Competition Rules & Standards

1. IMAGE FILES & SUBMISSION LIMITS

• Submission Limit: Each participant is allowed to submit a total of 8 photographs, with a strict limit of 2 photographs per category (Wild, Landscape, Aurora, Mobile Phone).

• Format: JPEG, sRGB color space, exactly 1920 pixels on the longest edge.

• Compression: Files can be compressed as long as there is no visible degradation of image quality.

• File Size & Metadata: The file size must not exceed 3 MB, and the original EXIF data must remain intact and embedded.

• Watermarks & Branding: Images must not contain borders, signatures, logos, watermarks, or any other visible form of author identification.

• Titles: Images must have a descriptive title written in English.

The creation and editing of the images submitted to the contest must comply with the ethical and technical requirements set forth below, as well as international nature photography codes of ethics.

There are no restrictions regarding the file naming convention for the submitted images.

Authors of the shortlisted images must provide the RAW files for verification upon the Organizer’s request, and supply the maximum resolution images in TIFF format for the physical exhibition.

2. ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS

The Organizer is actively involved in nature conservation projects and emphasizes the importance of strict ethical standards for all images participating in the competition. All submitted images must be taken with total respect for wildlife and the environment.

The following practices are STRICTLY PROHIBITED:

• Photographing dead, captive, trained animals, or those whose movement has been substantially restricted by mechanical, chemical (sedation), or freezing means.

• Photographing under conditions that caused substantial stress to the subject (e.g., entering bird colonies during the nesting season, using continuous or sudden artificial light sources, etc.), injury, or death.

• Destruction of plants or natural landscape elements.

• Photographing in protected natural areas where public access is forbidden, unless backed by a valid official permit.

• Modifying the natural setting by removing or adding elements that substantially change the photographed scene (this does not include clearing anthropogenic waste/litter from the scene).

• Photographing animals at specialized feeders or hides is accepted, provided the images are presented as such, and the feeding conditions do not endanger the subject (through poor food quality or exposure to predators) and do not substantially alter their natural behavior.

Any violation of the above ethical conditions will lead to the immediate disqualification of all images submitted to the competition by that photographer. Subsequent discovery of such violations will result in the removal of the images from the Exhibition and the revocation of any awards granted.

Anthropogenic (man-made) elements, cultivated crops, or domestic animals are generally not accepted in the competition. Anthropogenic elements are only allowed if they are part of the subject’s natural, current environment and do not constitute the primary subject of the image.

3. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

Only digital images produced with electronic devices or obtained through high-resolution scanning of slides or negatives are accepted into the contest. Electronic devices include digital cameras, drones, mobile phones, or other devices that meet the minimum resolution specified below. AI-generated images are not accepted, and the use of AI tools to remove or add parts of the photograph is strictly prohibited. Physical copies or prints cannot be submitted.

The Organizer encourages technical excellence and capturing the image in-camera with minimal post-processing.

The following digital edits are PERMITTED:

• Cropping the original image, provided the remaining file maintains a minimum resolution of 12 Megapixels.

• Rotating the entire image for proper alignment of elements within the frame.

• Correcting chromatic aberrations, vignetting, and distortions caused by optical lenses.

• Moderate adjustments to white balance, brightness, contrast, color tones, and saturation.

• Moderate selective adjustments using software tools like dodging/burning and shadows/highlights, as well as applying neutral density gradual digital filters.

• Reasonable digital noise reduction applied to the entire frame or selectively.

• Removal of sensor dust spots or minor sensor defects.

• Minimal cleanup of minor distracting elements (e.g., dust spots, small pieces of litter), as long as it does not change the composition, subject, or message of the image.

• Limited sharpening applied to the entire frame or selectively.

• Conversion of images into black and white.

• Infrared spectrum images taken with digital cameras modified for this purpose.

Other types of digital editing not explicitly mentioned above may also be accepted, provided they are discreet and within reasonable limits.

Panoramic images obtained by stitching multiple successive frames horizontally or vertically are accepted, as long as all images were taken in the same location and within a reasonable timeframe.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) and focus-stacking images are accepted, provided they do not distort reality and all combined frames were shot with the same subject and composition, in the same location, and within a reasonable timeframe.

The following digital edits are NOT PERMITTED:

• Removing elements from the frame if it changes the composition, subject, or message of the image.

• Introducing elements into the frame, including silhouettes, shadows, glare, fog, mist, etc.

• In-camera multiple exposures, even if the final output is a single RAW file.

• Applying colored digital filters.

• Monochrome conversion of the image, with the sole exception of black and white.

• Excessive selective desaturation of colors.

Failure to comply with one or more of these technical requirements will result in the disqualification of the image.

FINAL CLAUSES

Images submitted to the competition that do not comply with the entry rules and/or content, format, ethical, or technical requirements will be disqualified. The final decision to accept or reject an image rests exclusively with the Jury.

All decisions made by the Jury are final and binding. No appeals or disputes will be considered.

The Organizer reserves the right to prohibit or cancel the participation of any individual if their association with the competition could cause reputational damage to the Organizer, or following any attempt to undermine the smooth running of the contest.

Disqualified participants are not entitled to a refund of the entry fee, nor to compensation of any other kind.

The Organizers will make all reasonable efforts to contact the winners to deliver the prizes. Prizes unclaimed within 6 months from the date of the awards ceremony will be forfeited.