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The following video presents Commonwealth Photography Competition 2016:
Your Commonwealth through your lens!
We want to showcase and celebrate the beauty and individuality exhibited by each person living in the Commonwealth. We hope this competition inspires people throughout the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth to use their photography skills to engage with this year’s theme of ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’.
What does the #Commonwealth theme of #inclusivecommonwealth mean to you?
- The experts working in your Youth, Political, Finance, Trade, Small States & Climate Finance, Human Rights, Debt, Health & Education, Public Sector Governance, Rule of Law and Gender Divisions of the Commonwealth Secretariat expressed what it meant to them at http://thecommonwealth.org/media/news/inclusive-commonwealth-voices-our-experts .
“Inclusivity in focus – new #Commonwealth Photography Competition” was recently announced.
- The Competition will officially launch on Commonwealth Day on 14 March and runs until 25 April 2016.
- Open to Commonwealth citizens of all ages, submitted photographs should epitomise the beauty and individuality that help to define the modern Commonwealth.
I anticipate a huge amount of creativity and talent will shine through as this initiative gets underway. Anyone can take part. You don’t necessarily have to be a professional photographer or have to submit a technically brilliant photograph to enter. We are looking for an image that reflects the spirit of inclusiveness, richness of culture, or strength of diversity intrinsic to the Commonwealth. We can’t wait to see your photos.
Neil Ford, Director of Communications at the Commonwealth Secretariat
Eligibility
- Entrants must be citizens of a Commonwealth member country.
- Photos must have been taken in a Commonwealth member country.
- There is no age restriction for entry into the Competition.
- One photo submission per entrant.
- Entries will not be accepted from judges of the Competition or from individuals employed by the Secretariat.
Awards
- The winning photographs will form part of an exhibition at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London throughout 2016.
- These photographs will also feature in a new Commonwealth Calendar for 2017 and be published and promoted on the Commonwealth’s website and social media accounts.
- Each featured finalist will receive a copy of the calendar, in addition to a cash prize.
- Commonwealth Photographer of the Year 2016
The photographer with the picture judged by a panel of judges to be the best overall will receive a cash prize of £1,000 (GBP) (1899.46 Canadian Dollar at the current exchange rate). - Regional Awards
The best photographer from Africa, Asia, Caribbean and the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific will each receive a cash prize of £500 (GBP) (949.58 Canadian Dollar at the current exchange rate). - Highly Commended Award
The photographer with the entry which receives the most ‘likes’ on Instagram will receive £100 (GBP) (189.95 Canadian Dollar at the current exchange rate). The public are encouraged to express whether or not they like an image through the ‘like’ function on the various social media platforms. Only ‘likes’ on the Secretariat’s Instagram account will count towards the ‘Highly Commended’ prize.
Entry
- All entries must be accompanied by an explanation of how the 2016 Commonwealth Theme, ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’ is represented.
- If your submitted photo adheres to the Rules and Terms of the Competition it will be approved and displayed on the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Instagram account.
- Users will be encouraged to ‘like’ and comment on their favourite photos.
- Approved photos will also be published on the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.
- Composite images are not allowed. Adding, moving or removing objects, animals or parts of animals, plants, people etc. is not permitted.
- Smart phone entries are welcomed and encouraged.
- Entrants must not include their name in either the photo caption or the description of the entry, or on the image itself.
- Please read the complete Rules of Entry at http://thecommonwealth.org/rules-entry .
- Starting 14 March 2016, enter the competition at http://thecommonwealth.org/cwphotocomp2016 .
Selection
- Five individual finalists will be chosen from each one of the five Commonwealth regions (‘regions’). An overall winner will be selected from amongst the five finalists. A ‘Highly Commended’ prize will also be awarded to the most liked image on the Secretariat’s Instagram account.
- The five regions are:
a. Africa
b. Asia
c. Caribbean and Americas
d. Europe
e. Pacific
Judging process
Criteria for judging will be based on:
- Originality of idea
- Difficulty – how difficult was the shot to obtain?
- Focus – is the subject of the photo immediately clear?
- Composition – how has the shot been framed? What angle is it shot from? What is the subject of the image?
- Relation to the theme – how closely does the photography relate to the theme of ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’?
- A panel consisting of staff from the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Secretary-General’s Office, Youth, Gender, Human Rights, and Communications Divisions will shortlist Competition entries.
- Two external professional photographers will select one regional finalist from each of the Commonwealth’s five regions, and the overall winner.
- Richard Lewis is a London-based professional photographer with over 25 years’ experience working on some of the biggest news and sports stories in the UK and world. His work has been featured on the front pages of many of the UK’s national newspapers, as well in Times Magazine and other international publications.
- Adam Gasson has been a professional photographer for over a decade, working in the UK, Europe and North America. Alongside his work for the Commonwealth Secretariat he also shoots for clients including Virgin Atlantic, The Guardian, Save the Children, RAC, Specsavers and others.
….Entrants accept that by entering into the Competition they do not have any rights to any intellectual property of the Competition and/or the Secretariat. Entrants also agree not to use any names, logos or other intellectual property of the Competition or the Secretariat, or to make any public statement regarding the Competition, the Secretariat or the other entrants without the prior written consent of the Secretariat.
It is the responsibility of each entrant into the Competition to ensure that they have read, and to abide by, the Competition’s Rules. By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to abide by these Rules and to ensure that their entry complies with the Rules…..
Entrants are not permitted to submit entries that: (i) have previously been awarded any prize, recommendation or other award in a national or international competition, ….
Entrants are responsible for ensuring full compliance with any national or international legislation that may apply and for securing any relevant permits that may be required for their photography…..
By entering the competition, entrants agree that if their entry is selected by the judges for an award, they will participate in related publicity and agree to the use of their name and their entry in advertising, promotion and publicity of the Competition and Exhibition without additional compensation….
Grant of Licence
By entering the Competition, the entrant grants the Secretariat a non-exclusive, irrevocable licence to reproduce, publish, exhibit and communicate to the public, by any means and in all media throughout the world. This licence applies in relation to the Competition, Exhibition and general use by the Secretariat which shall include (with the right to sub-license where necessary) any of the following uses: (i) the process of judging the Competition (including the public vote); (ii) display during the Exhibition; (iii) publication in Commonwealth Calendars (iv) publication in other magazines or print media which the Secretariat (or their official partners, supporters, or sponsors) may produce; (v) publication on relevant parts of the Secretariat’s website, including within interactive elements available for viewing or download; (vi) in publicity materials (including social media); (ii) Inclusion in any and all publications associated with the Competition and Exhibition….
Please read the complete Terms & Conditions of this contest at http://thecommonwealth.org/terms-and-conditions.
For all enquiries regarding the Commonwealth Photography Competition 2016, please contact webteam@commonwealth.int .
Good Luck! / Bonne chance!
PRESS RELEASE
Inclusivity in focus – new Commonwealth Photography Competition announced
8 March 2016
A new photography competition has been announced today to inspire people throughout the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth to hone their camera skills and capture striking images that reflect this year’s theme of ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’.
The Competition will launch on Commonwealth Day on 14 March and runs until 25 April 2016. Open to Commonwealth citizens of all ages, submitted photographs should epitomise the beauty and individuality that help to define the modern Commonwealth.
‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’
The Commonwealth theme for 2016, ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’, celebrates the diversity of this community of nations, which is made up of more than two billion people. The Commonwealth Photography Competition aims to encourage new talent and showcase captivating images which help to represent the theme.
Neil Ford, Director of Communications at the Commonwealth Secretariat, stated: “The Commonwealth is focused on building a better world by empowering and respecting all citizens, recognising that everyone has something to offer, and championing the interests of all countries, regardless of their economic stature or geographic size.
“I anticipate a huge amount of creativity and talent will shine through as this initiative gets underway. Anyone can take part. You don’t necessarily have to be a professional photographer or have to submit a technically brilliant photograph to enter. We are looking for an image that reflects the spirit of inclusiveness, richness of culture, or strength of diversity intrinsic to the Commonwealth. We can’t wait to see your photos.”
The winning photographs will form part of an exhibition at the Commonwealth Secretariat’s headquarters in London throughout 2016. These photographs will also feature in a new Commonwealth Calendar for 2017 and be published and promoted on the Commonwealth’s website and social media accounts. Each featured finalist will receive a copy of the calendar, in addition to a cash prize.
Awards
Commonwealth Photographer of the Year 2016
The photographer with the picture judged by a panel of judges to be the best overall will receive a cash prize of £1,000 (GBP).
Regional Awards
The best photographer from Africa, Asia, Caribbean and the Americas, Europe, and the Pacific will each receive a cash prize of £500 (GBP).
Highly Commended Award
The photographer with the entry which receives the most ‘likes’ on Instagram will receive £100 (GBP).
The competition is open to citizens of Commonwealth member countries of all ages, and submitted photographs must be taken in a Commonwealth country. The competition runs from 14 March until 25 April 2016. Only one photograph can be submitted per entrant.
Criteria for judging will be based on:
- Relation to the theme – how closely does the photography relate to the theme of ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’?
- Composition – how has the shot been framed? What angle is it shot from? What is the subject of the image?
- Focus – is the subject of the photo immediately clear?
- Difficulty – how difficult was the shot to obtain?
- Originality of idea
Get involved
Find out more about the competition including how to submit an entry
Learn more about the theme for 2016, ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’
View and like competition entries on Instagram – /commonwealth_sec
Follow us on Twitter – @commonwealthsec
Like us on Facebook – /commonwealthsec
Tag your social media posts using: #cwphotocomp16
Download and print the Competition poster to help spread the word.
