photo competition rules

5/6/2015 – 27/7/2015

Under the European Commission’s funded programme, “Supporting community resilience in the South Caucasus” Oxfam and its local partners BSEA, RCDA, STC, BOH, FAVL and with support from the Association of Photographers of Georgia (APG) and Armenian Photographers National Association (APNA) invites to participate in the "MY COMMUNITY READY AND PROTECTED FROM NATURAL DISASTERS" photo competition.

“Supporting community resilience in the South Caucasus” is a regional programme conducted by Oxfam and its partners in Armenia and Georgia that aims in protecting people and their livelihoods from natural disasters. As a part of the programme Oxfam and partners work in 35 communities of Adjara, Tavush and Vayots Dzor regions to prepare local communities and governments how to act before, during and after natural disasters. These actions encompass trainings for volunteers, including first aid, rescuing victims, organizing community and school emergency drills, building constructions like drainage channels or water reservoirs to mitigate impacts of disasters, creating youth clubs solving community problems like waste and water management, introducing new technologies (like solar water heater, solar water distillatory, solar dryers for fruits and vegetables, biomass dry distillation machine, fuel efficient stoves), working with families on house and family safety emergency plans development.

These activities reducing vulnerability and exposure to disasters and climate change effects always involve diverse community groups and individuals: men and women, children, youth and elder, governments, volunteers and people with disabilities. 

The theme for the competition is "MY COMMUNITY READY AND PROTECTED FROM NATURAL DISASTERS" photo competition. The subject is open to individual interpretation but entries must reflect community vulnerability, and preparedness for natural disasters and climate change effects. Contestants are not limited to depict any area in their images. They are available to upload images reflecting themes about natural disasters photographed in Georgia and Armenia.

     PROGRAMME AND ORGANISERS

Under the European Commission’s funded programme, “Supporting community resilience in the South Caucasus” Oxfam and its local partners BSEA, RCDA, STC, BOH, FAVL and with support from the Association of Photographers of Georgia (APG) and Armenian Photographers National Association (APNA) invites to participate in the "MY COMMUNITY READY AND PROTECTED FROM NATURAL DISASTERS" photo competition. 

“Supporting community resilience in the South Caucasus” is a regional programme conducted by Oxfam and its partners in Armenia and Georgia that aims in protecting people and their livelihoods from natural disasters. As a part of the programme Oxfam and partners work in 35 communities of Adjara, Tavush and Vayots Dzor regions to prepare local communities and governments how to act before, during and after natural disasters. These actions encompass trainings for volunteers, including first aid, rescuing victims, organizing community and school emergency drills, building constructions like drainage channels or water reservoirs to mitigate impacts of disasters, creating youth clubs solving community problems like waste and water management, introducing new technologies (like solar water heater, solar water distillatory, solar dryers for fruits and vegetables, biomass dry distillation machine, fuel efficient stoves), working with families on house and family safety emergency plans development.

These activities reducing vulnerability and exposure to disasters and climate change effects always involve diverse community groups and individuals: men and women, children, youth and elder, governments, volunteers and people with disabilities.  

THEME

The theme for the competition is "MY COMMUNITY READY AND PROTECTED FROM NATURAL DISASTERS" photo competition. The subject is open to individual interpretation but entries must reflect community vulnerability, and preparedness for natural disasters and climate change effects. Contestants are not limited to depict any area in their images. They are available to upload images reflecting themes about natural disasters photographed in Georgia and Armenia 

ELIGIBILITY

1. Entries must be taken in Armenia and Georgia by both countries’ residents. 

2. Participants under the age of 16 years need to have parent agreement to enter.

3. By entering, competition participants agree to the photo competition rules and Oxfam reserves the right to exclude any entry from the competition at any time if believes the participant violated the competition rules.

4. Participants could be as amateurs as well as professional photographers.

5. Contestant should send a fulfillment application form by email with name, surname, address, factual residence and telephone number (download application form).

6. If winner contestant does not contact OXFAM after reasonable time, or refuses the prize, Oxfam reserves the right to offer the prize to a runner up.

SUBMISSION

1. Participant should send a fulfilled application form by email on apggeorgia@gmail.com. A title of an email shall be: Oxfam Contest. Deadline: 31 July, 2015, 20.00 (8 pm).

2. Administrator of the competitive gallery checks application form and give to right to contestant upload competitive images in the special competitive gallery OXFAM CONTEST on the portal www.photographers.ge.

3. Participant will receive permission of uploading by email

4. Participant should mark name of photograph, data of each image while uploading in the special competitive gallery. He/she also should observe image uploading regulations (Options specified in the gallery)

5. Participant should own an original file of the image. 

6. Participant should submit the original file if necessary.  

7. Editing images by digital editors is allowed but montage is forbidden. 

8. Images must be photographed by no less than 4 Mega photo camera.

9. The images must not contain any text or graphic elements, which were not part of the original exposure. Images containing text will be immediately disqualified.

10. Once an image is entered, it cannot be entered again in any form in the competition.

RIGHTS, LICENCES & RELEASE

1. All entries must be the original work of the participant and must not violate the rights of any other party. The participants must be the sole owner of copyright in all photographs entered and must have obtained of any people featured on the photos or their parents if participants under 16 are presented. Participants must not violate any laws when taking the photos.

2. Prior to submission, participants must not have offered any of their entries for sale, been paid for any publication of any of their entries or won/be a runner up in any other photographic competition with any of their entries. 

3. By entering the competition participants grant to Oxfam the right to publish and exhibit their photos on Oxfam web-pages and competition pages. Participants whose photographs are winners or one of the finalists give further rights to publish and exhibit their photographs in print, on their respective websites or in any other media. No fees will be payable for any of the above uses. Participants whose photographs are one of the finalists also agree to take part in post-competition publicity. 

PRIZES

The following prizes will be presented:

1. First Prize Winner in the competition - a gift card (voucher) to a recognised photo shop in Armenia or Georgia for the total value of 300 euro (equivalent in local currency of the Prize Winner)

2. Second Prize Winner in the competition - a gift card (voucher) to a recognised photo shop in Armenia or Georgia for the total value of 200 euro (equivalent in local currency of the Prize Winner)

3. Third Prize Winner in the competition - a gift card (voucher) to a recognised photo shop in Armenia or Georgia for the total value of 100 euro (equivalent in local currency of the Prize Winner)

Certificate of participation – to each photographer being a Finalist (12 best photos).

There is no cash alternative and it cannot be sold or transferred. All gift cards (vouchers) will be pre-paid and issued for the Winners in Armenian drams or Georgian lari. Oxfam will cover relevant taxes for the Prizes.

JUDGING PROCESS

1. All participants’ photos will be judged by a panel of judges. The judges from Armenia and Georgia will select a shortlist of twelve photographs (the Finalists) who, in their opinion, best illustrate the theme of the competition. They will consider a range of factors including approach to the competition theme, composition, technical ability and originality. 

2. As a second stage among the Finalists there will be three Winners chosen. They will win the prizes as stated above in section ‘Awards’. 

FINAL REGULATIONS

1. Oxfam reserves the right to cancel this competition or alter any of the rules at any stage, if deemed necessary in its opinion, and if circumstances arise outside of its control.

2. In the event of technical problems and any disputes the organiser and judges shall have the final decision. The judges' decisions will be final and no correspondence can be entered into.