Coral Reef Horizons Photography Contest

Coral reefs are rich visual tapestries, filled with vibrant colours and intricate beauty. We invite both professional and amateur photographers to capture the essence of hope and possibility in photos, showcasing the boundless potential for a future where humanity and marine life coexist harmoniously, envisioning the future of our oceans as havens of biodiversity and wonder.

Timeline

7th June 2024: Submissions open (submissions via email to CCMI)

4th October 2024: Deadline for submissions

25th October 2024: Top three finalists in each category notified

16th November 2024: CCMI’s Annual Festival of Seas: Coral Reef Horizons and winners of the photography competition announced at the gala

Photo Competition Rules and Regulations

COMPETITION RULES & REGULATIONS:

1. There are three (3) categories for submission:

• CORAL: Coral animals and the inhabitants found in and around coral reefs should be the dominant subject/s of photos entered in this category, with a focus on macro images (the subject size for this category is around 10 inches on the longest side.) Beauty, focus, lighting and composition are more important than rarity of subject in this category.
• REEF: Photos that show the beauty of the living reef. It can include fish/large animals around the reef and divers, but these should not be the dominant/only subject of the image. Images in this category should be primary underwater. Beauty, composition, lighting, and sharpness are the criterial for judging in this category.
• HORIZONS: Show the land/sea interface and connections of the reef to those who depend on and/or enjoy coral reefs. These images will be judged on beauty, composition, and lighting.

2. Photos must be taken in the Cayman Islands, of Cayman native flora, fauna, and landscapes.

3. Submissions are accepted from both residents and non-residents.

4. Photos that have previously won 1st, 2^nd, or 3rd in any other contest are not eligible.

5. Photos that have been published are not eligible.

6. This contest is open to all photographers, amateur and professional.

7. Each person can enter a maximum of two (2) photos per category, but only one photo can win a first or second place award in that category.

8. CCMI will invite the top three photographers in each category as a guest of the organisation to attend the gala. Up to two (2) additional tickets per photographer can be purchased for additional guests to attend at a reduced cost of CI $275/ticket if requested and paid for by Friday, 1^st November 2024.

9. Each category will be judged for First and Second Place, with optional honourable mentions awarded.

10. CCMI may choose to print and display at the Festival of Seas gala any photographs submitted through this competition. Submitted photographs may be included in the silent online auction to raise money for CCMI with the prior agreement of the photographer.

11. Judging will be based on technical quality (especially sharpness), creativity, and composition (including lighting). Rarity of the subject or event will be given minimal added consideration.

12. For all categories the following restrictions apply in terms of digital photo editing with software programs such as Picasa, Lightroom, PhotoShop, etc: If the judges are in doubt about the level of photoshop work, they reserve the right to ask you to submit the original photo.

• • Cropping (too much cropping may reduce the size of any print made from the image)
  • No cloning is allowed except for removal of backscatter.
  • Adjustments are limited to the following:
    • Global and spot exposure adjustments via levels, curves, etc.
    • Global and spot saturation and color adjustments within the range of the real colors. No change of color (for example from a yellow sponge to a red sponge) is accepted.
  • No specialty PhotoShop filters or effects may be used.

13. Submissions should be in approximately the original image size and in JPEG format ONLY.

14. No submission will be judged that has a discernible watermark identifying the photographer.

15. No AI generated photographs will be accepted.

16. Winners will be announced at the Festival of Seas gala on Saturday, 16^th November 2024, at the Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa in the Cayman Islands.

17. All photos submitted can and may be used by the Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) for a period of 24 months from the time the image is submitted for the photo competition. The images may only be used (with photo credit given) for promotional efforts directly relating to the 2024 and/or 2025 Festival of Seas gala, including but not limited to the following: press releases and newspaper/magazine articles, advertisements, posters, web banners, blogs, email communications, and social media postings; and it may be used in CCMI merchandise (eg: calendar) that is produced during this 24-month period of time.

18. The photographer must be the sole author and owner of the copyright of photos entered into the competition. CCMI respects photographers’ rights and does not claim copyright for images submitted to this contest; the photographer will retain full copyright in each entry. Whenever an image is published by CCMI, the photographer will be credited. Failure to publish a credit due to error or oversight shall not be deemed a breach of this condition.

HOW TO SUBMIT PHOTOS:

The entry form can be filled out online at the following link:

SUBMISSION FORM

Or by completing the form below.

Once the submission form has been completed, images (not more than 20 MB each) should be emailed (one email per photo) to [email protected]. All images must be named in the following format:

Photo name.Photographer Last name.Photographer First name

For any queries or questions on the competition rules, regulations and submissions please contact CCMI at [email protected].

Deadline for submission is 12 noon (UTC -5h) on Friday, 4^th October 2024. Late entries to this photo competition will NOT be accepted.

Photography contest prizes courtesy:

Submit your photos through this form