Past Photography Contest Themes and Winners -- 2023 to current

[CaliforniaPeggy]

This discussion thread is pinned.

Last edited Fri May 15, 2026, 05:16 PM - Edit history (51)

I want to thank mnhtnbb for keeping track of all the Contest themes and winners from 2018 till 2022. Since she has stepped back from that position, I have decided to carry it forward.

2023
January--Unedited cell phone photos--Callalily
February--Vibrant--mnhtnbb
March--Winter--urbanhermit
April--Macro--CaliforniaPeggy
May--Leading Lines--Mousetoescamper
June--Spring--George McGovern
July--Don't Be Afraid of the Dark--LakeArenal
August--Trains, Planes and Automobiles…etc.--Andy Shanks
September--Summer--Diamond_Dog
October--Composition, Rule of Thirds--moonshinegnomie
November--Domestic Animals--Diamond_Dog
December--Fall Seasonal-- edbermac

2024
January--Blue Wave--Walleye
February--now that is love". Valentine's. Any photo depicting love.--George McGovern
March--Winter-- Tom Kitten
April--Black & White--mike_c
May-- Motion--moonshinegnomie
June--Spring--Ms. Toad
July--Live Music--Mousetoescamper
August--You’ve Got Sole. Enter your photo of any kind of footwear, including that used by animals. On the feet or on the shelf, if it’s footwear it’ll fit."--Grumpy Old Guy
September--Summer--Mousetoescamper
October--Photos that remind me of a song--HAB911
November--Something I cherish: cherish: treat with affection and tenderness; hold dear, keep fondly in mind; treasure. Personal or Public, anything you truly cherish.--Diamond_Dog
December--Fall Seasonal--Diamond_Dog

2025
January--Vintage--Any image that evokes days gone by. It could be a photo of an object, like an old toy or collectible …..old machine, old tool …… a piece of clothing or jewelry ….. a beautiful old building, house, church, or business ….. an old car …..something you found in a thrift store …..a photo of a place where you had some fond memories…..--Trailrider1951
February--My Community--What's a community? you ask. It could be your home town, a group of people who share the same space or activity, or a brotherhood of living things. Use your imagination.--ShazzieB
March--Winter--Walleye
April--“Aspirations! Aspirations are dreams, hopes, or ambitions to achieve a life goal. Synonyms: desire, hope, longing, yearning, wish, aim, ambition, dream.--Grumpy Old Guy
May-- "Dogs!
I have been involved with several contests, and I've noticed one thing in particular. Photos that include a dog always do well. I'm sure it's because people love dogs. It's almost as if the dog photos have an unfair advantage. Therefore, I think it's time to level the playing field. Every photo has to include a dog!
Dogs rule!"--HAB911
June--Spring--Mousetoescamper
July--"Public Transportation, Land, Sea, or Air" - Buses, passenger trains, inter-city rail, high-speed rail, subways, trolleys, trams, rapid transit, ferries, taxis, limos, rental e-bikes, anything available to the public to get around, use your imagination!--Grumpy Old Guy
August--Water, Lakes, ocean, ponds, rain storms, flooding. No water sports though.--HAB911
September--Summer--urbanhermit
October--Cats--mike_c
November--Best Friends--groundloop
December--Autumn--Grumpy Old Guy

2026
January--Our Pets--Strongermessage
February--"Baby, it's cold outside"--mnhtnbb
March--No contest this month
April--DU Travels--Grumpy Old Guy
May--I Can't Believe I Got This Shot:-- Nittersing
June--Spring--

[lark]

1. Darn, I thought this was a post with the past winners in it.

Can that be posted? Would love to review all those wonderful pix.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. This post displays the Contest theme and who won that contest.

This link will show you how it's been done in the past:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/103669842

These lists help us review past themes as inspiration or a jumping off place for new themes so that we can avoid duplication in the current contests.

I suspect that if you want to review the winners, the best way to do that would be to bookmark each thread each month that has the winning photos.

[lark]

3. I hadn't thought of that, sounds like a plan to me.

Thank you!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My pleasure, my dear lark!