Competition and Exhibition 2010

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Last day of submission is August 10, 2010. Please fill the form below in capital letters and in English so that we do not make any mistakes in your name. Please send this form with your photographs. You must be a Bangladeshi to participate in this competition and exhibition.

RULES

All entries must be submitted digitally (scans acceptable). No digital files will be returned, but all images, apart from those short-listed, will be destroyed after the close of the competition.

Image files should be submitted as jpegs with minimum of 1024 pixels along the longest length so that it can be displayed by projector for judging purpose. When resizing your pictures, please make sure that you do not overwrite your original file. If selected, you will be asked to submit prints for exhibition purpose. You must ensure that you submit your images the right way round. No responsibility can be taken by the organisers for images that are submitted backwards or incorrectly orientated. Black & white images are eligible for all categories, as are images of panoramic format.

Please do not put text on images. Put all information in a separate word file or in the metadata of image file. Adding metadata is pretty easy, once you understand how to use the various fields. Add metadata to an image with the File>File Info dialogue in Photoshop. Once you have done this, the information travels with the file, wherever it goes.

File naming protocol.
Please name your digital files with your name & image number. For example, if your name is Syed Saleh Ahmed and you are submitting 10 images, your numbers would run from “syed saleh ahmed1.jpg” to “syed saleh ahmed10.jpg”. All images will be cross-referenced, by the organisers, with a unique identifying number, so that the judging is completely anonymous and based on the image alone.

Digital adjustments.
Digital adjustments, including High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging techniques, are allowed. The integrity of the image must be maintained and the making of physical changes to the image is not permitted (removing fences, moving trees, stripping in sky from another image etc). The organisers reserve the right to disqualify any image that they feel lacks authenticity due to over-manipulation.

Copies.
Please ensure that you keep copies of submitted images. The organisers will take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe storage and back-up of entries, but cannot be held responsible for exceptional circumstances including Acts of God. Keep a copy of the images you submit on CDs or DVDs, as they WILL NOT be returned.

Judging.
All images will be assessed by a panel of judges. All those on the shortlist will be contacted. The decision of the judges is final and no correspondence will be entertained.

Submission

Last day of submission is August 10, 2010

Minimum 12 photographs.

Please mail your CD to -

Maati Imaging Bangladesh

Building 11, Road 46, 2^nd Floor, Gulshan 2, Dhaka 1212

Or eMail photographs to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Prizes.

The organisers reserve the right to change prizes to ones of comparable value if required by unforeseen circumstances. Prizes are not transferable and no cash equivalent will be available for non-cash prizes.

First Prize – Digital SLR Camera

Second Prize – Fixed Lens Camera

Third Prize – Point and Shoot Camera

and

Honourable Mentions – Cash Prize

Copyright and permissions.

By submitting images to Imaging Bangladesh each entrant confirms and warrants that:

a) they are the sole author of each entry and that it is their original work;

b) they own the copyright and any other intellectual property rights of each image;

c) they have the permission of those pictured in the image (or, where the image shows any persons under 18, the consent of their parent/guardian) for the usage rights required by Imaging Bangladesh and will indemnify Imaging Bangladesh against any claims made by any third parties in respect of such infringement;

d) they have not licensed or disposed of any rights in the image that would conflict with uses to be made by Imaging Bangladesh; and

e) they have received any necessary permissions from the owner(s) of buildings included in submitted images for the usage rights required by Imaging Bangladesh and will indemnify Imaging Bangladesh against any claims made by any third parties in respect of such infringement.

f) By entering the competition, you grant Imaging Bangladesh and its sponsors and supporters a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to reproduce, enlarge, publish or exhibit, on any media, the images for any purpose connected with the competition. This may include, but is not limited to:

· display at any exhibitions;

· on the Imaging Bangladesh website and on the websites of sponsors and supporters;

· for use in press releases to be distributed to national, regional & specialist press giving information about or promoting the competition; and

· on any merchandise commissioned by the organisers.

Entrants also agree that the organisers can sub-license images to the media for reproduction in connection with the competition and exhibition.

For any use that falls outside this remit, royalties will be discussed & negotiated with the photographer concerned. Copyright of each image is retained by its respective photographer.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

By participating, entrants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Maati Imaging Bangladesh, and each of their respective partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this Contest and Exhibition or any related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder.

Sponsors assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. Sponsors are not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any e-mail entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site, human errors of any kind, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation, uploading or downloading of any materials related to this Contest.

RIGHT TO CANCEL OR SUSPEND CONTEST

If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, worms, trojan horses, denial of service attacks, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsors that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, Sponsors reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the Contest. If Sponsors elect to cancel or terminate the Contest, Sponsors will not retain any rights in the images.

Hints and Tips

We hold “Nature and Weather Photos” from National Geographic as good examples of photographs but we would like to exhibit photographs in context to Bangladesh and its seasonal beauty.

Frame your photograph: Using your hands, make them into a rectangle to see whether there is a photograph to be made.

Frame your mind: Allow yourself to become absorbed in the photograph you are going to take. Think about why you find it beautiful, intriguing or breath-taking. What is the story?

Check your outer edges: Take your eye around viewfinder, twice to be totally familiar with all that exists on the outside on the perimeter. Crop out distracting elements or elements that alter the balance or ‘story’ of your photograph.

Fine-tune your vision: Consider small details and think simple.

Focus: Close focus to check that there is nothing in the immediate foreground that would not be visible with the lens set at infinity. Out of focus foregrounds can be distracting. For flowers and extreme close ups, however, the background and foreground can be thrown out of focus.

Keep still: If you have a tripod, try to use it whenever possible. A tripod enables long time exposures as well as ensuring you take your photograph seriously.

Avoid flare: When photographing with the sun in front of you, do not assume that the lens hood will prevent direct sunlight falling onto the front element of the lens. Unintentional flare is the photographers’ worst enemy. The sun may not be in your viewfinder but sunlight may be falling on to your lens. Use a piece of card to mask the sunlight. Better still would be a friend who could stand to one side and ensure that the lens is flare free.

Know what to crop out: If the sky is lacking in interest, i.e., too bland or too blue or grey, then try leaving it out all together. If the sky is good then let it have its say. Try devoting three quarters of the photograph to the sky if it is remarkable. Include whole clouds if possible. With reflections, try to include entire clouds. ‘Every cloud has its certain valid moment’ Minor White.

Take the time: Settle into your photograph and, if time allows, try not to rush. Haste and pressure are barriers to creativity.

Be alert: ‘Chance favours the prepared mind’ Ansel Adams, photographer, after Louis Pasteur.

Look around: If there is no landscape in front of you, look around; there may be one at your feet.

Balance up: Study the shadow areas and how dense they might be. A deep black ‘nothingness’ can dominate a photograph as much as unwanted highlights. Find a balance. Squinting at the scene is a good way to evaluate brightness range.

Look for shapes and patterns, graphics and the abstract. Big views are difficult, but try to make them coherent. Look for lead lines and an anchor to draw the eye into the image.

Use the elements (light): A photographer must be acutely aware of the nature and quality of light and how the light is falling on the subject. Light is everything. Study the impact of light on a particular scene at different times of the day; late evening light just after the sun has set can produce an  afterglow creating a lovely luminous light.

Use the elements (clouds): Cloud shadow can provide a greater sense of depth and dimension to a landscape, or conceal the impact of ugly features.

Use the elements (nature): Lonely trees are often used. Most photographers cannot resist them, especially with a lovely sky above. Try to include the base of the tree, and try not to cut the tops off. If you do so, try to ensure that it was intended and not because you did not notice.

Use the elements (wind): Think about the effect that a prevailing wind may have on your photograph ie. consider using a long shutter speed to convey a sense of movement in foliage.

Experiment and be daring. With digital photography today, there is no wastage from an experiment that failed.

Learn from others: Look at other people’s images in books, exhibitions and magazines and postcards. See what worked and what didn’t.

Filters: Don’t be afraid of filters. If you have an SLR, consider buying a polarizing filter and learn how it is best used. Also, a neutral density graduated filter can help to keep the subtle tones in the sky. Compact digital cameras usually have a range of built-in filters, so it is good to try them out.

Control your camera: Even pocket cameras today have some sophisticated functions. Learn how they work, then have the confidence to switch to manual in order to control shutter speeds. With an SLR, consider bracketing when in doubt or for experimental reasons. Cover the viewfinder of your camera for critical decision making, as stray light can enter the metering system and distort correct exposure often by as much as a stop.