Photo competition
Images of Research
Photos serve as mediators between scientists and laymen. They arouse the curiosity of people of all ages and professions and provide insight into the interior of otherwise closed laboratories. To bring the fascinating world of research to a large-scale audience, the news magazine FOCUS and vfa, the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies, established the photo competition "Images of Research" in 2005. With round about 2.000 submitted works since 2005 "Images of Research" is one of the biggest German competitions for science photography.
The competition called for the most beautiful and spectacular pictures from all scientific disciplines, such as biology, medicine, physics or astronomy. Scientists, professional photographers and ambitious amateurs are invited to submit their pictures in the categories of "Fascination of Research" and "Faces of Research."
Categories
Category 1: Fascination of Research
This category comprises all pictures that represent scientific processes and phenomena. This also includes photographs using various imaging procedures such as scanning electron microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray technology as well as pictures taken with conventional technology that serve scientific purposes.
Category 2: Faces of Research
The pictures in this category focus on people in research. They depict scientists with their curiosity and passion to uncover the secrets of nature or people who have been helped by research.
The jury
The prominently staffed jury consists of experts from various disciplines: journalists, scientists, photographers and representatives from FOCUS magazine and vfa. The jury selects the best photo from the categories of "Fascination of Research" and "Faces of Research." The two categories "Fascination of Research" and "Faces of Research" are endowed with a prize money of EUR 10,000 each. The split-up and distribution of the prize money lies in the discretion of the jury, the prizes are awarded in cash.
Condition of participation
Photo competition "Images of research" organized by the news magazine FOCUS and vfa, the Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies.
- General information
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After the success of last year’s photo contest, one of the biggest competitions for science photography, "Images of Research" was again held in 2010. Once again, news magazine FOCUS and vfa looked for professional and amateur photographers, whose photographs showed the fascination of research and science by making it a visual experience. At the same time, the images also presented people whose day-to-day research generates innovations that will improve the quality of life.
In an independent judging procedure, the 2010 competition will determine the best pictures of research. For this purpose, the organizers will call in a viewing committee and a jury for selection. The shortlist compiled by the committee from all entries will be published on the Internet on the pages of FOCUS-Online.
- Categories and prizes
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The competition will be held with two categories: The first category entitled "Fascination of Research" will feature pictures that document scientific processes and phenomena. The second category, "Faces of Research", awards prizes to images in which people involved in research take center stage. Individuals who are users or beneficiaries of the research effort may also be shown. Each category will be awarded prize money worth EUR 10,000. The division of the prize money is in the discretion of the jury. The prizes are awarded in cash.
- Audience prize
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One audience prize will be awarded during the "Images of Research" competition. Based on the nominated entries that will be selected by a committee and published in FOCUS-Online, the readers will be able to pick their favorite picture. The photo with the greatest number of audience votes will receive the audience prize. Votes will be submitted via the Internet. The audience prize is a special award made exclusively by the readers and will not be subject to a quality assessment by the jury.
- Competition
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In principle, both categories of the photo competition "Images of Research" are open to all interested individuals. Professional photographers as well as research institutions, institutes, employees in research-based companies and ambitious amateurs are all invited to participate in the contest. Only photos taken after September 1, 2009, may be entered in the competition. Each participant can submit up to six photographs on a data storage medium (CD-ROM/DVD) sent by regular mail to the following address:
"Bilder der Forschung"
(Images of Research)
Postfach 08 05 30
10005 Berlin
Germany
The following technical prerequisites must be met: Images should have the minimum size of DIN A4 (210 x 297 mm) at 300 and 72 dpi. Please submit only TIFF and JPEG formats. Photos that were previously entered in other contests may also be submitted to the "Images of Research" competition.
If you have any additional questions, please contact: Mihaela Mitrovic, phone +49 30-700186-723, e-mail: fotowettbewerb.berlin@s-f.com.
Participants must hold all copyrights for the submitted pictures. The unlimited usage rights in terms of region and time for the submitted pictures must be transferred to the organizers of the "Images of Research" photo competition for the following purposes:- Publication of his pictures on the internet, on the websites of FOCUS Online, www.vfa.de and www.bilder-der-forschung.de as well as on social media platforms (offering downloads of 72dpi and additional 300dpi resolutions for the purpose of editorial coverages).
- Display of the photographs during the award ceremony and the traveling exhibition.
- Display of the photographs in a publications accompanying the exhibition (catalogue, flyer).
- PR and advertising measures in connection with the photo competition (e.g. advertisements for the exhibitions).
- Use for advertisements, posters, publications, etc. in connection with the "Images of Research" competition.
- All other rights remain with the originator.
If the submitted photograph shows any individuals, these persons must give their consent to being represented in the picture and to the photograph(s) being entered in the competition. When submitting these pictures, the photographer guarantees that he or she has procured this consent. We refer to the obligation to maintain confidentiality with regard to private secrets (pursuant to Section 203 of the German Penal Code (StGB)) as well as observance of an individual′s personal rights and the right of data privacy.
- Registration
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Photographs were submitted together with the . The deadline for submission was October 3rd, 2010 (the date on the postmark was applicable). In addition, entrants generated a brief text (of no more than 10 lines @ 60 characters) featuring a description and explanation of their photograph(s), which was submitted together with the picture(s).
- Judging procedure
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The organizers appointed a selection committee that generated a shortlist for the category of "Fascination of Research" and another for the category "Faces of Research" from all submitted photographs. The two shortlists represented the basis for the decision of the jury and the audience.
6.1 Jury
For the final judging of the competition entries, the organizers will call in a jury consisting of experts from the fields of science, photography and journalism. The jury has the task of selecting a winner as well as a second and third placed for each category from the two shortlists. The photograph with the highest number of jury votes will be declared the winner in each category.
6.2 Audience
The readers of FOCUS have the opportunity to select the winner of the audience prize online. The voting will be conducted through the internet in October 2010. For this purpose, the audience will be able to choose from the same competition entries as the jury. The division into two categories is irrelevant for awarding the audience prize. The picture from the shortlists of both categories that obtains the highest number of audience voted until the end of the voting, shall be declared the winner.
The organiser of the competition reserves the right to exclude a submitted photograph from the competition or from the jury procedure if the organiser has the suspicion that the voting procedure is manipulated regarding the corresponding photograph (e.g. conspicuous voting behaviour).
- Judging criteria
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It is the objective of the competition to award a prize to those photos that are particularly succinct or impressive in representing the research effort or results.
The judging criteria need not be taken into consideration to the same extent for each award. The jury is free to set additional accents and to justify them in their awarding process. The readers are not subject to any judging criteria in their selection for the audience prize.
- Traveling exhibition
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Upon the conclusion of the photo competition, the pictures selected by the committee for the shortlists will be shown to a broader audience in public locations as part of a traveling exhibition.
The jury′s decisions are final.
