Competition for participation in Photo exhibition „Bulgaria – Taiwan: Travelling with the Birds”

And Media partnership of

The exhibition is dedicated to the International Year of Biodiversity. The main aim is to attract attention to the unique diversity and beauty of the birds and nature, as well as to point out the necessity of their protection worldwide. The pictures will reveal the common features and the differences between the amazing world of birds in Bulgaria and Taiwan and the most serious dangers for their survival.

20 pictures of birds from Taiwan and 30 pictures from Bulgaria will be presented (the Bulgarian pictures will be selected through the present competition).
The exhibition will be opened by Her Excellency the Ambassador of Taiwan Mrs. Elizabeth Chu.

I. SUBJECT OF THE PICTURES

The pictures should be from one of the following categories:

1. Birds are brilliant: Pictures of all wild birds in Bulgaria will be accepted, but special attention will be paid on following species:

Species, that could be observed in Bulgaria, as well as in Taiwan and closely related species, such as Bea Eater, Crested Tit, Bittern, Pheasant, Purple Heron, Oriole, Cuckoo, Magpie, etc.;
Species, that are characteristic for Bulgaria and the Balkan Peninsular: Dalmatian Pelican, Sombre Tit, Pygmy Cormorant, Semi-collard Fly Catcher, etc.


2. SOS – Birds in danger: Significant nature conservation problems, concerning birds and their habitats.

The photographed species and habitats should be from Bulgaria. 20 pictures under category 1 and 10 pictures under category 2 will be selected for the exhibition.

II. PARTICIPANTS

All photographers, both professionals and amateurs regardless the age, could participate in the completion;
Photographers under age of 18 could participate with permission of their parents.

III. DEAD-LINES

The pictures should be send to tea.ivanova@bspb.org 15 July
The jury will select 30 pictures for the exhibition and those of them, that will be prized 15 August
Official opening of the exhibition and announcement of the prized pictures 29 September
Announcement of the prize of the public 5 November


IV. FORMAT and THECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS *

The pictures should be presented:

In electronic format – type of the file jpg.
The size of the image should be more than 3400 pixels on the long site.
Every author could submit up to 10 pictures.

The selected pictures will be printed with size 112х88 cm and will be framed accordingly by the organizers.
Each picture should be submitted with:

The whole name of the author;
Title of the picture;
Short description – year of the picture, type, circumstances, short story (мах. 500 symbols with spaces);
Contact details of author: Е-mail, Telephone, Postal address

* The organizers have the right not to permit for voting pictures that did not cover the subject and the requirements.

V. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Authorship – the participants could submit only pictures made by them.
Adequate to the subject.
Artistic implementation – composition, impressive combination of colors and shapes, exciting subject, plot and action.
Good technical characteristics.
The pictures for the competition should not be manipulated significantly with software (removal or adding of plot elements, adding of inscriptions, etc.). Admissible manipulations are:

Change of the brightness and the contrast;
Sharpening of the image;
Reframing of the picture;
Change of the color balance of the whole frame, but without waste of real coloring
The authors should present the unedited pictures, if requested.

Observing of ethical rules of the wild nature:
Photographing of elements of the wild nature should be in compliance with the ethical rules, as the welfare of the wild birds and their habitats is more important than their photographing.

The pictures for the competition should not be made under conditions, violating the national nature conservation legislation, such as disturbance of wild birds during the breeding period. Therefore for the completion will not be accepted pictures of birds in or around the nests, as well as pictures of eggs and juveniles. The only exception will be made for pictures of synanthrope bird species like White Stork, Barn Swallow and Common House Martin, which inhabit settlements and are acquainted to human presence.

VI. PRIZE FUND

First prize – Participation in Bird Fair in Taiwan

Second prize – Photo-trip in Eastern Rhodopes mountain

Third prize – Calendar for 2011 with pictures of the nominated photographer

Forth prize of the public – Photo camera Olympus

Fifth to tenth prize - encouraging prizes (Exquisite bird book from Taiwan)

VII. JURY (5 members). In the jury will participate famous ornithologist and well known Bulgarian and international photographers.
The decision of the jury is final and will not be questioned.

VIII. AUTHOR RIGHTS

The right on the picture remains entirely to the author.
The participant in the competition places the publication rights at organizers’ disposal for the promotion of the competition.
The selected for participation and the nominated photographers guarantee the rights for publication of the selected and nominated pictures in PR materials of the organizers without restrictions.


For more information, please contact:

Teodora Ivanova,BSPB

GSM: 0878 599 362

e-mail:tea.ivanova@bspb.org