Two contests for people who love their downtown
Downtown Lens is a photo contest for city centres in five categories. The Best Block Awards ask readers to nominate the best block in their downtown. Both are free, and both are judged on merit by a panel.
Five categories, any downtown in the world
Photograph any city centre, enter up to five photos a season, and a judging panel picks the best in each category on sense of place, composition, originality and technical quality.
Skyline After Dark
City lights, blue hour, reflections and the shape of a skyline at night.
Enter this categoryStreet Life
People, markets and everyday moments on downtown streets. Get permission from anyone who is the main subject of your photo.
Enter this categoryStorefronts & Signs
Independent shopfronts, neon, hand-painted lettering, windows and the typography of the street.
Enter this categoryGreen Downtown
Parks, rooftops, waterfronts, street trees and the nature that thrives in the core.
Enter this categorySponsor a category
Fund a category prize, put your name on it and nominate a judge. Prizes in every category come from sponsors.
Sponsor a prizeFour steps, about five minutes
- Shoot
Photograph any downtown or city centre in the world. The photo must be your own work, taken within two years before you enter.
- Host it yourself
Upload the photo to your own portfolio, cloud storage or photo-sharing page, as a JPEG at least 2,000 pixels on its long edge, and make sure anyone with the link can view it.
- Submit
Use the entry form: one photo per form, up to five photos per person across all categories each season.
- Keep the link live
Leave the photo online until winners are announced. If the link stops working, the judges can't see your entry.
What the panel looks for
Every eligible entry is scored by a judging panel of Down.Town editors and, where a category has a sponsor, one judge nominated by that sponsor. Scores are weighted like this:
Sense of place: could this only be this downtown? Composition: framing, light and timing. Originality: a fresh view of a familiar place. Technical quality: focus, exposure and editing that serves the picture.
How the season runs
Open call
Downtown Lens entries and Best Block nominations are accepted through the forms on this page.
Judging
The panel scores every eligible entry and nomination against the published criteria. Prizes are confirmed before judging begins.
Winners announced
Winners are verified, then announced on this page and in the Downtown Dispatch, with credit.
Prizes
Prizes are funded by sponsors. Season 1 prize values will be announced on this page as sponsors confirm them, and before judging begins. Prizes can't be exchanged for cash unless the prize description says so. Winning entries and blocks are published on Down.Town with credit.
Before you submit
- The photo is yours, taken within the last two years
- It was taken in a downtown or city centre
- Edits are limited to normal adjustments: cropping, exposure, colour, contrast and cleaning up dust
- No AI-generated images, composites, borders, watermarks or signatures
- Anyone who is the main subject has agreed to be photographed and entered
- You didn't trespass, fly a drone where it isn't allowed or break any other law to get the shot
- The link opens for someone who isn't signed in to your account
You keep the copyright. By entering, you grant Down.Town a non-exclusive licence to display your entry, with credit, for the contest and its promotion. Details are in the official rules.
Which block makes your downtown?
Every downtown has one: the stretch between two corners where the street feels most alive. Tell us which block it is in your city, and why. The panel reviews every nomination, and winning blocks are announced on this page and in the Dispatch, then written up by the editors.
What the panel looks for
Street life: activity through the day and week. Local character: independent places, history and a sense that it belongs to this city. Public space: seating, shade, greenery and room to linger. Walkability: safe crossings, step-free access and transit close by.
Up to three nominations per person each season. Nominators must be 18 or older.
Put your name on a category
Every Downtown Lens and Best Block prize is funded by a sponsor. In return, the category or award is presented by you, your logo appears on this page, the official rules and the winners' announcement, and you can nominate one judge to score alongside our editors on the published criteria.
- Camera, print and creative brands
- Cities, tourism boards and downtown associations
- Local businesses that want to back their own downtown
Sponsors don't choose winners on their own, don't receive entrants' details (beyond what's needed to deliver a prize to a winner) and get no say over editorial content. See all sponsorship packages.
The rules in brief
- Organiser: Down.Town, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
- No purchase necessary. Both contests are free to enter. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
- Eligibility: individuals aged 18 or older, and at least the age of majority where they live. Down.Town editors, judges, sponsors' staff involved in the contest and their immediate families can't win.
- Skill, not chance: winners are chosen by a judging panel on the published criteria. There is no draw and no public vote.
- Entry limits: up to five Downtown Lens photos and three Best Block nominations per person each season.
- Your copyright: you keep it, and grant Down.Town a non-exclusive licence to display your entry, with credit.
- Prizes: funded by sponsors and announced on this page when sponsors confirm. No cash substitution unless stated.
- Canadian winners must correctly answer a time-limited skill-testing question.
- Québec residents: where required, the contest is registered with the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux, and a dispute may be submitted to the Régie.
This is a summary. The official rules apply, and questions can go to the contest desk.
Questions people ask
Is it free to enter?
Yes. No purchase or payment is necessary to enter Downtown Lens or to nominate a block for the Best Block Awards, and buying anything from a sponsor will not improve your chances.
Who owns my photo?
You do. You keep the copyright and grant Down.Town a non-exclusive licence to display your entry, with credit, for the contest and its promotion.
Can I enter from outside Canada?
Yes. Both contests are open to adults worldwide, except where they are prohibited or restricted by law. Winners who live in Canada must correctly answer a skill-testing question before a prize is awarded.
What are the prizes?
Prizes are funded by sponsors. Season 1 prize values will be announced on this page as sponsors confirm them, before judging begins. Winning entries are published on Down.Town with credit.