Tdot Shots Toronto & GTA Photo Contest 2023

Please note our contest has concluded. Congrats to the winners and finalists!
Read about the winning entries in the Photo Contest Winners Post.

We proudly host an annual photo contest which celebrates the best in Greater Toronto cityscape, street and landscape photography. For information about our current and past contests visit the Tdot Shots Photo Contest page. Our contest has run every year since 2019.

This year our photo contest runs for six weeks! Enter as many images as you wish but make them count! High quality shots and edits will win prizes including $100 professional printing credits from our sponsor. 

Contest Dates: Oct. 15 – Nov. 30 / Instagram Hashtag #Tdot_23

Welcome to the 5th version of our annual photo contest.

This year, 2023, our theme is “Creative Process” – we celebrate the creativity that goes into all aspects of photography from selection of tools, to getting the shot, to final edit. Contest entrants are encouraged to use carousel posts that include alternate images, original unedited versions, and explain their thought process and artistic intent. Write about your image and process in the caption. 👍

Short version of the rules – Use our photo contest hashtag #tdot_23 on your Instagram posts from Oct. 15 – Nov. 30. Read on for full rules and tips!

Prizes & Sponsor

We are grateful for the return of our primary sponsor Prolab Canada. Prizes include $100 professional photo printing certificates and a variety of photography accessories. Thank you Prolab, for supporting our contest since the first iteration in 2019.

Volunteers and Judges

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome back our team of judges, all of whom have helped with judging previous photo contests over the past 5 years. Our judges include Taku Kumabe aka @smaku, Michèle Thompson aka @magpie_n_moo, and Kurt Wang aka @kurt.wang.

Contest Rules

Please read carefully to understand the scope and limitations for contestants and their images.

How to enter 

Entering the contest is easy. Use our contest hashtag #tdot_23 on your Instagram posts during the period of the contest, Oct 15-Nov 30.  Photo location and subject matter should be Downtown Toronto & Greater Toronto. 

You must follow our page @tdot_shots and the page of our sponsor @prolabcanada (we will confirm this at the end of the contest).

Please retain original images for our inspection. For the Art and Edit category you must submit images that contain at least 50% of your own original photo. Images containing geolocation are an asset.

Category Descriptions

– City and Town (cityscape, buildings and landmarks, street photography)
– Landscape and Nature (land, sky, water, natural environment, structures)
– Art and Edit (composites, time blends, creative edits, AI)*

* more than 50% of your image must be based on your own photography and winners will be required to provide the original photo that the image is based on.

Show Your Creative Process (Tips for Entrants)

First of all, to reiterate, this is a contest based on two things: image quality and creative process. You are more likely to win if you post 5 images that describe your tools, technique and intent, than 30 images with no caption or process reveal. Remember, use of the carousel can help you get your process across to our judges. Captions on Instagram permit hundreds of words.

Examples of carousel posts with an outline of the creative process:

Notes about these posts

Image 1: Moon and Birds
The GTA photographer @digigraphs includes an explanation of the result and process. Location is provided. For the purposes of this contest location of your photo must be in one of the Greater Toronto towns or cities listed on this page. So @digigraphs photo from location #1, Newmarket would qualify if posted during the contest period using the contest hashtag #tdot_23.

Image 2: Chinatown Multiple Exposure
Toronto area photographer @minds.vision explains their artistic process and how a double exposure technique was used to create an in-camera effect. The location is recognizable as Chinatown in downtown Toronto so would qualify for this contest. For your images keep the original for inspection if you win so we can make sure the image is yours.

Please consider following the artists!
Digigraphs – by Mohsen Majnoon (@digigraphs) • Instagram photos and videos
Andre Vujovic (@minds.vision) • Instagram photos and videos

Definition of Greater Toronto Area

We will use the definition by which the towns and cities or “municipalities,” adjacent Toronto will be considered. At this time we do not include Hamilton or Niagara.

In the Greater Toronto Area, there are 25 incorporated municipalities in either York Region, Halton Region, Peel Region, Durham Region or Toronto.

Towns and Cities include:

Ajax
Aurora
Brampton
Brock
Burlington
Caledon
Clarington
East Gwillimbury
Georgina
Halton Hills
King
Markham
Milton
Mississauga
Newmarket
Oakville
Oshawa
Pickering
Richmond Hill
Scugog
Toronto
Uxbridge
Vaughan
Whitby
Whitchurch-Stouffville

Questions and Support

Please feel free to do the following if you have questions about the contest or seek support:

• Send us an email via our contact page
• Join our studio community (we provide tips and feedback!)

All the best and good luck to all who enter! 🍀🤞

Mike Simpson

Founder, Tdot Shots and Tdot Studio