COMPLETE NAME: 5th Emirates Photography Competition 2010

ORGANIZED BY: Abu Dhabi Authority of Culture & Heritage (ADACH)

The Abu Dhabi Authority of Culture & Heritage (ADACH) organizes the 5th session of Emirates Photography Competition (EPC) under the patronage of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP). EPC is aimed at promoting photographic arts in the UAE through encouraging and attracting a large number of photographers to participate, as well as nurturing young talents and supporting established professional through workshops, master classes, forums, individual and collective galleries inside and outside the Country. Since its conception, the Competition has not saved an effort to acquire and publish artistic works of photographers.

1. Who can enter?

TERRITORY: international

ENTRANT STATUS: amateur, professional, groups (at least 10 photographers)

AGE LIMITATIONS: none

2. Competition info

ENTRY CLOSES: 15th March 2010 (received by this date) — extended to 15th April 2010

ENTRY TYPE: mail

> Entry Fees

• $20 to participation in the Theme
• $10 for participation in (each) theme
• $45 to participate in all themes (Main and General)
• $40 to participate in all themes (Main and General) – group participation

3. What should photos be about?

You can enter into the Main Theme and/or General Themes:

> Main Theme

The theme is “ Prince of Light“.

Take innovative artistic shots that speak the unlimited realm of light, demonstrate its rich diversity from shade to dark in nature and architecture, the different environmental reflections of peoples’ lives, professions and face expressions, and convey the endless potential of every single light spot.

As EPC celebrates Al Hasan Bin Al Haythem Al Basri (965-1038 AD) in this session, participants are encouraged to have their inspirations from his legacy in this theme and to take benefit from his bold methods and visions to come up with spectacular actualizations of light that will convey stronger interpretational potential.

Bin Al Haythem was an Arab scientist who made important contributions to the science of optics as well as physics, geometry, astronomy and philosophy. He made many breakthroughs in the realm of optics which gave the way to the development of camera.

Maximum 4 images.

Participant has the right to participate with a portfolio only in the Main Theme, provided that such a portfolio includes at least six photographs and no more than 10. However, each individual work will constitute a single photograph and each portfolio will constitute a single work.

Participant cannot participate with a portfolio as well as a single photograph in the Main Theme. However, it is allowed to participate with a portfolio in the Main Theme and single photographs in the General Themes.

> General Themes

There are 4 General Themes:

• Landscape & Nature – The idea of nature does not end with what we see. Eyes may see what is invisible as well. Nature, in all its diversity, grants the artist permanent opportunities to interpret it differently. The creativity of the photographer and his camera, as expected by the viewer, is to surprise himself.
• Portraits & People – Human beings are generally the memories of their histories and deeds since the beginning of creation. Their lives are in everlasting movement between their visible and inner worlds, in studio photos of faces and groups, in live reality, that can be captured by the heart before the eyes or the lens.
• Journalism Photography – Since its early beginning, one of the most important contributions of photography has been its role as a mirror of truth, a sincere observer feared by many, as it has assumed the responsibility of speaking up the hidden. Journalist photography role has never been of a decorative value; but to tell the truth.
• Still Life & Abstract - The very essence of art is to reshape the reality and reproduce it into new ideas invoked by our awareness of the inner and outer relationships among harmonious or conflicting shapes around us within an integrated single entity stripped from the unity of variations and concepts. It is the image idea worked out in a synthetic, living and consistent structure.

Maximum 4 images in each General Theme.

4. Photo Requirements

AREA WHERE IT CAN BE TAKEN: anywhere

AGE OF PHOTO: no limit

IMAGE FORMAT: Photographs must be submitted in JPG format with large sizes, high quality and at least 300 dpi. Unprintable photographs are not acceptable. To get high quality printouts, it is not advisable to scale down the originals or enlarge or scale down quality settings whether the original are less or more than 300 dpi. Regardless of the camera type, unchanged original definitely gives the best printouts.

PHOTO EDITING: Photographs can be edited or have additions as long as they are authentic. Copies from or adoptions of works by other artists are not acceptable. Digitally edited or treated photographs are also acceptable.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Single or sequence photographs, synthetic works, panoramic images, medium and large size positive and negative slides as well as negative images, digital images, and artistically treated works are all accepted provided they respect the values and concepts of artistic photography performance.
• Photographs that have participated in previous session of the Competition are not accepted.

5. Legal Issues

> Your legal responsibilities

Participants shall acknowledge their full ownership of their submitted works inclusive of all the elements included in the photographs and creative ideas related to them and declare that the same are not copied or adapt from or including any elements from works by other artists.

Participants shall acknowledge that the rights related to their submitted photographs have not been assigned, soled, reserved or licensed in any way whatsoever to third party or subject to any restriction that may restrict their full freedom to dispose of the same.

Participants shall acknowledge that they have obtained all the required approvals with respect to the persons appearing in their photographs or with respect to their exhibiting in books, publications and exhibitions as per the above provisions.

> Photo usage rights

Participants shall authorize the Competition to exhibit their submitted photographs in exhibitions organized by ADACH inside and outside the UAE.

Participants shall authorize the Competition to reproduce and publish or allow third parties to reproduce and publish all their submitted photographs through all types of international media outlets, while reserving the intellectual and material rights of the photographers.

6. Judging

JUDGES: There is no information who the judges are.

JUDGING CRITERIA: There is no information how the photographs will be judged.

7. Prizes

Grand Prize (given to the best participation in the Main Theme): AED 50,000 (approximately $13,600, €9,500) + FIAP Gold Medal

1st place: AED 20.000 (approximately $5450, €3800) + FIAP Gold Medal

2nd place: AED 15.000 (approximately $4000, €2850) + FIAP Silver Medal

3rd place: AED 10.000 (approximately $2700, €1900) + FIAP Bronze Medal

1st place in each General theme: AED 20,000 (approximately $5450, €3800) + FIAP Gold Medal

2nd place in each General theme: AED 15.000 (approximately $4000, €2850) + FIAP Silver Medal

3rd place in each General theme: AED 10.000 (approximately $2700, €1900) + FIAP Bronze Medal

Photography Clubs Award (given to the best group participation by photography associations or clubs from around the world) – 3x: AED 10.000 (approximately $2700, €1900) + FIAP Gold Medal

Other prizes:

• All winners from outside the UAE will have one-week invitation inclusive of travel and accommodation costs to attend the Competition’s program and award ceremony.
• All winners will have trophies of the Competition as well as appreciation certificates.
• Distinguished works in all categories will have appreciation certificates.
• All participants will receive a copy of the Competition’ book as well as a participation certificate mailed to their addresses.

8. Useful Links

Need inspiration? See what images have won in 2009!

Read official rules yourself!

Ready to enter? Register here!

Participants must submit their photographs in soft copies on CD or DVD and keep the originals for reference if requested by the Administration of the Competition. Printouts or e-mail attachments will not be accepted.

Each CD or DVD must have the participant’s name and code and be mailed along with the participation fees and high quality personal photograph

Official website of the competition: http://ephotoc.net/en/Default.aspx

I cannot take any responsibility for changing of rules or mistypes in this article. This article has only an informative nature. For official rules always refer to the official website!

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