2008 Festival Report

Competition Categories

Category Films & Videos (FV)

Awards: OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: MERIT OF EXCELLENCE: HONOR OF DISTINCTION: High Commendation for each category.

The winner is automatically open for nomination for the President Grand Award & Best Environment Merit Award

1. The group criteria are proposed for your guidance and are not absolute. The pre-selection Jury will make a final decision on the entry group.

2. Competitor may submit up to maximum of two films in each group.

3.  “A GROUP” feature documentary un-limited length. Minimum of underwater shots: 30%. Competition submission format: Mini DV, DVD (multi-zone) The production should of professional grade, broadcast quality.

4. “B GROUP” Music Video or short feature Maximum length : 10 minutes. Minimum of underwater scene 40%. 5. Competition submission format: Mini DV, DVD (multi-zone). * This group open to amateur film makers & independent producers.

Registration Fees: see general condition 8

Category – Portfolio Competition (PC)

Awards: OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: MERIT OF EXCELLENCE: HONOR OF DISTINCTION: High Commendation for each category.

The winner is automatically open for nomination for the President Grand Award & Best Environment Merit Award

1. Submission by a portfolio of 10 images - ORGINAL can be film or digital

2. The 10 images each printed on photographic quality paper approximate size: 8 1/2” x 11”

3. A CD / DVD comprising of all the 10 images – hi res, minimum file size 12mb;  maximum 100 mb (tiff, 300 dpi)

4.       Digital editing is limited to cropping, levels, contrast adjustment and reasonable sharpening. The RAW/original files of the images must also be included in the CD/DVD. The judges will refer to the original or RAW files for verification.

5. EXIF / Metadata file must be included in all images. Aquarium photos will not be judged. Over-under shots are permitted, but digital composites / montage are not.

6. Entries will not be returned. 

7. Each print must bear the following information: SURNAME, NAME and title of image and competition number.

Registration Fees: see general condition 8

Category – COLOUR Print (CP) and B&W Print (BWP)

Awards: OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: MERIT OF EXCELLENCE: HONOR OF DISTINCTION: High Commendation for each category.

The winner is automatically open for nomination for the President Grand Award & Best Environment Merit Award

Each competitor is allowed to present 3 photographs in each category.  Prints must be un-mounted.

1. Aquarium photos will not be judged. Over-under shots are permitted, but digital composites / montage are not.

2. Set formats : 35 x 40 or 30 x 40 (cm).

3. The categories are:

B/W, b) Colour - wide angle, c)Colour – Macro d) Behavoir

4. Scoring will be made for each photograph.

5. Photographs must carry on the back, in block capitals: SURNAME, NAME, complete address and title of the photo.

Registration Fees: see general condition 8

Category – Jellyfish (JF) (NEW) The Alfred Goldsborough Mayer Award – Plaque & Cash $500

JF Cat 1 – Single image displaying artistic view of jellyfish (maximum 2 images)

JF Cat 2 – a portfolio of 3 images showing one species – The William Hamner Award

i) The portfolio of the specie must be capture from a variety of angles, including side views of the entire animal, and close-up, macro-photos of the bell margin, and the oral mass or oral appendages.

ii) Close-ups of symbiotic shrimp, crabs, or fish get extra points for scientific importance.

iii) Submission must be accompanied by information on time, date and location, and if possible with GPS coordinates from a GPS receiver or from an accurate marine chart.

Awards: OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: MERIT OF EXCELLENCE: HONOR OF DISTINCTION:

The winner is automatically open for nomination for the President Grand Award & Best Environment Merit Award

1. The images each printed on photographic quality paper approximate size: 8 1/2” x 11”

2. A CD / DVD comprising of all images – hi res, minimum file size 10 mb, maximum 100 mb (tiff, 300 dpi)

3.       Digital editing is limited to cropping, levels, contrast adjustment and sharpening; The RAW/original files of the images must also be included in the CD/DVD. The judges will refer to the original or RAW files for verification.

4. EXIF / Metadata file must be included in all images.

This category is for novice to serious amateurs. Participant annual income from underwater photography must not exceed A$ 2000 per year.

5. Images must have been taken in the wild, underwater, with a digital camera.  Aquarium photos will not be judged. Over-under shots are permitted, but digital composites / montage are not.

6. Images may not have been winners in previous competitions.

Registration Fees: see general condition 8

Category – Digital Portfolio (DP)

Awards: OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: MERIT OF EXCELLENCE: HONOR OF DISTINCTION: High Commendation for each category.

The winner is automatically open for nomination for the President Grand Award & Best Environment Merit Award

1. The 3 images each printed on photographic quality paper approximate size: 8 1/2” x 11”

2. A CD / DVD comprising of all the 3 images – hi res, minimum file size 10 mb, maximum 100 mb (tiff, 300 dpi)

3. EXIF/ Meta data file must be included in all images.

   1. This category is for novice to serious amateurs. Participant annual income from underwater photography must not exceed A$ 2000 per year.

4. Images must have been taken in the wild, underwater, with a digital camera.  Aquarium photos will not be judged. Over-under shots are permitted, but digital composites / montage are not.

5. Images may not have been winners in previous competitions.

6. You must present three images in your portfolio in one submission, up two portfolio submissions are allowed.

7.       Digital editing is limited to cropping, levels, contrast adjustment and sharpening; The RAW/original files of the images must also be included in the CD/DVD. The judges will refer to the original or RAW files for verification.

1. Registration Fees: see general condition 8

 Category – Book of the Seas(BS)

Awards: OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT & MERIT OF EXCELLENCE:

1. Two Awards of Excellence shall be awarded - these prizes are open to books from all countries published from June 2007 to March 2009

2. The Ocean Geographic Book Prize is awarded to a work noted for - its picture quality, its subject, its presentation, its production.

3. The OceanEnvironment Book Prize is awarded to a work noted for conservation matters, giving knowledge and information about a subject regarding the underwater world.

4. The organization of the event is planned as follows:· The publisher or the author sends as soon as possible, before 1 May 2009, a first copy of the book with the registration form to the Festival.  On receipt, the pre-selection Jury will advise the author of its decision.  Then five copies must be sent, which the orgainiser will forward to the Jury members.  Meeting of the Jury, during the Festival. + No document will be returned.

Registration Fees: FREE

Category – Ocean Geographic Photo Journalist Award (OGUPJ) – A$ 1000 cash prize

1. This category is open to all underwater photographer and writers. The essay must be written in first person experience with an ocean mammals, reef fish, invertebrates – primary focus may be about conservation, natural history or a research expedition.

2. The story can be produced by a writer and photographer team.

3. Submission deadline is 1 May 2009

4. The whole story must be previously unpublished.

5. The text must be in English, submitted in a CD along with images – about 2100 – 3000 words.

6. The story must be supported by photographic images – hires 300 dpi file size about 25 to 30mb per image. The number of images should not exceed 50, minimum is 20. Please provide a short caption for each image. This should be included at the end of the main story. The participant must have complete copyright of the images and text.

7. Ocean Geographic magazine have the exclusive right of publication of the texts and illustrations sent for this contest. Whatever the award amount, no additional payment for copyright or retribution of any kind will be possible.

Registration Fees: see general condition 6

GENERAL REGULATIONS

1.       Celebrate the Sea International Imagery Competition takes place every year. Celebrate the Sea Festival is owned by OceanNEnvironment Ltd Australia.  The competition is open to all participants worldwide.

2.       Participant must first register to compete with the competition application form (download) and submitted to cts@oneocean.com; we will acknowledge your application via email within 24 hours, and we will advise you of your Competitor ID / entry number.  Thereafter send us your entry quoting the Competitor ID / entry number.

3.       Deadline for registration: 1 May 2009; deadline for entries is 10 May 2009.  We recommend you send registrations as soon as possible.

4.       All entries must be made on official registration form with a Competitor ID / entry number.

5.       Mail entries must be mailed to :
Celebrate the Sea Marine Imagery Festival

                                PO Box 2138, Carlingford Court, Carlingford, NSW 2118, AUSTRALIA

                                Please send by registered mail.

OR by Courier to:

                                2A Cary Street, Baulkam Hills, NSW 2153, AUSTRALIA, Ph: 61-2-96863688

6.       The organisation will refuse all parcels generating duty on delivery.

7.       Whilst the Organising Committee undertakes to take every reasonable care with the entries they can in no way be held responsible for loss or damage to the works during the Festival or in the mail. Participants should therefore take out insurance if they think it necessary.

8.       Registration Fees

                I) FILM  (FV) Category A&B

1^st entry – A$50 (Australian dollars)

2^nd entry and subsequent entry to all other categories – A$20

ii)Portfolio Competition (PC) -  10 images

1^st entry – A$30

Subsequent entry to all other categories – A$20

iii) Colour (CP) / B& W Prints (BWP) and Category – Jellyfish (JF)

                A$30 for the one category – may enter up to 3 prints

Subsequent entry to all other categories – A$20

*RETURN OF PRINTS                                               A$80

iv)Digital Portfolio (DP)

A$30 for the one category – may enter up to 2 portfolio of 3 images

Subsequent entry to all other categories – A$20

v) Category – Ocean Geographic Underwater Photo Journalist Award (OGUPJ)

A$35 for the one category – may enter only one submission per photographer/writer

Subsequent entry to all other categories – A$20

ALL other categories A$ 30 first submission and A$20 subsequent submission

9. Note works which have already been awarded prizes at major international competitions are ineligible. A major competition is defined as a competition with more than 500 entries.

10.  Only those works chosen by the pre-selection jury will be presented. Their decisions are final.

11. Competition entries must be made on the official Festival entry form duly completed and signed. One form per work generating a title (films, slide-show…) Photocopies accepted.

12. Films should be accompanied by a synopsis in English plus the language of origin if appropriate, and if possible a photo of the author.

13. The official language at the Festival is English. For works presented in any other language, the author must provide a typed script of the work in English, either on paper, CD or floppy diskette.

14. The use of the same picture in several categories is forbidden.

15. Films may have co-authors. Photos and slides in competition may not have a co-author.

16. Prizes - US$50,000 value in cash, equipment and holiday prizes.

17. Works presenting an interest in the underwater world, even though they may not correspond with the rules and regulations set forth, may be accepted by the pre-selection jury and compete for a special award.

18. Competitors agree to reproduction of their pictures for the Festival research archives, associate promotional materials and branding for Celebrate the Sea Festival

19. FILM category prize winners agree to supply one copy of the prize-winning film in mini DV format.

20.  Competitors agree to the use of their works by the Festival for the promotion of future Festivals. Winning films may be shown to the public at future Festivals. At each use of the works the name of the author will be mentioned but no payment for use of the copyright or retribution of any kind will be possible. No commercial use of the movies will be made by the organizers of the Festival. All individuals wishing to purchase any of the works will be put in contact with the producers and/or authors.

21.  The Organizing Committee will consider that, according to law, all works presented are free and clear of copyright and the exclusive property of the authors. By their participation in the Festival, the authors undertake to guarantee the organizers against any claims that might be made against them. The Festival organisers may in no way whatsoever held responsible in cases of dispute or litigation.

22. All competitors are provided with a Master Pass ticket for the festival free of charge.

23. Competitors agree to reproduction of their pictures for the Celebrate the Sea Competition archives. Competitors agree to the use of their works by the Celebrate the Sea for the promotion of future competitions. Winning images may be shown to the public at future event. At each use of the works the name of the author will be mentioned but no payment for use of the copyright or no retribution of any kind will be possible. No commercial use of the image will be made by the organizers of the competition. Individuals wishing to purchase any of the works will be put in contact with the photographers.

24. The decisions of the jury are final. Participation in this contest entails acceptance of the above regulations.

25. ‘President ARROYO – Grand Award of Highest Achievement 2009’ (US$2000 cash prize)* - winners of all categories automatically quality for this award nomination; the selection committee will do this on site on 14 June; to win this award, the competitor must personally be present to receive the award. No exclusion.

Download Registration form