The Digital Online Rules & Guidelines

THE DIGITAL ONLINE RULES AND GUIDELINES 2022

RULES AND GUIDELINES

• Digital Online is open to all photographers and videographers of all skill levels with a valid EDA membership status. EDA membership must be acquired or renewed if expired in order to take part which can be done through the EDA website.

• Each competitor can only win one prize or prize package.

• Winners will choose their own prize.

• Participants are obligated to follow environmental conservation regulations and to respect the underwater world during the process of taking their stills and video. Be advised that any damage to the underwater world, including the disruption of the natural habitat of marine life, provocation through touching, displacing, feeding or annoying, is prohibited and will disqualify the images or the photographer/videographer.

• By entering the competition, entrants declare that they own copyright of the submitted photographs and films and it entails an automatic acceptance of all the rules. EDA reserves the right to publish images in the ‘Divers for the Environment’ magazine, EDA’s social media pages and on the EDA website. Images will also be used in any future promotional material for EDA events and competitions royalty free, but copyright remains with the photographer. Use of images or video will require no additional written or verbal permission from the photographer or videographer.

• Images (photos or videos) must not have already been submitted to previous Digital Online competitions.

• Photos & videos must be taken underwater unless specified in a category description.

• Manipulation is restricted to colour correction, brightness, contrast, sharpening and cropping, except for the Creative Photography category. The Digital Online judges reserve the right to examine untouched images in the other categories if requested.

• Removing backscatter is allowed to an extent, this does not include the removal of subjects such as fish or divers or cutting and pasting sections of images from one to another, except for the Creative Photography category.

• The winners will be announced and their work displayed at the exhibition and award ceremony on May 19th, 2022. Participants who do not make it to the evening of the event will be asked to collect their prize from the EDA offices.

• Sponsors and prizes will be announced in the December 2021 magazine issue.

• We pledge to run this photography and video competition ethically and with integrity. Our judges have volunteered their time to help. The photographers’ details remain hidden to the judges during the judging process.

• All judges’ decisions are final.

HOW TO ENTER

• Submissions can be entered from Sunday, 20th March 2022.

• The entry deadline is Sunday, 17th April 2022, at 11:59 pm (GST – Gulf Standard Time).

• The participant must be a valid EDA member. Submit entries via email to photo@ emiratesdiving.com with the requested category detail information.

• File names should include participant’s name and the category:

– Name - Macro.jpg

– Name - Wide Angle.jpg

– Name - Best of the UAE.jpg

– Name - Black & White.jpg

– Name - Creative Photography.jpg

– Name - Rising to the Oceans.mp4

• Photo entries must be saved in jpeg format and should be sized between 2000 and 6000 pixels in the longest dimension. Please limit your images to a maximum file size of 5MB. Images will be viewed on a monitor and should be in the Adobe RGB 1998 or sRGB colour space.

• Video submissions must be in mp4 format.

• Photography and video entries are to be sent electronically through WeTransfer.

• You will receive an email to confirm your registration and photo(s)/video upload. If you do not receive one within 24 hours, your email may not have come through and you may need to try again.

Good luck to everyone taking part in Digital Online 2022. Dive safely and have fun!

*NOTE: HOW PRIZES ARE AWARDED

Once the judging is complete, the winners will be able to choose a prize available to them on the list they will receive via email. Digital Online Judges award a 3-way point system to each photograph/ video consisting of Technique, Composition and Impact which is added to give the image or video’s total grand score.

Best of show with the highest points will get first choice. 1st place winners by highest score will choose a prize before all other winners, 2nd place winners before 3rd place winners, etc. Please note, each individual can only win one prize or prize package. If photographers get a multiple win, their highest scoring image will win a prize and the other will get a highly commended mention which will also be displayed at the Exhibition.

PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORIES

Photographers may enter one image per photography category. The categories are open to photos taken with any type of camera: DSLR, mirrorless or compact.

DETAILS TO INCLUDE WITH EACH PHOTO SUBMISSION:

• Photographer Name

• Category

• Location

• Story Behind the Shot

• Camera & Gear

• Settings

1. MACRO

Definition: Photographs taken with close-up equipment, portraying underwater flora and/or fauna.The photographer may not crop the original more than 20%. The original image may be requested.

2. WIDE ANGLE

Definition: Photographs taken with a wide-angle lens (or adapters that provide an equal field-of-view),with or without human presence, portraying the natural beauty of the underwater environment.

3. BEST OF THE UAE

Definition: Any underwater subject taken in the UAE and Musandam.

4. BLACK & WHITE

Definition: Black & white photography is timeless and elegant. Focus on tonal contrast, shapes and textures and the composition of the shot.

5. CREATIVE UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY

Definition: This field is wide open. It can involve a simple workflow used to capture a unique look of a photo. Or it can be a complex post-processing technique that is used to bring out the mood and textures in an image. Photos entered into this category can be taken in any underwater environment – including controlled environments (e.g., pools, tanks). The main subject can be anything ranging from an abstract concept to a person (a diver, freediver, model, etc.) to a fish. There are no post-processing (photoshop) limits in this category. This category is designed to let your imagination swim free.

VIDEO CATEGORY

Videographers may enter one film with the following title:

6. RISING TO THE OCEANS

Definition: Looking for films of all genres – documentaries, narratives, shorts and animation films. Film subject must focus on all aspects of our underwater world including but not limited to, ocean exploration, wildlife, environmental, conservation and oceanography.

• All film genres will be accepted.

• Content must focus or relate to the ocean.

• Non-English films must have subtitles.

• If music is used, it must be from a public domain or royalty-free.

• Film length should be 5 minutes or less, including credits.

• Winning films will be chosen on the basis of creativity and the ability to tell a story that leaves the audience better informed and/or moved about the ocean.