1st place
Free All Maps bundle (lifetime updates) + featured photographer spotlight in the next 3 Field Reports.
Photographer challenge
Inaugural Lighthouse Challenge
Photograph 10 lighthouses from the Iceland Lighthouse Map on a single trip. Submit your photos with location notes. Top 3 entries win a free All Maps bundle upgrade and a feature in the monthly Field Report.
Get notified
Be the first to know when entries open
Subscribe and we'll send a one-time notice the day entries open, plus the monthly Field Report (one location, one tip, one stat). Unsubscribe anytime.
Rules
- 01Photograph at least 10 distinct lighthouses listed in the Iceland Lighthouse Map.
- 02All photographs must be taken on the same trip (no archived shots from previous visits).
- 03Submit photos as a single album (Google Photos, Flickr, Dropbox, or similar) with each shot captioned with the lighthouse name and approximate date.
- 04Image files should include EXIF GPS data — submissions without coordinates may require a follow-up confirmation.
- 05One submission per photographer per challenge cycle.
- 06By submitting, you grant Iceland Photo Map the right to feature a thumbnail and caption in the Field Report newsletter and on this page, with photo credit.
Prizes
2nd place
Free All Maps bundle + single Field Report feature.
3rd place
Free single-category map of your choice + Field Report mention.
Honorable mentions
Field Report mention + 50% off any single map purchase.
How entries are judged
- Coverage — how many of the 10 lighthouses are visibly identifiable in the submitted set.
- Composition — strength of light, framing, and intent across the photographs as a body of work.
- Conditions — bonus weight for shots in challenging light or weather (blue hour, storm, aurora).
- Field notes — clarity and usefulness of the captions for other photographers.
Featured submissions
The first cycle hasn't closed yet. Featured photographers and winning sets will appear here as the challenge runs. Subscribe above to follow along.
Get the map first
The Iceland Lighthouse Map is the source list for this challenge — every eligible lighthouse is in there with GPS coordinates and seasonal access notes. Load it into Gaia GPS, Garmin, Google Earth, or Locus and plan your route before you fly.
FAQ
Challenge questions
What counts, how submissions work, and what happens if entries don't reach the target.
- Submit anyway. We judge body-of-work strength alongside coverage — a strong 7-lighthouse set can place above a complete 10 with weaker images. The target is the bar for the top of the leaderboard, not a filter.
- No. Smartphone, mirrorless, DSLR — the camera doesn't matter. The challenge rewards intent, light, and field discipline. Some of Iceland's best photographs are shot on travel zooms.
- Not for this cycle — all 10 photographs must be from the same trip. The point is to plan a route around the map and execute it as a deliberate body of work, not to backfill an archive.
- Email the album link, your captions, and a short trip-note paragraph to hello@icelandphotomap.com with subject "Lighthouse Challenge entry". We confirm receipt within 48 hours. No web form yet — keeps the bar high and the comms personal.
- Featured and winning entries get a thumbnail and caption on this page and in the monthly Field Report, with full photo credit. We never sell or relicense your photographs. You retain full copyright; we only display the submitted set.
- Yes — Waterfall and Off-Season are planned next. The Lighthouse Challenge is the inaugural cycle. Subscribe above for a one-line notice when each new cycle opens.