Bliss Photo Contest
The Bliss Photo Contest serves to honor the memory of Professor Emeritus of English, Frank W. Bliss, Jr. Dr. Bliss was an avid photographer and passionate about international travel and education.
Each spring, students who traveled abroad that academic year are encouraged to enter the Bliss Photo Contest to honor the memory of Dr. Bliss.
Explore Previous Submissions
Contest Overview
Originally established in 1999, the Dean Rusk International Studies Program supports the annual Bliss Photo Contest. The top 3 photos are featured at the Verna Miller Case Research and Creative Works Symposium; the overall winner receives the Bliss Award for Best Photography. Students in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place as well as the four winners from Community Vote: Best per Category are awarded prizes. The contest begins accepting submissions in the spring for each academic year.
Students should note that the Bliss Photo Contest is separate from the Office of Education Abroad & Away’s annual photo contest that takes place in the fall each year.
Contest Information
Who is eligible to enter?
Anyone can enter – you do not need professional photography experience!
The contest is open to all students who traveled abroad with or participated in the following Davidson grants and programs in the period that runs from January 2025 up until the start of the 2026 Spring Semester:
Dean Rusk Travel Grant
Abernethy Grant
Chaplain’s Office Grant
Alvarez Grant Program
East Asian Internship Program
Matthews Center for Career Development Grants
Davidson Research Initiative (DRI) groups
Department-led academic excursions
Students who studied abroad in credit-bearing OEAA programs may also participate in the Office of Education Abroad & Away’s annual photo contest in the fall of each academic year. If you participated in the 2025 OEAA Returnee Photo Contest, you must submit different photos to the 2026 Bliss Photo Contest.
How do I enter?
Submissions will be accepted from Monday, February 2 at 9 a.m. to Sunday, February 22 at 11:59 p.m.
All application materials must be submitted using the Google Form by the application deadline.
Only one photo per category will be accepted for the Bliss Photo Contest. Therefore, each student may submit a total of FOUR photos.
Photo submissions must be labeled with the student’s name and the category in the file name. For example, if a student named Alex Smith is submitting a photo to the 'Movement and Transportation' category, the file should be titled “AlexSmith_Movement&Transportation.jpg.”
Please submit one application. The Google Form allows you to submit one photo and its caption for each category that you'd like to enter.
Submission & Evaluation Guidelines
Explore photo submission guidelines, learn about submission categories and check out how photos are evaluated by our panel of judges.
What are the prizes?
The top 3 winners will be decided by a panel of faculty and/or staff.
- The best overall photo per category will be decided by students.
- The top 3 winners will be displayed at the Verna Miller Case Research and Creative Works Symposium.
- The 1st place winner will receive the Bliss Award for Best Photography.
- The best overall photo per category will be chosen through a community vote by Davidson Community members.
All students who enter the Bliss Photo Contest are invited. The evening will bring together contest judges, Davidson College community members, and student photographers to celebrate the outstanding photos submitted to the Bliss Photo Contest.
Guests will have the opportunity to hear stories about students' experiences abroad and learn about the inspiration behind their photography. Food will be served.
If you have any questions, please contact Dean Rusk Fellow, Brillon Joseph.