Amateur Motorsport Photography Awards™ - Why We Charge an Entry Fee (and Why It Matters)

Let’s talk about something that always sparks debate - entry fees.

Photography competitions are a brilliant way to celebrate creativity, push yourself, and get your work seen. But they also cost real time and money to run. Across the UK, a lot of reputable photo competitions charge an entry fee - and for good reason.

Take a look at a few examples: the Event Photography Awards charges £20 for up to five photos, the British Photography Awards asks £5 per image, and the International Garden Photographer of the Year comes in at £16 for four images. Even the Close-Up Photographer of the Year starts at £22 for just six images. These are just a small few of the photography competitions out there. Feel free to do your own research and comparison (I’ve already done mine!).

So when it comes to pricing, the Amateur Motorsport Photography Awards™ (AMPA) is very much in line with industry standards — £10 for one image, £18 for three, or £25 for five. I’ve worked incredibly hard to keep our fees as low and accessible as possible, while still being able to keep the wheels turning (pun fully intended).

Why There’s an Entry Fee

At Trackside Focus®, we’re a tiny operation - truly a micro-business (as most of you know, it’s just me!). I run on passion, caffeine, and a whole lot of hard work. Every bit of income from entry fees goes straight back into covering the nuts and bolts of running AMPA: project management, admin, website costs, marketing, prizes and all the other behind-the-scenes essentials that make this competition possible.

I’ve got big ambitions for the Amateur Motorsport Photography Awards™ - to grow it across the UK, and one day, take it global. All profit is reinvested into helping us improve, expand, and reach more photographers who share our love for UK motorsport.

I know how expensive photography can be which is exactly why I’ve kept the pricing fair and transparent. The goal is to make entering achievable for anyone with a camera and a passion for motorsport.

A Family Effort Fuelled by Passion

Trackside Focus® isn’t a faceless corporate organisation — it’s a small (really a micro), family-run business built by one enthusiast (me, Greg) who love what they do. We’ve (or really I’ve) poured heart, time, and countless late nights into building something that gives amateur and aspiring motorsport photographers the platform they deserve.

Sure, sometimes I hear complaints about paying to enter competitions or even attend our workshops (to be honest, I’m not entirely sure some people understand the nature or meaning of business). But that’s to be expected in today’s world - not everyone sees the value, benefits and hard graft that goes into making these things happen. What keeps us going is the supportive community, the ones who continue to support me and the business regularly: the excitement, the talent, the shared love for motorsport photography.

Without entry fees - and the generous support of sponsors and partners - AMPA simply wouldn’t exist. Your entry isn’t just a payment; it’s a vote of confidence in what I’m building, together with you. It helps the business continue to grow, celebrate, and showcase the incredible talent on the spectator side of the fence.

Every entry helps fuel the next step of our journey and growth (and potentially yours too!) from bigger opportunities, more reach and recognition, plus it helps us to expand and grow our prize offering, all with the aim of helping and supporting more photographers like you.

So next time you hit submit, know that your entry fee is doing more than just ‘entering a photo’. It’s keeping the dream alive - and helping amateur motorsport photography get the recognition it truly deserves.