[feature request] Photo Contest

[Fabiolander]

Hi Jan,

I use Phoca Gallery on my site and still very happy with.

I would like to create a new site for my photoclub and would like to integrate a Photo Contest.
For me the best one is Dpreview challenge : http://www.dpreview.com/challenges/

The photoclub doesn't need such complex website but at least I look for something alowing me to open contest by category, with time lapse then to sort winner by month, week, day.

Is it something faesable in phoca Gallery ?

I can $$ for it.

Thank you
Fabio

[Jan]

Hi, there is no such option in Phoca Gallery, I think this needs to be customized in the code

Or write a detailed info how this should work and I will add it to feature request list (but for now, I cannot really say If I will find time to looking at it )

Jan

[mhehm]

i need this too.
i think if you add a period time to category that when that time finished users can not rate pictures of that gallery, it will done.

[djw]

Hi I'm looking for similar for my camera club website, even the option to selectively turn rating on/off for galleries would work in the first place.

Or if possible, to be able to run a 2nd install of phoca on same site with rating options turned on.


DJW

[gabry501]

I'll need something similar too.. that would be great!

[Jan]

Hi, try to see:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17059

Jan

[PaulCollins]

While Phoca Gallery is incredibly powerful for displaying images, it doesn't have a dedicated "Photo Contest" engine built-in. However, as of 2026, it remains one of the most flexible gallery components for Joomla, and you can definitely achieve a contest-like structure by combining its native features with a few tweaks:

How to set it up in Phoca Gallery:
Categories as Contests: You can create a parent category called "2026 Contests" and subcategories for each month (e.g., "February - Architecture").
User Uploads: Enable the Frontend User Upload feature so members can submit their own photos to specific categories.
Voting & Rating: Use the built-in Rating System (stars) or integrate it with a comment system like JComments to allow members to "vote" or provide feedback.
Sorting: You can configure the category view to sort images by "Rating" or "Hits," which effectively shows your monthly or weekly winners at the top of the grid.

Better Alternatives for Joomla:
If you want something more automated-with specific start/end dates and "winner" tags like DPReview-you might want to look at a dedicated extension like NorrCompetition. It is specifically designed for voting contests and integrates smoothly into Joomla sites alongside Phoca Gallery.

Since you'll be managing a high volume of uploads from club members, you'll likely run into various file formats. If members upload newer WebP files that your older gallery setup or certain browsers struggle to display, WEBPtoJPGhero is a lifesaver. You can use it to quickly convert those entries into high-quality JPEGs to ensure every member's work is seen clearly by the judges.

It’s definitely feasible, though a dedicated contest extension might save you the headache of custom coding!