MedFoto Competition Rules

The main theme of the competition is the Mediterranean Sea and its coastline. Photographs taken in other geographical areas will not be accepted.

Participants may submit up to fifteen (15) photographs distributed in any of the following categories:

1. 1. Landscape: Photographs that show Mediterranean landscapes above sea level. From the coast and the shore, on the high seas; from a general viewpoint to specific details of surroundings; from wild landscapes to populated areas and coastal villages. Always showcasing the location with a photographic spirit, playing with the subject, the light and the composition.
   2. Wild life: Wild fauna and flora photographed in their natural environment, above sea level: seabirds, cetaceans from the surface, flora and fauna from the mediterranean coast, etc. Whether they are portraits in search of aesthetics or capture the character of the species, such as images that show interesting behaviour.
   3. Sports and leisure: Nautical sports (sailing, rowing, kayaking, water-skiing, swimming, etc.) trying to capture their difficulty, expertise, spectacular image or the pleasure of doing them. Also the leisure activities that take place around the marine and coastal environment.
   4. Marine trades: Professional activity of people who work at sea, who live from the sea, such as fishermen, sailors, etc.
   5. Underwater: Photographs taken under the surface of the sea: fish and other animals, plants, vegetation, underwater seascapes, underwater activities.
   6. Conservation and climatic change: Management of natural marine and coastal resources, environmental problems and their solutions, effects of climate change.
   7. With mobile phone: Prize for the best photograph taken with a mobile phone. A RAW file is not required. This category is not eligible for the general prize.

Registration:

Registration for the competition is open to anyone, amateur or professional photographer, of any nationality, except for the people responsible for the organisation of the competition, the jury and their direct relatives.

Registration will be open from 1st April to 15th May 2022. There is a cost of €15 per participant and allows submission of up to fifteen photographs in any of the categories.

Any communication with the organisation must be made via email: info@medfoto.org

Deadlines:

Participants have until 11:59 pm CET on 15th May 2022 to register and upload to the website www.medfoto.org a maximum of fifteen photographs related to the theme of the competition.

Formats:

Only digital photographs will be accepted, which must be sent in JPEG format and reduced to a size of 1,920 pixels on its longest side and weigh no more than 1 MB per photo.

The EXIF data on the camera must remain intact. Each of the files must be identified with a name that begins with the number of the category to which it is being submitted, followed by an underscore and the title of the photograph or a number, which may be the one assigned by the camera itself or by the photographer (for example: “1_gaviotaaudouinvolando” or “3_IMG34567”).

The photos must be obtained in RAW format, except for the “with mobile phone” category 7. The management will request the RAW files for all of the photographs selected as finalists by the jury, in order to verify their authenticity. DNG format will only be accepted if it is the original format of the camera used (Pentax, Ricoh, Leica…). Of the photographs selected as finalists, a file will be requested in the original resolution of the camera (TIFF or high-quality JPEG, Adobe RGB color space, without interpolation), for printing and display in the exhibition and/or catalogue. This final file must have identical framing and color adjustments to the original JPEG submitted for entry.

Processing:

As far as the processing of photographs is concerned, basic photo development settings will be accepted: global or area exposure corrections, adjustments to the white balance, contrast, tone or saturation, noise reduction, focus, removal of dust spots on the sensor, etc. Black and white photos are allowed, as well as HDR, panoramic and focus stack photos, composed of different shots, as long as they are taken at the same time and capture a real situation.

Reframing of the original photograph is allowed, as long as the resulting final image is not less than 4,000 pixels on its longest side (before reducing the delivery format to 1,920 pixels). Smaller files cannot be interpolated.

Photomontages are not allowed (except HDR, panoramic and focus stacking), no double exposures in camera, nor manipulations or alterations of the original image such as deleting, moving or adding any element, be it a person, animal, branch, residue, reflection, etc. Margins, watermarks and signatures on the photographs will not be allowed.

Ethical code:

The plants and animals must have been photographed with respect and without causing any damage or excessive annoyance, following the AEFONA code of ethics. In the Wild Life category 2 and Underwater category 5, photographs of captive, domestic or stuffed animals or cultivated plants will not be accepted.

Photographs that have already won prizes in any other competition prior to the opening registration date on 1st April 2022 may not be submitted.

• • MedFoto photography prize, awarded 1,000 euros.
  • 7 prizes for the winners of each of the seven categories, awarded 300 euros each.
  • 3 prizes for the winners of the special sections:
    • Prize for the author under the age of sixteen, awarded with a course in dinghy sailing, cruising or coastal rowing at the Club Nàutic L’Escala.
    • Photograph taken within the geographic limit of the Costa Brava (between Blanes and Portbou), with a weekend in a bungalow at Camping la Ballena Alegre for 4 people.
    • Photograph taken within the geographic limit of the municipality of l’Escala, consisting of an experience in L’Escala for two people that includes one night in a hotel with breakfast, lunch or dinner and a visit to the Anchovy and Salt Museum or to the Alfolí de la Sal – L’Escala Museum.
  • Prize by popular vote, for the finalist photograph that obtains the most Likes on the competition’s Instagram account. This consists of a four hour sailing excursion along the Costa Brava for the winner and his/her family or friends (up to 5 people).

Photographs that are competing for the geographic limit prizes must include some identifying or recognisable element of the area.

In addition to these twelve award-winning photographs, the jury will select up to a total of 42 images to be included in the exhibition of the competition.

The same photograph cannot be entered for more than one prize, except for the special ones. The prize amount is subject to the corresponding tax retention.

The jury will be made up of six experts from the world of photography and the marine environment: the photographers Oriol Alamany, Laura Carrau and Josep Pallí, the naturalist and photographer Bernat Garrigós, the biologist Josep Vilanova, as well as Xavier Salvador, winner of the MedPhoto 2021 edition.

The jury reserves the right to change the category of the photograph if it deems it appropriate, disqualify any image that does not comply with the rules of the competition, as well as declare any of the prizes void if it considers that the photographs presented do not meet the minimum quality required.

The results will be made public on 5th August 2022, during a public award ceremony. The jury’s decision is final.

The award ceremony for the prizes will take place on 5th August 2022 at the Club Nàutic l’Escala. On the same day the exhibition of a selection of 42 of the best photographs will be inaugurated and will be exhibited during the month of August 2021 on the premises of the Club Nàutic l’Escala.

• 1st April: Opening date for registrations and presentation of photographs.
• 15th May: Closing date for the presentation of photographs.
• 17th May: Start of selection tasks by the jury.
• 24th May: Request for RAW files from the semi-finalists.
• 14th June: Final meeting of the jury and the results.
• 15th June: Request for high-resolution files from the finalists.
• 1st July: Public communication of the 42 finalists. Publication of the finalist photographs on the competition’s Instagram account. Start of the popular vote period.
• 15th July: End of the popular vote period.
• 5th August: Awards ceremony and opening of the exhibition at the Club Nàutic l’Escala.
• 4th September: Closure of the exhibition and end of the 1st edition of the competition.

The participant declares to the organisation that he/she is the sole owner of the copyright of the photographs submitted and is responsible for any image rights of the people or properties that appear in his/her photographs.

By participating in the MedFoto photographic competition, the authors of the finalist photographs grant the Club Nàutic l’Escala and the Fundació Alive the non exclusive right to reproduce, publish, display and communicate to the public via any method the 42 selected photographs, for the exhibition, and for marketing and promotional use related to the competition, always citing his/her authorship.

For any other use that could be presented outside the scope of the contest, or by third parties, the organization will contact the author of the photographic work to agree on the conditions of its use.

Any communication of the participants with the organisation must be made in writing via email to the following address info@medfoto.org.

The organisation will generally communicate with the public through the website www.medfoto.org. All the information related to the competition, the prizes, etc. will be published here. Only finalists and winners will receive private communications.