The workshops and experts assembled at this event will
whisk you along the learning curve of underwater photography.
By the end of the week you will be shooting well enough
to enter our friendly competition. The best images shot
digitally during the week will be awarded some really
impressive prizes.
Categories
• Macro
Traditional:
Any
underwater image of a 7x5 inch or smaller picture area.
The “Traditional” divisions allow for the
adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness
only. Cropping, cloning, and other digital manipulation
is not allowed in this category. This restriction on
digital manipulation will enable people who are not as
savvy at Photoshop to compete on more-or-less even ground
as those with more experience. It also highlights better
composition and lighting skills by not allowing cropping
and cloning. We had considered a category wherein only
images straight from the camera would be accepted, but
as digital photographers we felt that basic digital imaging
workflow involves some amount of post processing.
• Macro
Unrestricted:
Any underwater image of a 7x5 inch or smaller
picture area.
The “Unrestricted” divisions have no such rules
regarding digital manipulation, anything goes.
• Wide Angle Traditional:
Underwater images larger than a 7x5 inch
picture area.
The “Traditional” divisions allow for the
adjustment of brightness, contrast, color, and sharpness
only. Cropping, cloning, and other digital manipulation
is not allowed in this category. This restriction on
digital manipulation will enable people who are not
as savvy at Photoshop to compete on more-or-less even
ground as those with more experience. It also highlights
better composition and lighting skills by not allowing
cropping and cloning. We had considered a category
wherein only images straight from the camera would
be accepted, but as digital photographers we felt that
basic digital imaging workflow involves some amount
of post processing.
• Wide
Angle Unrestricted:
Underwater images larger than a 7x5 inch picture area.
The “Unrestricted” divisions have no such rules regarding digital
manipulation, anything goes.
This contest is open to all skill levels. Only images
shot during the week of the Shootout with a digital still
camera may compete.
Conservation
Rules:
Applicable to all entrants and entries.
We
are adopting the Conservation Rules established by
EPIC®. Marine
life should never be stressed or endangered for the
sake of a photo. Entries exhibiting the following
behavior will be disqualified.
1. Divers visibly damaging the environment (e.g. gear
dragging or kicking up sand).
2. Animals with signs of stress (e.g. puffed puffers,
inking octopus).
3. Animals moved to an unnatural environment or risky
location.
4. Animals being fed (especially artificial food from
divers).
5. Marine life being touched (e.g. coral polyps, seahorse
tails).
6. Divers exhibiting poor buoyancy control.
Dive operators at Bonaire have always been conservation-minded.
They respect the marine life and photographers should
too. Any violations of the resorts diving policies may
result in disqualification in the contest.
Conservation rules will apply and the judges' decision
will be final. Photographers retain all copyrights to
their images. The Digital Shootout retains the right
to publish the contest entries to congratulate the winners
and to promote future events.
If
you have any questions about the contest rules, contact
us at info@theshootout.org |
