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Photo Challenge

The Photo Challenge inspires photographers to take great pictures and upload them to Commons. Monthly thematic competitions encourage participants to try new subjects, new photographic or processing techniques, and to develop skills while improving the Commons repository of free images. Photographs entered into a competition must be new to Commons and taken by a Commons user.

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Formal things

Challenges

Challenges are based on a theme and run for a month. The theme may be a concrete subject, an abstract concept, a photographic technique or artistic style.

Participation

Everybody can participate in challenges open for submission. You simply

  1. Choose one or all of the current challenges
  2. Read the challenge description(s), which may vary in their rules (e.g., some place restrictions on when the photos are taken)
  3. Take picture(s) for the challenge(s) during the challenge period (or, if allowed, select from your own existing pictures that are not yet on Commons)
  4. Upload your picture(s) during the challenge period
  5. Submit your candidates at the top of the current challenge gallery during the challenge period. To do that you click the [Edit] button of the Entries section of your chosen challenge and insert the File name above the last entry (or above File:-Insert image here-.svg for the first entry).
    Add your entry between the <gallery> tags as indicated. Gallery entries are placed each on a new line, and consist of the filename, a vertical bar |, and a description. For example:
    Electric steam iron.jpg|An electric steam iron
    For help on the syntax of entries in a gallery see Help:Gallery tag. Please do not add square brackets [[ ]] or include a thumb parameter or the full URL. The File: prefix is not required, but harmless.
  6. Do not sign your submission(s)
  7. If you want, you can have a look at previous challenges and Vote

Challenges are open to any Commons user. Submissions must be your own work, not previously uploaded to Commons prior to the challenge date and should illustrate the challenge theme in the opinion of the photographer. Please read the challenge descriptions, as there may be additional rules or explanations for specific challenges. There is no limit on the number of submissions per user (unless specially so restricted in the challenge), but please choose from among your best and most varied images.

To submit pictures, you edit the gallery of the contest and add your candidate(s) to the top of the list.

New themes can be proposed and discussed here.

Assessment

After the challenge has closed to new submissions, the pictures will be assessed by popularity voting in the subsequent month. You are allowed to vote for images submitted by others if your Commons account is at least ten days old and has more than 50 edits or if you participated in one of the challenges. Challenges open for voting can be found here.

Winning

The best three pictures will be awarded first, second and third place. They will be displayed on the Photo challenge page and may use the template {{Photo challenge winner}} on the file description page.

Table of contents

New media viewing experience

Please note users can disable the media viewing experience for all images on Commons when logged in (uncheck "Enable Media Viewer" under Files and click Save in Preferences, Appearance).

Challenges open for submission

 


2024 – July – Manhole

The new challenge features Manhole covers.

Ideally, each submission should contain a summary description of the subject in the file information, including the location of the subject, and relevant categories should be added to the files to enable other Commons users to find them and use them. Please take care not to violate copyright in respect of non-free creative works, and observe our educational project scope and the personality rights of identifiable people, or your files may be subject to deletion.

The challenge will remain open for submissions throughout July UTC.

Checklist for this theme:

  • Photographs must be the work of the nominator.
  • Photographs must be newly uploaded to Commons during the challenge submission period i.e. July 2024 UTC (but may have been taken earlier).
  • Submissions must be added to the top of the "Entries" section below.
  • Please do not nominate lots of similar photos; instead choose just your best and most varied images.

Add your entry between the <gallery> tags as indicated. Gallery entries are placed each on a new line, and consist of the filename, a vertical bar |, and a description. For example:

Electric steam iron.jpg|An electric steam iron

For help on the syntax of entries in a gallery see Help:Gallery tag. Please do not add square brackets [[ ]] or include a thumb parameter or the full URL. The File: prefix is not required, but harmless.

  • Restriction: A maximum of four entries can be submitted per photographer.

There are 9 days 5 hours left before this challenge ends. (refresh)


Examples

Entries

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    Manhole cover in Prague, Czech Republic
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    Close-up of a manhole cover with the city seal in Freiburg, Germany
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    3 manhole covers in Kitseküla by Metallist
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    A manhole cover in Nimes showing a stylized crocodile
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    A manhole cover in Toulouse decorated with zodiac sign Cancer
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    A manhole cover with a philosophical slogan by the river Ilm
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    Malmö, Sweden
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    Seville, Spain
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    Stockholm Old Town, Sweden
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    Covers for water supply wells, Lublin; Poland.
  •  
    Water supply manhole, Lublin; Poland.
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    Water supply manhole, Lublin; Poland.
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    Water supply well.
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    Child coming out of a sump
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    Manhole cover with coat of arms in Munich
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    Manhole cover with coat of arms in Munich
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    manhole cover in Kuressaare, Estonia
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    manhole cover in Tallinn
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    3 manhole covers in Tallinn
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    Picture with small road caps and signalling line
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    big manhole - Großer Wartungsdeckel
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    Manhole2 in Göttingen Germany - Wartungsdeckel Stadt Göttingen
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    manhole Göttingen Germany - Wartungsdeckel in Göttingen
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    three little manholes - Drei kleine Wartungsdeckel
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    Sewage system in Lublin; Poland.
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    Sewage manhole cover.
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    Sewage manhole cover.
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    Sewage manhole; Lublin, Poland
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    A manhole of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Japan
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    Mancata manutenzione dei tombini in città
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    Manhole opened for cleaning, Heidelberg, D
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    Old manhole cover in St. Petersburg with pre-revolutionary spelling
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    Old manhole cover in St. Petersburg with pre-revolutionary spelling
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    Old manhole cover in St. Petersburg. Probably, concrete was reinforced to replace the cast-iron body.
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    Old manhole cover in St. Petersburg with pre-revolutionary spelling
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    Manhole cover in an overgrown garden
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    Māori art, Wellington, New Zealand.
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    Gaelic Football commemorative manhole cover, Dublin, Ireland.
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    Schachtabdeckung (2) in Caccamo, Sizilien, Italien
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    Schachtabdeckung (1) in Caccamo, Sizilien, Italien
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    A manhole cover in Astana, Kazakhstan
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    Irish-language manhole cover.
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    A misplaced Bat Yam water company manhole I found in the main street of Lod, Israel
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    Traffic lights manhole cover in Lod, Israel
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    Rust holes in the manhole cover
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    Stones have become trapped in the manhole cover
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    Manhole cover in Nîmes with the coat of arms of Nîmes with crocodile and palm tree]]
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    Damaged manhole cover
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    A manhole cover at Abuja, Nigeria
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    Precast concrete manholes in India
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    Manhole cover in Kristiansund, Norway
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    Manhole cover in Koblenz, Germany
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    Manhole cover with inscription for the 1100th anniversary of the city of Kassel "Make your cover", Germany
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    Manhole cover in Ansbach, Germany
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    Hot Springs Storm Sewer - No Dumping, Drains to Lake
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    Manhole cover in Taoyuan city, Taiwan (Yangmei Dist. local style)
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    Bigger manhole of a percolating filter
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    "Here begins the river (Sèvre Nantaise); don't get the wrong trash can". Clisson.
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    Painted rainwater manhole cover in Taipei city,Taiwan (2nd Style from Wenshan Dist. since 2021). Its depicted was included “A Formosan black bear lifts the manhole cover“ and Taipei Zoo’s representative animals
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    A manhole cover with construction markings surrounding it in Portland, Oregon
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    Manhole cover in Balkhash, Kazakhstan
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    Manhole cover in Balkhash, Kazakhstan
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    Manhole cover in Balkhash, Kazakhstan
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    Manhole cover in Balkhash, Kazakhstan
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    Manhole cover in Berlin
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    Manhole covers, frames, and adjust rings
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    A manhole cover in Italy
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    Sewage sewer manhole cover in New Taipei city
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    Painted rainwater manhole cover in Taipei city,Taiwan (1st Style from Wenshan Dist. ).
  •  
    Крышка канализационного люка
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    Крышка канализационного люка
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    The pavement in Alesund, Norway
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    Крышка канализационного люка
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    Manhole cover in Hakodate, Japan, depicting Goryokaku ("5-point fort") and the Old Public Hall
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    Manhole cover in Hakodate, Japan, depicting squid, the city mascot
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    Belgrade, Serbia. Sewerage. 100 years with hometown
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    Zanzibar manhole cover with coat of arms
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    Zanzibar manhole cover with Stone Town picture
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    Zanzibar manhole cover with elefants
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    Schachtdeckel in Bremen IMG 6354WI
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    Schachtdeckel in Saalfeld-Saale, Thüringen 2H1A5019WI
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    Schachtdeckel in Sankt Petersburg, Russland 2H1A6941WI
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    SchachtdeckelI in Norwegen, Stadt Bergen IMG 6094WI
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    A Pokemon-styled Manhole cover
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    A lion is coming from a manhole, in León, Spain
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    Manhole cover in Banff, Canada
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    Three manhole covers in Chilliwack
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    Manhole cover at street market near to Charminar Hyderabad
  •  
    To submit pictures please follow this link

2024 – July – Bread

The new challenge features Bread.

Ideally, each submission should contain a summary description of the subject in the file information, including the location of the subject, and relevant categories should be added to the files to enable other Commons users to find them and use them. Please take care not to violate copyright in respect of non-free creative works, and observe our educational project scope and the personality rights of identifiable people, or your files may be subject to deletion.

The challenge will remain open for submissions throughout July UTC.

Checklist for this theme:

  • Photographs must be the work of the nominator.
  • Photographs must be newly uploaded to Commons during the challenge submission period i.e. July 2024 UTC (but may have been taken earlier).
  • Submissions must be added to the top of the "Entries" section below.
  • Please do not nominate lots of similar photos; instead choose just your best and most varied images.

Add your entry between the <gallery> tags as indicated. Gallery entries are placed each on a new line, and consist of the filename, a vertical bar |, and a description. For example:

Electric steam iron.jpg|An electric steam iron

For help on the syntax of entries in a gallery see Help:Gallery tag. Please do not add square brackets [[ ]] or include a thumb parameter or the full URL. The File: prefix is not required, but harmless.

  • Restriction: A maximum of four entries can be submitted per photographer.

There are 9 days 5 hours left before this challenge ends. (refresh)


Examples


Entries

  •  
    Sliced bread on the breakfast table at morning
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    Freshly baked loaf of country bread (white bread)
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    Loaf of wholemeal bread (nine-grain bread)
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    Ржаной хлеб с зеленым луком. Деревенская еда.
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    4 loaves of bread on the shelf
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    Bread shelf in Hamburg's harbor district
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    Brioche advertising at the World Expo in Milan 2015
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    Verkäufer bietet frisch Gebackenes im Park in Marrakech an
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    Baguette tordue
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    Wheat flour rolls - baked personally at home
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    Simple home baked bread with Utensils
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    home-made hot cross buns
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    Ржаной хлеб.
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    Classic Clubhouse Sandwich with Chips on the Side
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    Bakery sign Honorino Fonseca (Ascq)
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    A loaf of bread made of wheat and rye flour
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    Two slices of wheat bread and a tomato
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    Bread slices
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    Slices of four grain bread from Bavaria
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    Slice of four grain bread from Bavaria
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    Slice of four grain bread from Bavaria
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    Bread counter in Tallinn Coop.
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    The structure of baked bread.
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    Wheat-Rye Bread
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    Sandwich for breakfast - wheat-rye bread with ham and vegetables.
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    Sandwiches for breakfast - wheat-rye bread with ham and vegetables
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    Classic Club Sandwich with Crispy Fries on the Side
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    Food for thought or thoughts about food
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    Food stall at Christmas market
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    Dinner is ready
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    Wonder Bread truck parked in a grocery store parking lot in Connecticut, USA
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    Bakery sign
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    Pain cuit en cocotte
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    Pain cuit en cocotte
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    Oroweat Potato Bread before (top) and after (bottom) being toasted by an airfryer
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    African bush squirrel eating bread gotten from tourists in Namibia
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    Fresh home-baked bread with a smile
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    Very good bakery, Belgrade, Serbia
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    Mit dem Brot aus Chemnitz, Sachsen Som2011 5514WI
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    Kürbiskuchen. Zwönitzer Kirmesfest. Erzgebirgskreis, Sachsen IMG 1362WI
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    Brot zum 100-jährigen Jubiläum des Rathauses in Chemnitz Som2011 5518WI
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    Brot zum Tad der Sachsen 2012, Freiberg IMG 9868WI
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    Loafs of bread ready to be baked in a bakery in Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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    Bread being kneaded in a bakery in Aalen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
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    Freshly baked hot cross buns
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    Egg potato salad white sandwich (HDR Photo)
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    Tramezzini di pane integrale con pomodori, insalata lattuga e tonno
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    A piece of bread (the brown skin of white bread) under a microscope
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    Sandwich
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    Panini 'bottoncini' con le noci
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    Cheese toast with tomato
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    Vietnamese roasted pork baguette sandwich (Roasted pork banh mi)
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    A young man putting discs of bread into the oven in the Islamic Cairo section of Cairo, Egypt.
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    Mischbrot
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    Slice of bread
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    Cooking pancakes in the field
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    Loaves of potato bread
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    Lebanese bread with cottage cheese shaped as hearts
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    Croissant and pave milk bread
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    X le Б - Это не хлеб
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    Buttered pineapple bun and butter and condense milk on toast.
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    Heart shaped Lebanese bread shaped n Cottage Cheese
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    Loaves of bread
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    Condensed milk butter toast with Denmark toothpick flag
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    Two slices of black bread on a straw tray
  •  
    To submit pictures please follow this link

Challenges open for voting

 

Voting is open to all registered contributors who have held accounts for at least 10 days and made 50 edits, and also to new Commons contributors who have entered the challenge with a picture. Users cannot vote for their own picture. Voters may select up to three photographs in each theme to award points and can give praise to other photos without awarding points. Voting will be open for one month. The votes not complying with those requirements will be removed or converted to praises. In some cases users might be asked to correct their votes after voting ends.



June 2024

Previous challenges

 

May 2024

Waves: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title This was shot in Kakinada
Beach, shows struggle of
fishermen in middle of sea		 A wave painted with a white
neon lamp in a flashlight,
city beach in Płock, Poland.		 Port Saint-Michel in Batz-sur-Mer
Author Zahed.zk Lightpainterplock Ibex73
Score 28 19 11
Pets: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Australian Shepherd Dog Hachi and Boy Cat enjoying the sun between daisies
Author Ermell HachiBoy Lusi Lindwurm
Score 27 15 13

April 2024

Vertical lines: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Колонны здания администрации и
думы Новгородской области 2H1A4397WI		 Columns on the façade
of the Philharmonie
in Luxembourg		 Fassade Mark-
Twain-
Grundschule 02
Author Kora27 Ermell ThoBel-0043
Score 25 14 11
Flames: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Visitors at the 2024 Easter fire in Rottorf Campfire at lake Yngen,
Filipstad Municipality,
Värmland, Sweden		 Osterfeuer im
oberen Murtal
Author F. Riedelio Mozzihh Bitisajn
Score 21 14 10

March 2024

Grays: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Sieben graue Köpfe Reflections - Shyok River Nina-Replica
Author Mensch01 Prof Ranga Sai Wingerham52
Score 20 18 11
Courthouses: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Palazzo di Guistizia
with Courte di Cassazione
at river Tiber, Rome, Italy		 North facade of Palais de justice de Paris. Supreme Court of Finland at night
Author Mozzihh FreCha GPSLeo
Score 19 15 12

February 2024

Lunar New Year: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Dragon Dance, Oklahoma
City, OK, Lunar New
Year, 2024 (Year of the
Dragon)		 Sec. 1, Wuchang St.,
Taipei City, with LED
lights decorations above
on 2024 Chinese New Year		 Eu Tong Sen Street
in Chinatown, Singapore,
with CNY decorations above
Author OKJaguar Junyu-K S5A-0043
Score 11 9 9
Knots: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Boat knot Figure-eight loop
in mountaineering		 Root knot of
a beech tree
Author Teseo Wagner Cxxx Foeniz
Score 11 9 8

January 2024

Silos: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Garfield Grain Elevator and
Silos Garfield Washington USA		 Feed silos in Hirschbrunn
near Burgebrach		 Silos of the Hannoversche Portland
-Cementfabrik (abandoned in 1986)
Author DaveGinOly Ermell Hgrobe
Score 19 13 8
Masks: Entries • Votes • Scores
Rank 1 2 3
image      
Title Narrentag 2024 -
Elzacher Schuttig		 Kirchseoner Perchtenlauf
- old winter parade
tradition in Bavaria.
Mask of type "Klaubauf"		 Taken in Dublin, march 2014
Author Rainer Halama Würmchen-vom-Mölchlein Oncewerecolours
Score 13 13 10

Previous years

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