Regulations of the photography competition "Me and the Balkan"
1. Limitations
1.1. Each author can participate with maximum 3 pcs. photos in the photo contest.
1.2. The photos for the photo contest must be up-to-date for the contest period - 01.03 – 30.09.2024
1.3 Contributors must NOT be professional photographers or commercial photographers.
1.4 Photographs taken with cameras and mobile phones as well as action cameras and drones are eligible provided they meet the requirements.
2. Technical requirements for the photos submitted for the photo contest
2.1. Photos must be in digital JPEG format.
2.2. The size of the image shall be not less than 3000 to 5000 pixels on the long side. Both landscape and portrait formats are allowed. The resolution of the images shall be no less than 200 dpi. Files must be no larger than 10MB. Each author must be able to provide a source file (original size photo).
2.3. The following additional photo manipulations are allowed:
1. brightness and contrast processing;
2. image sharpening;
3. resizing the photo.
Photocollages are not allowed, nor are photos that have been crudely digitally retouched or contain added captions and graphics. The aim of the competition is to showcase photographs that are as close as possible to the natural environment they have captured, not to show the author's ability to work with photo processing programs.
3. Participation in the contest
3.1. Photos should be sent to E-mail: kiril@centralbalkan.bg
3.2. The following information must accompany each photo entered in the competition:
1. title of the photo and the place where it was taken;
2. name of the photographer;
3. for participants under 18 - age and name of parent/guardian;
4. contact telephone.
Entries submitted with inaccurate or incomplete information will not be eligible. Each participant will receive a confirmation of the successful registration of the material he/she has submitted to the competition at his/her e-mail address.
4. Deadlines
4.1. Deadline for submitting photos
The competition will run from 01.03.3024 - 30.09.2024.
The competition closes at 20.00 on 30 September 2024.
Entry photos can be submitted at any time between the start and end of the contest.
4.2. Voting on the website to determine the winner of the " Audience Choice Award". You can vote only once for one photo. Voting starts at 08.00 on 21 October and ends at 16.00 on 25 October 2024.
4.3. Announcement of nominees and winners.
On October 17, 2024 the nominees for the photo contest awards (the 10 best works) will be announced;
The winner of the Audience Choice Award will be announced on 28 October 2024;
Their names will be announced on the website www.centralbalkan.bg and on the Park Board's Facebook profile.
The nominated photographs, , will participate in an exhibition to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Central Balkan National Park.
4.4. The awards will be announced at a special ceremony at the opening of the exhibition. One People's Choice Award will also be presented.
5. Awards
The prizes are: 1st place - camera tripod, 2nd place - bluetooth selfie stick - tripod, 3rd place - bluetooth selfie stick Audience Choice Award - LED ring lamp with tripod.
6. The General Terms and Conditions are an integral part of the Competition Regulations
General conditions of the photography competition " Myself and the Balkan"
The photography competition "Me and the Balkan" is implemented by the Directorate of the Central Balkan National Park.
The competition takes place in the period 01.03.2024г. – 30.09.2024г.
1. Theme of the competition "Me and the Balkan"
The aim of the competition is to promote mountain tourism and active lifestyle, to focus on the interaction of man and nature in protected areas and the importance of ecosystem conservation in the Central Balkan National Park, as well as to provide information for people who do not have the opportunity to see this part of the Central Balkan Mountains in person.
2. Participants
2.1. All persons who are NOT professionally engaged in photography are eligible to participate in the photo contest. Under 18 years of age may participate only with the consent of their parents or legal guardians, and a contact telephone number and parent's name must be provided.
2.2. The photo contest is NOT open to authors who are employees of the Central Balkan National Park Directorate or members of the jury, nor to their families or other persons connected with the organization of the contest.
3. Selection of winners
Photographs and photographic projects will be evaluated by a jury including representatives of the Directorate of the Central Balkan National Park and professional photographers. The 10 best photographs will be selected from all submitted photographs. By voting on the Central Balkan NP Directorate's FB page, one of them will receive the "Audience Award", and everyone can "like" a particular photograph. From the 10 selected photographs, three will be chosen
winners. Expectations for the photographs are that they or the stories they portray are directly related to the theme of the competition and have an emotional impact, as well as that the photographs are taken on the territory of Central Balkan National Park. Half of the score is formed by the quality and composition and the other half by the story the work tells.
4. copyrights
4.1. Copyright is owned by the photographers.
4.2 Contestants may only submit photographs taken by themselves and for which they hold the copyright.
The organizers do not verify the authorship of the photographs and accept the act of sending them as a declaration of authorship by the participants. The author of the photograph will be the applicant whose name appears in the text of the email with which the photograph was sent for the competition. Photos should not be bound by an exclusive copyright contract to third parties.
4.3. By submitting a photograph for the competition, participants give their consent to the organisers to use them in the following way:
to publish them in paper or electronic format;
to be included in the exhibition that will conclude the competition;
to be used by publications related to the show and to promote the Park and showcase the contest.
The participant releases the organizers of the competition from any claims of third parties related to the use of the work for the purposes of the competition, as well as for the publication of interpretative and informative materials related to the activities of the Directorate of the Central Balkan National Park.
5. Storage of personal data
The personal data provided will only be used for the purposes of the competition in accordance with the Personal Data Act and will not be disclosed to third parties. The personal data will be used to identify the winners of the competition and award them accordingly. Participants give their consent for the Central Balkan NP Directorate to use his/her name in public communications related to the competition.
6. Acceptance of the competition rules
By submitting an entry to the competition, entrants automatically declare that they are aware of the terms of the competition and that they accept them.
