Több mint 10,000 angol font összdíjazású pályázat

International Wild Bird Photographer 2005

THE CATEGORIES AND PRIZES

You may enter work (a minimum of three images) on CD or transparencies, for each of the following categories. All category winners will go forward for judging in the grand final to win the title of International Wild Bird Photographer 2005 and the cash prize of Ł1,500.

1 Birds in Britain

Több mint 10,000 angol font összdíjazású pályázat

International Wild Bird Photographer 2005

THE CATEGORIES AND PRIZES

You may enter work (a minimum of three images) on CD or transparencies, for each of the following categories. All category winners will go forward for judging in the grand final to win the title of International Wild Bird Photographer 2005 and the cash prize of Ł1,500.

1 Birds in Britain

NEW CATEGORY. This country offers year-round opportunities for bird photographers and we want to see your most striking images of birds in clearly identified British habitats. Here’s your chance to prove you don’t need to spend thousands on an African safari to capture memorable bird images.

2 Birds of the world

NEW CATEGORY. To ensure the growing entry of overseas-based photographers is treated fairly we’ve introduced this class. The winning entry will not only possess incredible aesthetic appeal, but will show the relationship between the bird and the place where it lives from the frozen Arctic wastes to the steamy jungles of South America.

3 Birds in action

Photographs have revealed many new insights into the way birds live and this category will be won by images that show interesting behaviour – feeding, preening, fighting, even yawning – as well as outstanding artistic and technical merit.

4 Garden birds

Here the challenge is to come up with new and interesting images of very familiar species in a managed environment. The judges will want to see evidence that the picture was taken in a garden – a close-up of a Blackbird on a piece of grass, which may or may not be a lawn is unlikely to be shortlisted for a prize. This year we’ll be looking for pictures of tits searching for insects on your raspberry canes, a Nuthatch on a nut feeder or Starlings splashing in a bird bath.

5 Bird portrait

Close-up shots that make a statement about the character of a species are the order of the day here. That could mean head and shoulder portraits of larger species or frame-filling beak-to-tail shots of small perching birds but definitely not birds in flight or engaged in any form of activity. Also remember that all birds featured in the competition must be genuinely wild creatures, so don’t be tempted to send in images taken at the local zoo or wildlife rescue centre.

6 Patterns and composition

The natural world cannot be beaten for its wonderfully diverse colours, patterns and shapes. If you’ve got an eye for the abstract possibilities of a bird’s plumage, the patterns within a flock or the textures of a bird in a rugged landscape this is the class to enter.

7 Best amateur award

NEW CATEGORY. A major goal of IWP2005 is to encourage more people to take up bird and wildlife photography. We recognise that many people starting out may feel intimidated about entering their work alongside some of the world greats, so this section is restricted to those readers who have not yet received a payment for published work. Apart from that there are no restrictions, so the winning entry could be a digiscoped picture or even an imaginative snap taken with a mobile phone.

8 Digiscope award

Combining a digital camera and a telescope has made frame-filling bird photography a reality for many people and every month the bird magazines are awash with great images of rarities recorded by this technique. However, common species offer even more opportunities for anyone getting into this revolutionary new arm of wildlife photography.

9 Creative digital award

While photography has long been considered as a means or recording reality, with this class we want you to forget naturalism and free your imagination. This category allows photographers the same artistic licence enjoyed by painters for centuries, so we hope to see birds being used in symbolic, abstract or surreal ways. The computer is a creative tool and we want to see the most adventurous creation of images that include birds, feathers, eggs, nests or anything avian. Who dares wins.

10 Best portfolio

A submission of three images is needed for this category and each photographer needs to demonstrate his or her technical versatility as well as a linking theme – it could be the same species of bird doing three different things or a trio of images linked by colour or bird type or some activity. Three unrelated shots, no matter how good they are individually, will not be likely to win.

THE JUDGES

TV personality Bill Oddie will chair the judging panel, which will include fellow television star Chris Packham, a noted wildlife photographer, Jon Adams (the editor of Digital Photo), David Cromack (editor of Bird Watching), noted bird artist Robert Gillmor, Emap staff photographer Tom Bailey and wellknown bird photographer David Cottridge.

CONTEST RULES

1) Entry is open to all photographers (excluding employees of Emap plc and Warehouse Express) who use the official entry form printed in Bird Watching magazine (August 2005 issue) or on the official IWP2005 website (www.iwpawards.com).
2) Winning entries (best individual picture and best portfolio of three) from each category will win a prize and then advance to a Grand Final to decide the overall title.
3) Each entrant may submit up to three images for each of the solo classes. The portfolio class is restricted to a single trio of pictures. To help cover basic administration costs, an entry fee of Ł10 will be levied to cover three classes of your choice. There will be a further fee of Ł2.50 per class for every extra category beyond the first three (for instance someone entering work in all categories would pay Ł27.50).
4) Entries must have been taken in the five years prior to the closing date and the entrant should be sole author and copyright owner of each image.
5) Only images of wild, free-flying birds are eligible for entry and competitors must certify that no captive birds have been photographed. If protected species are the subject, entrants should submit copies of relevant permits from supervising agencies (ie: English Nature).
6) Pictures that have won awards in other British-based photographic awards or previously published in British magazines are disqualified from entry.
7) No image may be entered into more than one category.
8) Labelling: This year only digital images on CD and transparencies will be accepted. Digital images must be produced to a minimum of 1,026 pixels along the longest side and a maximum of 2,000 pixels. It would assist the organisers if entrants submitted a sheet of thumbnail images with each CD. Full size prints of digital images are not required. Each transparency should be labelled with Category Number, Photographer Name and Species Name (eg C2/J Smith/Yellowhammer). For digital entries all images should be tagged in the same way, and the CD clearly labelled.
Put each transparency in a separate envelope and write on it the following information: category number/your name and address/ species name/ details of location, time of year taken/ equipment used. Do not seal the envelope. Send in one package together with entry form.

Guidance notes for users of digital cameras
Unaltered digital images:Each image should be presented as a straight-from-camera picture. Cropping, plus standard processing such as adjustments to levels, colour correction and sharpening, in line with the production of a high quality print, is allowed. Any other manipulation, such as repositioning elements or removing objects is not allowed.

Altered digitalimages:Any degree of alteration is allowed in the Creative Digital Award class the winner will be decided on the basis of who has used the computer software most effectively. The only requirement is that all original images must have been taken by the entrant. A CD showing all the original images should be submitted.

Entrants may be required to furnish original images if there are any issues of improper manipulation.

9) Return of entries: CD’s or slides will only be returned if appropriate postage costs are included with entry form. British photographers should include a stamped addressed envelope.
10) Registration fees and postage costs can be paid as follows:
i) By Sterling cheques made payable to Bird Watching;
ii) By international reply coupons;
iii) By credit card form.

11) The winners will be chosen by judges appointed by the organisers, whose decisions on all matters is final. Entries will be judged on style, creativity, originality, technical execution and presentation.
12) The prizes are as stated and no cash alternatives are available. If category entries fall below the required standard, the organisers reserve the right not to award prizes.
13) The organisers and sponsors reserve the right to free reproduction and exhibition in all media of prize-winning or commended entries, but only in connection with this competition and publicity for it.
14) The organisers reserve the worldwide, royalty-free right and licence for the full period of copyright to publish winning and commended images in a book or magazine, and at their discretion will pay reproduction fees to photographers.
15) All entries are sent at the photographer’s risk and the organisers regret that they cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage.
16) CLOSING DATE: Entries and registration fees must be received by September 30, 2005. Entries from outside the UK will be accepted up to seven days after this date. Winners will be notified in December 2005.

Any questions arising from these rules and regulations should be addressed to:

iwp2005@emap.com