The GNHS and the Institute invite submissions for the 2017 PhotoScene competition

Published: 1 August 2017

The aims of the competition are to promote an interest in natural history and the work of the Institute, to promote a greater linkage between GNHS and the Institute, to provide photographs useful for publicity, and to enhance the evening programme of the GNHS

GNHS PhotoScene Competition 2017 Banner
PhotoSCENE 2017 - A Natural History Photographic Competition
(sponsored by Glasgow Natural History Society and the University of Glasgow Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine) 

GNHS and the Institute will be organising another photographic competition this year. The aims of the competition are to promote an interest in natural history and the work of the Institute, to promote a greater linkage between GNHS and the Institute, to provide photographs useful for publicity, and to enhance the evening programme of the GNHS.Entry is restricted to members of GNHS, and students and staff of the Institute (including affiliates and associates). Some of the winning entries will be published in the Glasgow Naturalist, and may also be used in the GNHS online presence, or by the Institute.
Entries should have a natural history / biodiversity content, i.e. featuring animals, plants, geological subjects and / or the work of researchers and natural historians in science – e.g. work in a lab, students on field courses etc. Entries will be limited to 5 per entrant, and must be accompanied by a note detailing when the image was taken, with what equipment, and any digital enhancement.
Simple digital enhancements are allowed, but must be declared, e.g. cropping, boosting contrast or sharpness, but whole scale alteration of pictures is not allowed. Panoramas consisting of more than one picture are acceptable.
Entrants should ensure when photographing animals or birds, that as little disturbance as possible e.g. of occupied nests occurs. Photographs of Schedule 1 species in Scotland will not be accepted unless a current photography licence has been obtained from SNH.
Permission must be given to the organisers to use submitted images for non-commercial purposes for 5 years. The copyright holder may continue to use the images for his/her own purposes. All photos should have been taken in Scotland, or on University expeditions including abroad, or on GNHS excursions. An additional suggested theme for this year (not compulsory, but might give your photographic efforts a local focus) is that of freshwater habitats.
Entries should be submitted by 31st October 2017, and have been taken in the last 2 years to this date. Entries should be submitted to Lorna Kennedy (Lorna.Kennedy@glasgow.ac.uk). Entries should be submitted digitally by high quality jpeg suitable for printing, with prizes likely to be awarded to images comprising at least 4 to 6 megapixels. (6 megapixels means in practice 3072 x 2048 pixels or similar, enough for printing to A4 at 300 dots per inch). If in doubt about whether an image would be acceptable, please send questions to David Palmar (info@glasgownaturalhistory.org.uk) or Dan Haydon (Daniel.Haydon@glasgow.ac.uk).
Prizes will be awarded by a judging committee, on the combined basis of photographic, artistic, and biological interest. The judging committee will be drawn from GNHS and the Institute. The judges will be looking for images which have impact. Judges, their immediate family members and previous prizewinning entries will be ineligible to enter the competition.
The total prize fund will be £800 per year, paid for jointly by GNHS and the Institute. Prizes will be distributed at the judges' discretion.
The competition results will be announced and prizes awarded at a members photographic night slide show as part of the GNHS Winter Meeting Programme on Tuesday 13th February 2018. See GNHS website (www.gnhs.org.uk) for the time and place of this meeting. These arrangements will be published by email and on the GNHS website.


First published: 1 August 2017