Since 1991, the Bay of Somme, internationally recognized as a major spot on the migratory routes, celebrates the return of spring and birds with the Bird and Nature Festival.
Nine days of exciting activities to watch, marvel, learn and educate!
Every year, the Bird and Nature Festival launches its international Wildbird photo competition. It will result in an exhibition during the event, whose 27th edition will be held from April 8th to 17th, 2017.
Terms of Entry
This competition is open to everybody, amateur and professional photographers, of whatever nationality. The Festival’s team and the jury members are not allowed to join in.
A specific category is dedicated to young photographers aged 15 to 17 years.
This competition is an ethical contest. Pictures of domesticated, trained or captive wild animals or pets are prohibited. It is the responsability of each participant to adhere to all international laws pertaining to the location where the photo has been taken, including those regarding protected species.
Participants are expected to keep in mind the well-being of the birds and their environment, and to avoid injury or distress to the birds or destruction of their habitat.
Any photo that, in the Jury’s opinion, has been achieved through unethical or harmful conduct will be excluded from the competition.
2017 Categories
5 categories reserved for photographers over 18 years:
- Bird portrait: The subject can be photographed in close-up or whole, single or group but the photo must transmit an emotion through the pose, look, expression… The topics should occupy most of the image.
- Bird in landscape: The landscape must take a prominent place in the composition of the image.
- Artistic vision of bird: The creativity of the photographer, in shooting or post processing, must transform the mundane into a contemplative and artistic interpretation and offer a new perspective on the bird.
- Duo: Interaction between two individuals of the same species or different species (at least, one of the individuals must be a bird)
- Mini- series: The 3 images in this category must have a conductive wire (species, attitude, color, season, history …).
Photos should be of identical proportions and in the same orientation (all vertical or all horizontal).
The Jury reserves the right to change the category of an image if it seems more appropriate.
A special category reserved for young photographers aged 15 to 17 years (legal age to November 30, 2016 at midnight), with only theme the bird in its natural environment.
How to Enter?
Regarding the categories reserved for photographers over 18 years:
Each participant may submit a maximum of 10 photographs (the miniseries category counting as a single photograph).
Registration fees : €2 / photo – Payment will be made online with a debit or credit card or via Paypal.
This game is a competition and not a commercial lottery, the participation fee will not be refunded.
Regarding the category for photographers aged 15 to 17 years:
- Each participant may submit up to 5 photos. No registration fees for this category.
You must register and submit your pictures online on the Festival website. When registering, you must provide a valid email address, at which you can be contacted.
Dates and deadline : From September 1st to November 30th, 2016, midnight (Paris time). To avoid technical problems, we deeply recommend you not to wait until the last minute.
Black and white or color files shall be submitted in:
- JPEG format
- 3:2 ratio
- free of margin, frame or signature
- exactly 3,500 pixels on its longest side (the shortest side should be of about 2,333 pixels)
Except for the «Artistic vision» category, we will only accept images with limited alterations to the overall improvement (localized editing, tone adjustment, contrast, noise reduction, minor cleanups…). Maximum trimming allowed: 20%.
The digital processings affecting more deeply the perception of the original image (High Dynamic Range, panorama stitching, overlays, focus staking ..) are permitted only in the «Artistic vision» category. In this case, the exif data and IPTC fields will help to understand the conditions of shooting.
Entering award-winning picture from a previous edition of the competition is forbidden. A picture can compete in only one category.
Jury
The preselection will be made in December, 2016 by the Festival team, photographers, ornithologists and naturalists. The jury will proceed in accordance with the rules of anonymity to the selection of the best photos in each category which will be presented to the Final Jury.
The Final Jury, consisting of photographers, naturalists, bird watchers and representatives of the partners of the Festival will be held January, 12th and 13th, 2017 to decide the winners and photographers exhibited. It reserves the right to review photos not selected by the Jury of preselection.
After the end of deliberations, the raw or native file will be claimed to the winners. These files must be provided by mail return. If it turns out that a winning image has not complied with these rules, it will officially be downgraded.
Results will be communicated by email and will be available on the website.
Prizes and Awards Ceremony
Prizes can not be the object of a counterpart in cash nor of whatever nature and are not transferable.
- A Grand Prix to the overall winner awarded with a sum of €1,500
- A 1st Prize in each category awarded with a sum of €800
- A 1st Prize for the category «Young Photographers» rewarded by material endowments.
- A Public Prize awarded to the picture which has totalized the more votes from the visitors of the exhibition, endowed by the Festival’s partners.
Every competitor can only be awarded for a single photograph except for the Public Prize and any Special Mentions awarded by the Jury.
The Jury reserves the right to change the prize list depending on the quality of the works in competition, and assign additional «Special Distinctions».
Each winner will be invited to the Award Ceremony on April 15th, 2017:
- The Festival will offer for 2 people: one night in a hotel room / a first-class return train ticket Paris-Abbeville-Paris, or the equivalent in cash, a meal with the other nominated entrants (directors, producers and photographers).
Copyright
By entering, the photographer declares being the sole author of the submitted image and fully agrees to the competition rules.
The author of a selected or a winning photograph grants to the Bird and Nature Festival, the right to reproduce and publish his/her images to promote the Photo Competition and/or the Festival.
This includes:
- production and distribution of a video clip on the Photo Competition,
- publication of the results on the internet and in the press,
- publication in a portfolio realized by our partner Nat’Images,
- promotion of the competition and the current edition of the Festival,
- reproduction for exhibiting during the Festival.
The Festival will not transfer the exploitation rights to any other third party and will not make any other use of the work without prior agreement of the author.
Exhibition
- In order to realize the Photo Competition exhibition, a professional lab will be appointed to print the selected photos on the basis of the sent files.
- During the exhibition, visitors will vote for the photo of their choice to award the Public Prize.
- Photographers having one or more photos exhibited will benefit from 2 complimentary exhibition entrances.
- After the event, the winning photos and a selection of the best pictures will constitute a non-profit touring exhibition to promote the Festival.
Responsibility
The competition entry being processed through the Internet, it implies knowledge and acceptance of the limits of the Internet, especially regarding technical performance, highly variable flows, the loading time, lack of protection of certain data against misuse and risk of contamination by viruses circulating on the network.
Consequently, the Festival cannot be held liable.
For more information on application please click on the "Further official information" link below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://www.festival-oiseau-nature.com/en/reglement/