Last month we asked the students of our Photography Masterclass to submit 3 photos showcasing the skills they’ve learned from the course. 64 students submitted 181 photos, and they were all quite amazing. Myself (Phil) and the co-instructor (Sam), voted on our favorites with a panel of 4 other photographers and photo enthusiasts. We picked our top photo for the Gold Prize, our next five best photos for the Silver Prize, and the next 25 photos for the Bronze Prize. You can check out the prizes below, but first let’s check out our winning photos!

Download the 2015 Photo Competition Photo Book

Watch a short video that showcases the submissions:

Gold Prize (Top Photo)

Mauro Capozzi submitted this beautiful photo taken in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was nearly a unanimous vote for this one to be the gold prize winner. We loved the composition, lighting, and choice of black and white. The simplicity is beautiful, yet the technicality of getting this shot must have been difficult. This is what photography is all about!

Silver Prize (5 Photos)

Doris Charest shot this striking image of a grandmother in Spitti Valley, India with a Canon 5d. Getting people to pose for you, let alone look at your camera can be a difficult task. So we really appreciated this photo for the uniqueness of the subject. The glasses add to the mystery of this beautiful woman!

Bethia Hope-Rollins shot this photo with a Canon 550d in Haute Provence, France. Out of all the photos submitted, this one might have had the best message. It truly is a work of art.

Todd Fulcher shot this photo with his Sony a7II in Daytona Beach. The lighting is absolutely stunning in this shot. The use of black and white, again, adds to the emotion. This is definitely one of the best!

Charles Adam shot this photo of a Pioneer Church. As you can tell, the colors in this place are quite mesmerizing. This is another photo with terrific composition – a great still life that anyone could put on their wall.

Amy George shot this photo of a sailboat on Lake Erie with her Nikon D3200. One of the things we talked about in the course is how to use ‘frames within your frame.’ This is a perfect example of that. It almost looks like it could be a painting! The colors and exposure are absolutely spot on.

Bronze Prize (25 Photos)

1st Prize (Top Photo):

• A Lightscoop Deluxe that allows you to shoot like a pro with your DSLR pop-up flash. We’ll mail it to the address of your choice (sorry, only United States addresses for this prize).
• Free access to our Wedding Photography course – to help you make money with your photo skills.
• 3 free coupons to any of our other Udemy courses.
• Plus the following:

2nd Prize (5 Photos):

• Your photos will be featured on our website for the world to see.
• Free access to our Photo Colorization in Photoshop course.
• Plus the following:

Blue Ribbon Consolation (25 Photos):

• Your photos will be featured in an introductory lecture of the Photography Masterclass to inspire new students.
• A virtual high-five from your favorite instructors (me and Sam, of course!)

THANK YOU to everyone who submitted photos. You are well on your way to being amazing photographers!

Cheers,
Phil