Best of Newton Photo Contest

The annual Best of Newton Photo Contest will be accepting entries now through October 20. The free contest gives photographers multiple opportunities to be recognized.

Submit Photo

The contest will have three categories this year:

  • Faces & Places (Open Category)
  • Community at its Best & City Services
  • Railer Nation & Trains and Grains

The photographer will be able to self select the category a photo is entered into. Any photo can be entered into Faces & Places, our open category. Community at its Best will highlight photos of the things that make Newton special for those who live here and highlight the city services that make Newton a good place to call home. Railer Nation & Trains and Grains will highlight our city flag and local school district. 

Individuals may submit up to five (5) entries in each category. Entries are accepted from Newton residents and visitors.

Photos will be considered for four different forms of recognition:

  • Judged Prizes: The top three in each category will receive Chamber Checks of $100 for first place, $75 for second, and $50 for third place. Any entries deemed worthy of honorable mention will receive $25.
  • People's Choice: All photos will be placed on the Choose Newton Facebook page where likes will help select the most popular photos. The winners in each category will receive $10 in Chamber checks
  • 2026 Newton Calendar: The Choose Newton staff and photo contest judges will help to choose photos to be displayed in the 2026 Newton Calendar. One photo will be displayed for each month along with a cover photo. If there is space in the calendar, a collage page of photos will also be included. Photos chose for the calendar will be horizontal on a 4:3 scale or cropped horizontally.
  • Best of Newton Photo Show: This will be an exhibit that will open January 21 in the Koehn Gallery at the Carriage Factory Art Gallery, 128 E Sixth St. The gallery director will reach out to all photos that will be invited to be included in the show.

Judges will choose winners in the Best of Newton photo contest based on the quality of the image, technical merit, creativity, subject matter as it relates to Newton, and the appeal of the image to potential visitors.

Photos will be chosen for the calendar with an eye toward annual events in Newton, the four seasons, and holidays. Images chosen to appear in the calendar will be in landscape orientation.

Photographers whose images are selected for the show at Carriage Factory Art Gallery will be contacted about participating in the show. If they choose to participate, photographers will have to provide a framed image with a wire hanger on the back. Everything displayed in the show should be made available for sale with photographers setting the price. Photographers will receive 70% of the sale price with the gallery receiving 30%.

Photo Submission Online or in Person

Photographers must sign a release with each image granting the Newton Convention & Visitors Bureau with the right to use, publish, display, or distribute the image. Photographers should submit a high-resolution images to ensure the best reproduction.

Submit Your Photos

For more information and details, contact Jen Lehman at the Newton Convention and Visitors Bureau, 316-284-3642 or jlehman@newtonkansas.com.

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