National Photography Competition 2015 on Protected Endemic Sanctuaries
Competition Brief
What are the Protected Endemic Sanctuaries
Mauritius is blessed with a wealth of plants and animals that have evolved through millions of years into an assembly of species seen nowhere else in the world. Unfortunately development pressures have already taken its toll on species like the dodo and are threatening the rest of the native and endemic species.
1 We have very little of our natural coastal areas left and much of the remaining forest is heavily degraded by alien invasive plants 2 . In order to raise awareness on the importance of protecting our endemic heritage, the concept of “The Protected Endemic Sanctuaries” was created with the support of the Ministry of Agro-Industry & Food Security, National Parks and Conservation Service, Forestry Service in partnership with, UNDP, GEF, local NGOs and private forest landowners.
Objective of the National Photography Competition 2015
Biodiversity loss is a major challenge in Mauritius and in the rest of the world. To address these issues, we need all hands on deck. The National Photography Competition 2015 is an opportunity to engage citizens Mauritius (professional, amateur and student photographers) to generate awareness on our Protected Endemic Sanctuaries, celebrate their beauty, and motivate people to contribute to their conservation.
Thematic categories:
Photos can be submitted in the following categories
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Category 1: Endemic fauna species in their natural habitats.
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Category 2: Wild landscapes rich with unique endemic Flora.
A presentation on “Restoring native Mauritian forests for a sustainable island” can be viewed on our Facebook page
(Protected Endemic Sanctuaries in Mauritius).
Registration and submission of entries:
1 Species endemic to Mauritius are found nowhere else in the world while species native to Mauritius include endemic species and others that are found in other countries as well. That is, all endemic species are also native but not all native species are endemic. For example, the Mauritius kestrel is native and endemic to Mauritius (found only in Mauritius) and the paradise fly catcher is native but not endemic to Mauritius (found in Mauritius and Réunion Island).
2 Alien invasive plants are plant species that are not native to Mauritius that have spread beyond the places where they have been planted, causing economic, social and environmental harm.
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The Competition is open to all citizens of Mauritius aged 18 and above except for the staff of the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation. Only one entry per category is allowed per participant. The entry/entries of the participant must be stored on a Compact Disc and submitted by Monday 18 May 2015. Late submissions will not be accepted. All entries (along with the Entry Form) should be forwarded to:
Prizes:
Winners for the different categories will receive the following prizes:
Winner
Second place
Category 1
(Endemic fauna species in their natural habitats)
Rs 50,000
Rs 35,000
Category 2
(Wild landscapes rich with unique endemic Flora)
Rs 50,000
Rs 35,000
Rs 25,000 Third place Rs 25,000
In addition to the above, all participants will be awarded a participation certificate.
Competition rules and Technical specifications
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The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the competition entrant who acknowledges, and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the entrant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity.
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Photographs must be in digital format and submitted in a filename including the author’s name and the title of the picture(e.g. Firstname_Surname_Title.jpg)
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All digital files must be 20 megabytes or smaller, must be in JPEG or JPG format, and must be at least 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image).
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Watermarks are not acceptable.
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The following techniques are acceptable/ not acceptable: o Dodging and Burning: Dodging (to brighten shadows) or burning (to darken highlights) is acceptable. The goal in using digital darkroom techniques should be to adjust the dynamic tonal range of an image so that it more closely resembles what was seen. o Colour Saturation
:
Please avoid significant over- or under-saturation that will make the image look cartoonish
.
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o Solarization, mezzotint, duotone, etc.: These are discouraged. There are a myriad of alteration "filters" available in digital photo software; please avoid them. o Black and White Pictures: Acceptable o Cropping: Acceptable o Stitched panoramas: NOT Acceptable o High Dynamic Range Image (HDR): NOT Acceptable
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The entries in each Category will judged separately by a jury panel, on the criteria listed below and their decision shall be final: o Creativity; o Photographic quality; o Genuineness/authenticity of the content; and o Strength of biodiversity conservation message.
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Proof of submission is not proof of receipt. The Ministry reserves the right to examine the original photograph/source material in order to confirm compliance with these rules.
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By entering the competition, all entrants grant an irrevocable license to the Ministry, to reproduce, distribute, display and create derivative works of the entries (along with a name credit) in connection with the Competition, in any media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to: Display at a potential exhibition of winners; publication of a material featuring select entries in the Contest; or online highlighting entries or winners of the
Contest.
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In case of any dispute or difference in respect of the competition, the decision of the Ministry shall be final and binding on all concerned;
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All the costs and expenses for collecting the competition money will be borne solely by the participants and the
Ministry shall not entertain any claim, whatsoever;
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The competition money shall be non-transferable and non-negotiable;
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The Ministry, in its absolute discretion reserves the right at any time, without giving any previous notice to the participants, to add, alter, modify, change or vary all or any of these terms & conditions, wholly or in part, or to withdraw the Competition;
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Participants are requested NOT to publish your submitted photograph on Facebook or other social media until after the winners are announced;
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