New York Times Photo Essay Contest

1. Competition Guidelines

Using The Times’s Album series, teenagers are invited to create a photo essay that documents life in their hometown, focusing on any aspect of local life—events, people, history, culture, or environment. The photo essay must include: 

• 6 to 8 images
• A short caption of no more than 50 words 
• A short introduction of up to 300 words 
• Informal “artist’s statement” as part of the submission to describe the photography process. 

Other rules include: 

• Students can work alone, in pairs, or in a group of four, but should submit only one entry each. 
• Keep digital manipulation and postprocessing to a minimum
• The photo essay should be original for this contest 
• Remember to get permission from the people you photograph. 

2. Selection and Judging

• Submissions will be judged based on creativity, storytelling, visual impact, and adherence to the contest theme.
• Winning essays will be featured on The Learning Network website and may be considered for publication in The New York Times.

3. Prizes

Having your work published on The Learning Network and earning a chance to be published in the print editions of The New York Times.