously uploaded to Commons prior to the challenge date and should illustrate the challenge theme in the opinion of the photographer. Please read the challenge descriptions, as there may be additional rules or explanations for specific challenges. There is no limit on the number of submissions per user (unless specially so restricted in the challenge), but please choose from among your best and most varied images.

To submit pictures, you edit the gallery of the contest and add your candidate(s) to the top of the list.

New themes can be proposed and discussed here.

Assessment

After the challenge has closed to new submissions, the pictures will be assessed by popularity voting in the subsequent month. You are allowed to vote for images submitted by others if your Commons account is at least ten days old and has more than 50 edits or if you participated in one of the challenges. Challenges open for voting can be found here.

Winning

The best three pictures will be awarded first, second and third place. They will be displayed on the Photo challenge page and may use the template {{Photo challenge winner}} on the file description page.

Table of contents

New media viewing experience

Please note users can disable the media viewing experience for all images on Commons when logged in (uncheck "Enable Media Viewer" under Files and click Save in Preferences, Appearance).

Challenges open for submission


2025 – November – Glaciers

The new challenge features Glaciers, icebergs, ice cliffs etc..

Ideally, each submission should contain a summary description of the subject in the file information, including the location of the subject, and relevant categories should be added to the files to enable other Commons users to find them and use them. Please take care not to violate copyright in respect of non-free creative works, and observe our educational project scope and the personality rights of identifiable people, or your files may be subject to deletion.

The challenge will remain open for submissions throughout November UTC.

Checklist for this theme:

  • Photographs must be the work of the nominator.
  • Photographs must be newly uploaded to Commons during the challenge submission period i.e. November 2025 UTC (but may have been taken earlier).
  • Submissions must be added to the top of the "Entries" section below.
  • Please do not nominate lots of similar photos; instead choose just your best and most varied images.

Add your entry between the <gallery> tags as indicated. Gallery entries are placed each on a new line, and consist of the filename, a vertical bar |, and a description. For example:

Electric steam iron.jpg|An electric steam iron

For help on the syntax of entries in a gallery see Help:Gallery tag. Please do not add square brackets [[ ]] or include a thumb parameter or the full URL. The File: prefix is not required, but harmless.

  • Restriction: A maximum of four entries can be submitted per photographer.

There are 26 days 1 hours left before this challenge ends. (refresh)


Examples

Entries

Submit your photos

  • Gehrenspitze view from Alpsee (Germany)
    Gehrenspitze view from Alpsee (Germany)
  • Water reflections of Mount Eglinton on Mirror Lakes (New Zealand)
    Water reflections of Mount Eglinton on Mirror Lakes (New Zealand)
  • Rhônegletscher im August 2016
    Rhônegletscher im August 2016
  • Le Dôme du Goûter et l'Aiguille du Goûter, France.
    Le Dôme du Goûter et l'Aiguille du Goûter, France.
  • Le Grand Combin et le Glacier de Corbassière, Suisse.
    Le Grand Combin et le Glacier de Corbassière, Suisse.
  • Mount Baker and Twin Sisters
    Mount Baker and Twin Sisters
  • Mount Baker
    Mount Baker
  • Mount Rainier
    Mount Rainier
  • Mount Rainier from above
    Mount Rainier from above
  • Karaugom glacier
    Karaugom glacier
  • Karaugom glacier
    Karaugom glacier
  • Karaugom glacier
    Karaugom glacier
  • Karaugom glacier
    Karaugom glacier
  • To submit your photos please click here
    To submit your photos please click here

🤗

2025 – November – Parking areas

The new challenge features Parking areas, garages and structures.

Ideally, each submission should contain a summary description of the subject in the file information, including the location of the subject, and relevant categories should be added to the files to enable other Commons users to find them and use them. Please take care not to violate copyright in respect of non-free creative works, and observe our educational project scope and the personality rights of identifiable people, or your files may be subject to deletion.

The challenge will remain open for submissions throughout November UTC.

Checklist for this theme:

  • Photographs must be the work of the nominator.
  • Photographs must be newly uploaded to Commons during the challenge submission period i.e. November 2025 UTC (but may have been taken earlier).
  • Submissions must be added to the top of the "Entries" section below.
  • Please do not nominate lots of similar photos; instead choose just your best and most varied images.

Add your entry between the <gallery> tags as indicated. Gallery entries are placed each on a new line, and consist of the filename, a vertical bar |, and a description. For example:

Electric steam iron.jpg|An electric steam iron

For help on the syntax of entries in a gallery see Help:Gallery tag. Please do not add square brackets [[ ]] or include a thumb parameter or the full URL. The File: prefix is not required, but harmless.

  • Restriction: A maximum of four entries can be submitted per photographer.

There are 26 days 1 hours left before this challenge ends. (refresh)


Examples

Entries

Submit your photos

  • Parking on Main Square of Aire-sur-la-Lys, Hauts-de-France
    Parking on Main Square of Aire-sur-la-Lys, Hauts-de-France
  • Small car park next to a vine-covered building, Kyoto, Japan
    Small car park next to a vine-covered building, Kyoto, Japan
  • Municipal parking lot?; Old Town - Lublin; Poland
    Municipal parking lot?; Old Town - Lublin; Poland
  • Residential garages; Czechów Lublin; Poland
    Residential garages; Czechów Lublin; Poland
  • Cars on a residential street; Czechów - Lublin; Poland
    Cars on a residential street; Czechów - Lublin; Poland
  • Parking at Castle Square in Lublin; Poland
    Parking at Castle Square in Lublin; Poland
  • Furkapass parking, Switzerland
    Furkapass parking, Switzerland
  • motorbike parking in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
    motorbike parking in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
  • Parking at 919 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL
    Parking at 919 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL
  • Papas & Beer Parking Lot, Waynesville, NC
    Papas & Beer Parking Lot, Waynesville, NC
  • Pack Square Parking Garage - Downtown Asheville NC
    Pack Square Parking Garage - Downtown Asheville NC
  • Valet parking, Main Street Station, Las Vegas, Nevada USA
    Valet parking, Main Street Station, Las Vegas, Nevada USA
  • Col'd Izoard parking, Queyras Masif, France
    Col'd Izoard parking, Queyras Masif, France
  • Zone di parcheggio a Narni con ascensori che portano al centro storico
    Zone di parcheggio a Narni con ascensori che portano al centro storico
  • Parking area of a masjid
    Parking area of a masjid
  • Cars and bikes parked in a street
    Cars and bikes parked in a street
  • Bikes parked in front of closed stores
    Bikes parked in front of closed stores
  • Cars to be displayed at the Miami Concours are parked for a special event the night before.
    Cars to be displayed at the Miami Concours are parked for a special event the night before.
  • To submit your photos please click here
    To submit your photos please click here

Challenges open for voting

Voting is open to all registered contributors who have held accounts for at least 10 days and made 50 edits, and also to new Commons contributors who have entered the challenge with a picture. Users cannot vote for their own picture. Voters may select up to three photographs in each theme to award points and can give praise to other photos without awarding points. Voting will be open for one month. The votes not complying with those requirements will be removed or converted to praises. In some cases users might be asked to correct their votes after voting ends.


September 2025

Previous challenges

August 2025

Home interiors: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Time to milk the cows. Old style Chinese decoration Contemporary blue and white
bathroom
Author Magnolia677 Pauloleong2002 OKJaguar
Score 10 9 7
Bark: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image File:200130 D 9059.CR2.jpg
Title Andrews Mare, Lyndhurst, New Forest,
Hampshire, England, UK		 Willow trees on the bank of
the river Windrush at
Witney, Oxfordshire, UK		 Tree on Lake Gunn Nature Walk in
Fiordland National Park in Southland on
South Island of New Zealand
Author JoanaImages Scampz Karel Stipek Austria
Score 17 14 10

July 2025

Waterside structures: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title De Adriaan Windmill in
Haarlem, Netherlands		 Seen on a tour of Norfolk Harbor,
these massive dockside cranes
will work on naval vessels.		 Blick von der 580 Meter hohen Steilklippe
„Cabo Girao“ auf die am Ufer liegenden
Terrassenfelder in der Nähe der
Ortschaft Câmara de Lobos auf Madeira.
Author JoanaImages JoannaPoe Otto Domes
Score 15 14 13
Vending machines: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Selecta vending machine in
Chavannes-de-Bogis, Switzerland.		 Ticket machines in the concourse
of Nuremberg Central Station		 Sake, øl og whisky i
byen Fuji i Japan.
Author W8Kp3mZr1j Ermell Odd Roar Aalborg
Score 11 8 6

June 2025

One stands out: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title One purple Tulip surrounded
by a few white Tulips.		 Flamingos, one shakes itself after a bath,
Parc Ornithologique de Pont de Gau,
Camargue, France		 a goose surrounded by ducks
Author MikeBurnsPhotos Mozzihh Chrissieminton
Score 17 15 11
Steam: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Treno a vapore nella
stazione di Pontassive in
occasione della Befana		 Sinter terraces full of steam in the morning sun,
Lower Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone
National Park		 Vasca e sorgenti di acqua calda sulfurea al
Parco della Mola di Oriolo Romano
Author Repuli Lusi Lindwurm Albarubescens
Score 13 10 8

May 2025

Flowers: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Sunflower field in Burgundy Waterlily Hasenglöckchen eingerahmt
Author Ibex73 Peterdownunder Englandfan~commonswiki
Score 12 8 8
Flags: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Rettungsschwimmer im Parque Natural de Corralejo, Fuerteventura Flag of Namibia on an airplane winglet Paracadutista della Brigata Folgore con bandiera italiana sopra Livorno
Author Fischer1961 Mozzihh Marcxosm
Score 18 7 5

April 2025

Meadows: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title A hill dream Sunset over a green meadow
with forest in foreground
and layered mountain
silhouettes in the distance,
under a glowing orange sky.		 Fioritura a Castelluccio
di Norcia. Italia
Author Anna.Massini Martinovmejl Repuli
Score 14 12 9
Camelidae: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Camel at toni's zoo - B&W Kamel am Strand in Ägypten. Ägyptische Motive mit
Kamel. Strand des
Grand Makadi Hotels
am Roten Meer.
Author Roy Egloff Kora27 Kora27
Score 16 11 10

March 2025

Hiking: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 1 3
image
Title Silhouette of a female hiker
in front of the Massif du Mont-Blanc		 A hiker on the last meters before
reaching the summit of the
Schneespitze in the Stubai Alps		 A picture of three people hiking
the path called "Dragon's Back"
in Brecon, Wales. Taken by
Lauren Moon in June of 2024.
Author Stephan Sprinz Milseburg Lighting-design-lila
Score 15 15 11
Newspapers: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Newspapers are living history Newspaper reader
in Naples, Italy		 Rolled up newspaper delivered
to a home in Redan, Victoria.
Author Sindugab Mozzihh Peterdownunder
Score 14 12 10

February 2025

Absence: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Absence of essence Automatic river lighthouse.
Yenisei River, Krasnoyarsk		 Linden alley at Kalevankangas
Cemetery in Tampere, Finland
Author Tn.kuvat VSerebrenikov Xannima
Score 18 17 12
Healthy living: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Heal thy life. Sun salutation for
healthy living		 Young athletic girl
Author Tn.kuvat Sneha G Gupta VSerebrenikov
Score 12 11 10

January 2025

Leatherwork: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 2
image
Title Tanners at work in
one of the old tanneries
of Fez, Morocco		 Pilot with Leather
Aviator Helmet		 Handmade shoes
Author Lusi Lindwurm Roy Egloff AK-Bino
Score 24 11 11
Ovals: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image
Title Horseshoe Bend (Arizona) Underpass of
Michelinstraße in Hallstadt		 Fontana in un
giardino storico
in Roccalvecce (Viterbo)
Author Gzzz Ermell Albarubescens
Score 15 12 11

Previous years

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