The Oxygen Times | Guideline

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST GUIDELINES

Online Photography Contest orgainsed by Theoxygentimes.

The requirements for this competition are as followings:

The participants must be a student of School, College or University.
The participants must be a citizen of India, residing in India.
The photograph should depict the theme Life is beautiful.
Only one entry is allowed per photographer.
The photograph must be original and no watermark of any kind should be on the photograph.
Participants may submit colour and/or black and white photographs taken up during Lock down period.
The photograph must be of highest resolution possible.
It can be in Landscape/Portrait mode.
Photographs that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization (removal of dust, cropping, reasonable adjustments to exposure, color and contrast, etc.) will be disqualified.
Adult content of any kind will not be entertained and would lead to direct disqualification.
A caption must be given for the photograph.

Details of Submission:

The photograph must be sent before December 31, 2020, 11:59 PM with the following details:
Name
Age
Profession (Student/Working)
College/Company Name
Residential City
Date/Period of capturing the photograph
Caption of the photograph
Camera details
The photograph which has won prizes in other competition would lead to direct disqualification.
Contact number
Any photograph received after December 31, 2020, 11:59 PM will not be considered for the competition.
The photographs will be uploaded on the Facebook page of the Oxygentimes.com as and when we receive them. The link for the same can be found at www.facebook.com/theoxygentimes.com(Album Name -Theoxygentimes.com Photography Competition)

Judging Parameters:

Images will be judged on originality, concept, technical excellence, composition, overall impact and artistic merit.
Likes for the photograph uploaded on the Facebook page of the Oxygentime.com will carry 40% weightage. It can be shared on the participants wall/timeline but the likes should be for the photograph and not the link that is shared.
The rest 60% would be judged on creativity and other technical aspects.
In case of any issues the Judges decision is final.

Showcasing & Awards:

Photographs will be shortlisted after November 30,2020 and will be showcased on December 7, 2020 to the judging committee in the Art Gallery of the Oxygentimes.com
.The number of likes will be counted on December 7, 2020. So keep sharing till the end.
Cash prizes, along with Digital certificates will be awarded for overall excellence.

Prizes

Rs. 3000/-
Rs. 2000/-
Rs. 1000/-

In case of any controversy on a matter not mentioned in the above regulations, the Organizers will decide on the appropriate action. The Organizers' word shall be final and binding.

Contest Rules

Please read these rules (the Rules) before submitting your photo(s) to Better Photographys contest. These are General Rules governing all contests hosted by Better Photography, unless so specified in the Specific Rules that may be applicable to individual contests. By participating in the contests, you understand, acknowledge and unconditionally agree to abide by the following Rules:

BASIC SUBMISSIONS GUIDELINES FOR PHOTOGRAPHS

1. The contests are open for online submissions only, through the contest page available on better photography.in/contests
2. Submissions will not be accepted once the deadline lapses.
3. Photos submitted must be at least 640 pixels on the shorter side, and no more than 2000 pixels on the longer side. Images should be no larger than 2MB. Photos must be in JPEG format.
4. You may submit as many entries per contest as you wish, unless specifically mentioned otherwise in the contest specific rules. However, you will be able to upload only one image at a time using the websites upload function.
5. You are required to provide a unique title & description for each image submitted.
6. The same photo can be submitted for more than one contest. Photos that have won previous awards, including Better Photographys prior contests, may be submitted again, unless otherwise mentioned in the contest specific rules.
7. All submitted photos must contain the original EXIF metadata information. However there must be no border(s), logo(s), copyright marks, identifying marks, or any other visible references and/or marks on the image.
8. Basic editing, including colour enhancement, the use of filters, and cropping of the Photo(s) is acceptable, provided any such editing does not affect the authenticity and/or genuineness of the Photo(s).
9. Advanced editing used to create illusions, deceptions and/or manipulations, and the adding and removing of significant elements within the frame is prohibited.
10. Every image uploaded is subject to a moderation process before it becomes visible on the contest page. Better Photography reserves the right to assess and disregard any submitted photo at our its discretion.
11. Photos that portray or otherwise include inappropriate and/or offensive content, including provocative nudity, violence, human rights and/or environmental violation, and/or any other contents deemed to be contrary to the law, religious, cultural & moral traditions and practices of India, are strictly prohibited and will be immediately discarded.
12. A participant who submits any such photos may be permanently banned, subject to Better Photographys discretion, from participating in any future contests.
THE JUDGING
1. Better Photography will appoint a judge / judges for each contest. This will comprise of members of the editorial team and / or external judges.
2. The judging panel shall assess and determine the winning Photos. The results and the winners will be announced on the website.
3. The decision of Better Photographys judging panel will be final and binding on all Participants in respect to all matters relating to the Contest.
4. Better Photography reserves the right to call for original JPEG or RAW files with unchanged EXIF for the purpose of authentication. An image maybe disregarded if this information cannot be provided.
1. The World Press Photo contest is only open to professional photographers. Every entrant needs to provide a valid document that proves their current professional status. Examples of documents that count as proof include, but are not limited to:
a recent letter of reference (must be from 2018 or 2019) from a photo agency, photo editor, media organization or publication;
membership document from a recognized photographic association that show photographer is a professional member;
at least 1 tearsheet showing your picture/s from 2019 or 2018, with your name visible as credit, in either online or print format from a recognized media organization or publication;
journalism union membership card;
press card.
The organization reserves the right to ask for additional information to help clarify the professional status.
2. Team entries of two or more photographers are allowed. Per team member proof of professional status must be provided.
3.The photographer(s) must be the author(s) of the pictures submitted in his/her/their name.
4.The photographer(s), or the agent or representative entering on their behalf, must be the copyright holder(s) or have been authorized by the copyright holder(s) to submit the pictures.
5.A picture can only be entered once, either as a single picture or as part of a story, or as part of a body of work in Long-Term Projects. Pictures submitted more than once will be removed from the contest.
6. Pictures can be submitted whether or not they have been published.
7. We will use winning images for the production of our book and exhibition. Pictures must meet the following specifications:
Upload images with the original pixel size (unless cropped). Do not scale and do not change the resolution.
IICC profile must be embedded. AdobeRGB, sRGB or grayscale Gamma 2.2 are recommended. No CMYK.
Must be uploaded in JPEG format with high quality compression. We will use winning images for high quality reproduction.
8. Pictures must not show the name of the photographer, agency, or publication, or any other information (these details can be included in the metadata of the pictures but must not be visible on the picture itself).
9.Pictures taken at restricted events (that is, events where only photographers commissioned by those organising the event, for example governments, political parties or corporations have access), are not accepted.
10.All pictures must have accurate captions, written in English only, and contain all the information described in the guidance on captions.
11.Only single exposure and single frame pictures will be accepted. The following are not accepted:
Multiple exposures, polyptychs (diptychs, triptychs, and so forth).
Stitched panoramas, either produced in-camera or with image editing software.
12.The content of a picture must not be altered by adding, rearranging, reversing, distorting or removing people and/or objects from within the frame. There are two exceptions:
Cropping that removes extraneous details is permitted;
Removing sensor dust or scratches on scans of negatives is permitted.[See the guidance on what counts as manipulation for details on what is, or is not, acceptable].
13.Adjustments of color or conversion to grayscale that do not alter content are permitted, with two exceptions:
Changes in color may not result in significant changes in hue, to such an extent that the processed colors diverge from the original colors.
Changes in density, contrast, color and/or saturation levels that significantly alter content by obscuring or eliminating information in the picture are not permitted. The jury determines which changes are significant, following the video guidance on what counts as manipulation.
14. Participants must provide file(s) as recorded by the camera for all images that proceed to the final stages of the contest. These file(s) will be requested and studied confidentially between 20 January - 8 February 2020. Failure to provide these files when requested will lead to the exclusion of the entry.
15. Entries must be submitted via the official contest platform. Entries sent in other ways will not be accepted.
16.The deadline for requesting a username and password to the entry website is 9 January 2020, 12.00 (noon) Central European Time. The closing date for submitting entries to the 2020 Contest is 16 January 2020, 12.00 (noon) Central European Time.
17.Copyright holders retain copyright of their work. For awarded pictures, copyright holders grant the World Press Photo Foundation unlimited non-exclusive use of high- resolution pictures for activities in all media, including social media, online and print, in relation to the contest, the exhibition, the yearbook, the public archive, and all promotional and educational activities for and under the auspices of the World Press Photo Foundation, without any remuneration being due.
18. For all pictures except awarded pictures, copyright holders grant the World Press Photo Foundation non-exclusive use of low-resolution pictures in a non-public archive for its educational and research activities, without any remuneration being due.
19.The copyright holders represent and warrant that submission of the pictures does not breach any law, and further that no third party can hold any claims or any objections regarding the rights granted to the World Press Photo Foundation specified in articles 16 and 17. The copyright holders will hold the World Press Photo Foundation harmless of any claims from third parties related hereto.
20. The Entry Rules and any dispute, proceedings or claim of whatever nature arising out of or in any way relating to the Entry Rules (including any non-contractual disputes or claims), shall be governed by Dutch law.
21.Any dispute arising from the Entry Rules (whether contractual or non-contractual) shall be decided solely and exclusively by the competent court of Amsterdam.
22. The conditions set out in the Entry Rules are binding, and the World Press Photo Foundation reserves the right to refuse or exclude any entry at its own discretion.

Standard rules for photo contests

Below are some standard rules that you can tweak as needed depending on your unique photo contest:
All photos must be original work, taken by the entrants. No third party may own or control any materials the photo contains, and the photo must not infringe upon the trademark, copyright, moral rights, intellectual rights, or rights of privacy of any entity or person.
The photo must be in its original state and cannot be altered in any way, including but not limited to removing, adding, reversing, or distorting subjects within the frame.
Violators will be removed from the contest, stripped of any prize(s), and banned from entering future contests.
Entries will not be accepted unless submitted via the official contest channel. Entries not submitted through the proper channel will be deleted.
Entries will be judged by the [Company]. All decisions are final. The Company reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is deemed inappropriate or does not conform to stated contest rules.
By entering the contest, entrants agree that photos submitted can be used by the [Company] for advertising purposes.
Submissions will not be accepted once the deadline lapses.
The prize must be collected by the winner and is nontransferable.
The winner will be contacted via the email address provided during entry. If no response is received after [three] business days, a new winner will be selected and the previous winner will forfeit all rights to the prize.
The contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law.
If youre using entry forms like those offered by Submittable, you can include language at end of the form asking entrants to confirm that they have read the rules and regulations by clicking the submit button.

Nature Photography
1. Butterflies and other Insects
2. Photograph Frogs and Toads in Water