Valter Pallaoro
Stanislao Basileo
Marco Lattuada
Franco Polo
Giacomo Bozzolino
Angela Zagheno
Nadia Re Fraschini
Giuliano Zappi
Maurizio Pol
Paolo Taranto
Jean-Luc Viart
Alex Baldetti
Pierre Sztajnkrycer
Michele Cloch
Claudio Ceresi
Matteo Riccardo Di Nicola
Mauro Zen
Sonia Acierno

Rules of participation

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Rules of participation

 

1.     THE ORGANIZERS - Stelvio National Park, Gran Paradiso National Park,  Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park, and Parc national de la Vanoise – hereafter referred to as “National Parks” – organize the seventeenth Competition called “Fotografare il Parco” (“Photographing the Park”). Participation is open to everyone, amateur and professional photographers alike, of any nationality, except those persons who are in any way involved in the Competition’s organization and evaluation of the works, as well as their families. Employees and partners of the National Parks are also excluded. As far as the Stelvio National Park is concerned, employees and collaborates of the Park management bodies are excluded. Minors may participate with one parent’s or their guardian’s consent, as confirmed and signed in the appropriate Entry Form. Participation is free of charge.

2.    CATEGORIES - This photo Competition is divided into four categories:

A)    THE PARK LANDSCAPE

This category is open to images depicting the territory of the four National Parks in a clear and recognisable way.The National Park and the locality shown in the photo must be specified.

B)    THE PARK WILDLIFE

The category "The Park Wildlife" is open to photographs showing animals (mammals and birds) found in at least one of the National Parks, though the actual photo does not have to be taken there. In this category are included the images of animals in landscape. Domestic animals are excluded.

C)    THE PARK MICROCOSMOS AND NATURAL DETAILS

“The Park Microcosmos and natural details” category admits pictures at close range of whole subjects and/or their particulars such as insects, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and other subjects not included in the category “The Park Wildlife”. These subjects must be present at least in one of the four National Parks, though the picture does not necessarily have to be taken there. In this category are included as well images taking particular of natural elements as land, water, fire ecc., plants are excluded.

D)    THE PARK PLANT WORLD

The category refers to pictures portraying flowers, plants, mushrooms, lichens, etc. and the related details present at least in one of the four National Parks, though the actual photo does not necessarily have to be taken there. Cultivated flora is excluded. Pictures of plant world contextualized in a recognizable landscape must apply to category “The Park Landscape”.

3.    FORMAT AND TYPE OF IMAGES - Photos must be in digital format (JPG), their short side must have a minimum at least a size of 1600 pixels.  They may be in colour or black and white. Normal corrections of colour, tone, contrast, saturation and brightness are permitted. Photomontage or retouching is not allowed. The photos must not be framed, signed or dated, or bear any printed informationImages taken with drones are not allowed. At the time of participation, the photos submitted must not have won prizes in national or international photo competitions, including past competitions of “Fotografare il Parco”, where they should not have obtained Special Mentions either. Photographs not conforming to the above requirements will not be admitted. In order to prove the authenticity of the photo, the participants agree to put the original raw, jpeg, dng or tiff format at the organisation’s disposal, if requested. If they do not do so, the jury may decide at their own discretion to admit the photo or to disqualify it from the competition.

Each participant is personally responsible for the submitted photographs, exonerating the organization from any responsibility. Participation in the Competition implies that the submitted photos are not prejudicial to third parties. Hence, the owner of the photograph guarantees that he/she has obtained the necessary authorization for photos portraying persons, and/or things for which specific consent is required.

4.    HOW TO SEND THE PHOTOGRAPHS – The photos can be sent on-line throughout the procedure described at www.fotografareilparco.it filling the specific form. At the end of the procedure of up upload, the author will receive confirmation by e-mail. The uploaded images can no longer be replaced. The organisers are not liable for the loss of images if these are not correctly uploaded.

It is possible to send photos by snail mail burning the photos on CD, DVD or USB memory stick and sending it to Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio - Via De Simoni 42 – I-23032 Bormio SO. Photos sent by snail mail must be sent  together with the duly completed and signed entry form, which is available on the contest website. Failure in doing so will result in the participant's exclusion from the contest. The file name of each photo sent by snail mail must consist of: name_surname of the author_category_running number (e.g. John__Smith_A_1).

Each participant may submit a maximum number of four photos for each category.

The deadline for sending photographs on-line is 23.59 on 30th November 2023. 30th November 2023 is also valid for photographs sent by post. The organizers disclaim any liability for any loss, damage or theft.

The photographs will not be returned.

5.    RIGHTS - Authors hold and preserve property and copyright of their own photos. The participating National Parks have the right to make use of, and publish, the submitted photos free of charge on all communication channels, including printed and web publications, published, and distributed by third parties as part of their promotion, under the condition that they indicate the owner’s name. Under no circumstances will the participating National Parks relinquish their right to use the photos for the benefit of any third party, without the agreement of the authors.

In particular, only in relation to the winning images of the cash prizes, the author grants the National Parks and, if necessary, the organisations operating on their behalf, the right to reproduce the winning image in paper, digital form or other media without any other notice and without any liability to the author other than the mention of their name. These images may also be used by the organising National Parks for any exhibitions and/or merchandising products related to these National Parks.

6.    JURY - The jury evaluating the photographs consists of Emilio Ricci (1st place overall of the 2022 Competition); Wolfgang Platter, Mirko Sotgiu and Francesco Tomasinelli (naturalist and experts in nature photography); Valentino Mastrella (representing Abruzzo Lazio and Molise National Park); Marcella Tortorelli (head of the Gran Paradiso National Park photographic archive); Florian Maurer (imagine and communication technician at Parc national de la Vanoise) and Massimo Favaron (representing Stelvio National Park). The jury is chaired by Lello Piazza (university professor and photo editor).

     The jury reserves the right to exclude a photograph from the competition if they have grounds to believe that it was obtained by breaking the law regarding the safeguard and protection of nature, as well as the regulations in force in  each National Park, and that animals and flora were harmed, disturbed, or obviously put       at risk. 

     In particular, participants in the competition must observe the following Good Behaviours when taking their images:

  • Avoid moving in groups, thus limiting environmental impact and disturbance.

  • Do not interrupt the animals’ activities (such as, feeding, resting, hunting, etc.) by getting too close.

  • Do not deliberately cause noise or actions that could affect the animals’ movements.

  • Learn about the life cycles of the animals you want to photograph and avoid disturbing them at their most sensitive times (such as, mating season, nesting, etc.).

  • Do not feed the animals with any kind of food to approach them.

  • Do not approach dens, nests, or breeding areas.

  • Strictly avoid touching or picking up cubs, even if they are apparently abandoned: their animal parents are almost always nearby.

  • Do not call fauna or birdlife species.

  • Do not pick up plants, insects, and small animals to film them in places other than their natural habitats and/or in a photographic studio.

       Photos of captive or stuffed animals will also be excluded. 

       In the event of discrepancies in the judging, the opinion of the National Park jury representatives will prevail. 
     
       In the event of clear errors when inserting the photographs in the planned categories, the jury may move the images to the category they consider as correct.

      The decisions of the jury are final.

7.    PRIZES - From all submitted photographs, the jury will select the three overall best photos (winner, second place and third place), which will be awarded the following prizes:

Overall winner:  € 1.100,00 

2nd place:           €    900,00 

3rd place:           €    700,00 

As far as category A is concerned, one landscape photograph for each National Park will be awarded a weekend (two nights with full-board) for two persons in one of the four participating National Parks, to be taken by 24th December 2024  plus participation in scheduled guided visits and excursions.
Please note: There are exclusion periods depending on the facilities and, therefore, the date must be agreed upon.

Moreover the three best photographs submitted for categories B, C and D will be awarded the following prizes:

1st place in either category:    € 500,00 

2nd place in either category: : € 300,00 

3rd place in either category:    € 200,00 

The debut photos and the awarded photos of each category will receive an annual subscription to 'La Rivista della Natura' magazine.

      A participant may win prizes in more than one, but not in the same, category. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes cannot be combined with any other category prize

      The jury will also assign a special prize of € 300,00 to the photo of those presented, which best represents, interprets and highlights the ecological-environmental crises that mark the current historical period.

 
     The jury will also select and award a second special prize to the image that best represents and interprets the interaction between man and environment – sometimes the author of mountain landscapes, sometimes a threat to their delicate balance – in one of the four National Parks. The work will win the prize of 'La Rivista della Natura'.
 
     Both special prizes include an annual subscription to ‘La Rivista della Natura’.
 
     The People’s Choice is also established. The jury, at its sole discretion, will select ten images from those submitted, and they will be subjected to a public vote on the Instagram channel fotografareilparco. Voting will be open for fifteen days from the date of publication of the photos on the Instagram channel. The date will be announced on the competition website, the National Parks’ websites and Facebook channels. The author of the most voted photographs will receive, as recognition, a publication by one of the National Parks and an annual subscription to ‘La Rivista della Natura’.

Jury could also take in particular consideration photos of peculiar interest. 

All the participants whose photographs win a prize or obtain a special mention by the jury will also receive a parchment document, and the photos will be published on the website www.fotografareilparco.it and on the websites of the participating National Parks. The winners of the competition will be informed by mail and the prizes will be handed over during a ceremony to be held by June 2024 or, if this is not possible, sent to the address indicated on the registration form.

8.   PRIVACY - The assignment of the concerned parties’ mandatory data and its processing are strictly functional to the Competition participation. Personal data will be processed, in compliance with EU Regulation 2016/679 (G.D.P.R.), with paper and electronic means, to guarantee security and confidentiality, only for the purposes of participation in this competition (i.e. winners’ selection, identification of the authors of the photos once exhibited or published and other communications relating to the competition and the activities of the Parks). At any time, it will be possible for the concerned parties to exercise the rights contained in G.D.P.R. Chapter III (i.e. data rectification, updating, erasure). The rights are also listed in the complete report on the ERSAF institutional website, www.ersaf.lombardia.it. The data processor is ERSAF – Ente Regionale per i Servizi all’Agricoltura e alle Foreste, offices in Via Pola 12 – 20124 Milano MI; e-mail: ersaf@pec.regione.lombardia.it - Tel. (+39) 02.67404.1. The Data Protection Officer (D.P.O.) can be reached by writing to the following e-mail: dpo@ersaf.lombardia.it. The full information isavailable at https://www.fotografareilparco.it/en/content/privacy-police.

9.    FINAL SPECIFICATION - Participation in the Competition implies the knowledge and acceptance of these regulations.

10.    INFORMATION - For any further information, please contact:

    Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio   
    Tel ++39 0342900811 / ++39 0342900838
    email: stelviopark@fotografareilparco.itsegreteria@fotografareilparco.it

   Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso
   Tel. ++39 0118606211
   email: pngp@fotografareilparco.it

   Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo Lazio e Molise
   Tel. ++39 08639113256
   email: parcoabruzzo@fotografareilparco.it

   Parc national de la Vanoise
   Tel. ++33 (0)479628964   
   email: pn.vanoise@fotografareilparco.it