The Hive Lens competition is here. Print it. Shoot it. Win.

We've been building this competition behind the scenes ever since we wrapped up our amazing Easter's Hunt, and I'm really happy to finally share the full details.

Hive Lens is Cubee's first photography competition. The idea is simple: pick a design from the Hive Catalog, print it, photograph it, and submit your photo. The community votes, and the photos with the most votes win.

Why a Photo Competition?

Because you're already doing this. Every time you print something and snap a quick photo for a listing, or post it on Instagram, or just text someone "look what I made" — you're already halfway there.

What I'm personally looking forward to is seeing how everyone shoots the same kinds of designs differently. Different setups, different angles, different ideas.

You learn a lot just scrolling through other people's photos, and I think a lot of us are going to come out of this with better product shots, win or lose.

There's a practical side too.

Good product photography is probably the single best thing you can do for your Etsy or Shopify store. Buyers decide in seconds. The photo is the product. So if you've been putting that off, here's your excuse to sit down and finally nail it.

The Prizes

We've got 10 prizes for 10 winners.

🥇 1st place — Custom design from Cubee Studio. A one-on-one design made just for you by one of our designers. Nobody else gets it. This one's pretty special.

🥈 2nd place — Lifetime Hive Community subscription. No renewals, ever.

🥉 3rd place — 2 rolls of premium Polymaker filament. Enough to print your next bestseller.

🏅 4th–10th place — 10 KishMake projects each to grow your catalog.

We might also have a few surprise prizes for photos that really stand out to us. No promises yet, but if we see something that deserves a shoutout, we'll find a way to make it count.

How Voting Works

Anyone can vote on a photo, but if you're a Hive member, your vote counts for 5 points instead of 1.

So yeah, sharing your entry (once the voting opens) helps. But the Hive community is where the real weight is. Try to get your entry in front of both.

The Rules

A few things to keep in mind:

1. Active Hive members only — you need an active subscription through the end of the competition.

2. Up to 3 photos per member, submitted one at a time.

3. Hive Catalog designs only — not just any 3D print you have lying around.

4. Real photos you took yourself — no AI images, renders, or stock photos.

5. Most votes wins — prizes go out within a week of results.

6. By submitting, you're giving Cubee permission to use your photos in marketing.

A Few Tips Before You Shoot

Not everyone has a photography background, and that's totally fine. You don't need to do heavy editing or post-processing either. A good photo straight out of your phone camera is more than enough.

That said, a few small things go a long way:

📸 Natural light — Get near a window, morning or late afternoon if you can. It looks so much better than a flash.

🧹 Clean background — You don't need anything fancy. A plain surface works. Just make sure the print is what your eye goes to and there's nothing competing for attention.

🔄 Try a few different angles — The straight-on shot is almost never the best one. Get low, get close, rotate the piece. The photo you didn't plan for is usually the keeper.

How to Enter

1. Go to the competition page. Pick your best Hive 3D print and photograph it like you're about to list it for sale tomorrow.

2. Fill in the design details, upload the photo, and hit submit.

3. The Hive team does a quick check before your entry shows up in the gallery. Usually takes a few hours.

4. That's it! Once the team approves your entry, you're IN the competition and stand a chance to win some amazing prizes!!

Timeline

📅 Submissions open — May 1, 2026

📅 Submissions close — June 15, 2026

🗳️ Voting opens — June 15, 2026

🏆 Winners announced — July 1, 2026

Submissions are OPEN right now. Go print something and shoot your shot📸

Submit Your Entry