The Railfan & Railroad Center Spread Contest will provide a skilled and/or lucky photographer the opportunity to see their photo grace the center spread of the September 2025 issue. We’ll award the Grand Prize winner a $100 cash prize, with $60 going to two Runners Up, and $30 going to several Honorable Mentions. Any rail subject, photographed at any time, qualifies for the contest. The only limitation is the image must be in a horizontal format.
The judges are strongly influenced by images that show creativity. So what is “creative”? Let’s just say that we can’t define it but we know it when we see it. Composition, lighting, and a unique perspective will play a large role in how the judges view the shot.
The details: Each photographer may enter up to three photos, but we generally award only one prize per entrant. Photos can be of any railroad subject taken at any time. Photos must be submitted electronically via our FTP server. We will not accept submissions sent by email or snail mail. Please contact Editor Steve Barry at editor@railfan.com for upload instructions. Note: We use a different FTP server from what we use for general contributions — be sure to get the proper instructions before submitting your photos. Submissions can be digital originals or scanned slides in TIFF or uncompressed JPG format. Images can be adjusted for exposure, but otherwise should be unaltered. Before submitting your files, go into your photo editing software and check the physical dimensions of the photo. If your photo is less than 3,000 pixels horizontally, we can’t use it. Bigger is better.
Filenames need to include your first and last names so we can identify your entries. Please submit caption information for each file, and make sure each file name is with each caption. Captions should be submitted as a text or Word document and uploaded with your photos. Note that images with insufficient caption information may be disqualified. You will also be sent a photo release form to fill out when you receive the uploading instructions.
The contest deadline is July 14, 2025. We look forward to your entries. Good luck!
