Introducing the NATURE Photo Contest!

Hello! I’m happy to introduce to you a new photography contest – the #Steemit Nature Photo Contest!

WHY A NATURE PHOTO CONTEST?

1. To showcase nature through great photography. Nature is an incredible gift to us, and I’d love to see it promoted through beautiful photographs. I’ve personally experienced the healing power of nature, and I grieve the general tendency to spend less time outdoors. I hope this contest will encourage you to go out in nature more, and explore its magic and restorative power.

“I must go to Nature disarmed of perspective and stretch myself like a large transparent canvas upon her in the hope that, my submission being perfect, the imprint of a beautiful and useful truth would be taken.” ~ John Updike, The Centaur

2. To promote top-quality photography and reward talented artists. There are some great accounts out there that are doing a tremendous job at selecting and/or promoting good photography in some form or another. However, with so much happening on steemit, it seems that many great photos still don’t receive the deserved attention. This contest is meant to provide yet another venue for displaying and promoting quality work, and for rewarding the artists’ effort and talent.

3. To be a resource to the steemit community. Whether you are a photographer or not, I hope that this ongoing contest will benefit you. I’d love to think that the beautiful galleries will brighten your days and will help you connect with nature more. If you are an aspiring or a seasoned photographer, the exposure to quality photography and the evaluation process are proven avenues for professional growth.

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PARTICIPATION RULES

Entering this contest is very simple! Each day I will create a post with the contest theme. In order to enter a daily contest, create a comment in reply to that post, including one original photo, and a short description. If you wish, feel free to write about things like: location, interesting facts, how to reach, challenges you’ve encountered, local tales about it, cultural experiences surrounding your visit, etc.

The daily themes are:
Mountains Monday
Trees Tuesday
Water Wednesday
Time-lapse Thursday
Flora and Fauna Friday
Simple Sunday (minimalist photography)
There will be no contest on Saturday.

The contest will begin roughly around 9:00 am EST, and will end at 9:00 am the following day, so the timeframe for submissions is approximately 24 hours.

Photos that do not adhere to the general or daily theme are automatically disqualified.
Photos that are not original will be disqualified and reported.
Photos submitted to other contests on steemit or other places (previously or concomitantly) are welcome.
Color, black and white, and monochrome, are all welcome.
Editing is accepted, but please, no added elements to the photos, and no heavy retouching.
By entering this contest, you agree to have your photo shared in a post the following day, and automatically entered in weekly and monthly nature photo contests (should it occupy 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place).
If a judge is unable to send the winners list in a timely manner, I reserve the right to evaluate the entries myself or find another judge.

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EVALUATION AND WINNERS

TEN photos will be selected and featured as winners of the daily contest as follows:
1st place,
2nd place,
3rd place, and
7 honorable mentions.

The evaluation will be based on the following criteria:

1. Composition (clear subject, framing, leading lines, lack of distracting elements)
2. Lighting (ability to create mood, use of contrast, interesting use of natural or artificial light)
3. Color (chromatic choice, subject emphasis)
4. Creativity and Originality (interesting angle, subject, perspective, concept)
5. Quality (focus, resolution, exposure)
6. Overall artistic impression.

In addition to these, the judge’s personal taste and life background will play into the selection. This is part of human nature, and I think that by embracing it we can find more beauty in diversity. If they wish and find the time, judges are welcome to comment on why they have selected specific photos, in order to provide good learning opportunities for the community.

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PRIZES AND PAYMENTS

The total of the winners announcement post payout (after curation) will be divided as follows:

Winners:
1st place: 20%
2nd place: 12%
3rd place: 7%
Seven honorable mentions: 3% each
Total: 60%

Stewards:
Judge: 20%
Hostess (responsible for creating the daily submissions post, winners post, and payments): 20%
Total: 40%

I will be responsible for creating the daily post and for the payment, and initially for evaluating the entries. However, as soon as next week (I hope!) some guest judges will be in charge of evaluating the entries, and therefore will receive the allocated 20% of the post payout.

The prizes and payments will be sent within a day after the respective post payout. This will give the post several days of exposure, that hopefully will increase the payout.

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WEEKLY NATURE PHOTO CONTEST

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place daily winners automatically enter a weekly contest. From the pool of eighteen photos, the steemit community will evaluate and determine three winners through number of votes. The weekly contest post will be published on Mondays and remain open for votes through Saturday evening, weekly winners being announced on Sundays. The prizes and payments will be divided as follows:

1st place: 30%
2nd place: 25%
3rd place: 20%
Host: 25%

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MONTHLY THEMATIC NATURE PHOTO CONTEST

The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place daily winners automatically enter one of the six thematic monthly contests: Mountains, Trees, Water, Time-lapse, Flora and Fauna, Simple. From the pool of twelve photos that qualify for each theme, the steemit community will evaluate and determine through number of votes three monthly winners for each theme. The prizes and payments will be divided as follows:

1st place: 30%
2nd place: 25%
3rd place: 20%
Host: 25%

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HOW YOU CAN HELP

1. Participate in the contests. Submit your best photography, share your talent, grow together with us, and hopefully win prizes!
2. Upvote. It takes a second to enjoy a beautiful photo, but hours of hard work stand behind it. Through your upvote, you will reward the talented photographers and ensure the durability of this contest, so we can bring you the beauty of nature through quality photography each and every day!
3. Resteem the posts – share nature at its best with your own circle on steemit!
4. Follow for daily updates.

The contest will begin tomorrow, Monday, February 26.

I really look forward to the beautiful nature galleries, and I hope you will be a part of this in one form or another!! Feel free to ask any questions in the comments section. :) And please share this post - it will be much appreciated!