World Photography Contest:
Rules of the contest

I. Conditions and procedures for the submission of entries

1. Conditions of entry

1.1 - The contest is divided into two categories of participants:

• Professional photographers (people whose main activity is photography and who, consequently, have already sold, published and exhibited their work);
• Amateur photographers.

1.2 - Entry to the contest is free of charge.

1.3 - All entrants must be over 18 years of age.

1.4 - Entrants may submit either:

• ONE single JPEG image
  or
• ONE "photo story" (4 to 8 related JPEG images)

Photographs submitted must be recent and relevant to the International Year of the Potato 2008. In particular the image should depict one or more of the following activities:

• Biodiversity
• Cultivation
• Post-harvest and processing
• Trade
• Marketing
• Consumption and utilization

1.5 - Photographs must not depict contents that are judged by FAO, at its sole and unfettered discretion, to be obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate.

1.6 - The entrant declares and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) recognizes that he/she is the only copyright holder of the material submitted. By entering the International Year of the Potato 2008 World Photography Contest, Focus on a global food, the photographer gives permission to FAO to use the material submitted to the contest in eventual exhibitions resulting from the contest and in all promotional material relating to the International Year of the Potato. FAO hereby reserves the non-exclusive right to publish the entries of category winners and of short listed nominees in brochures or materials directly related to the International Year of the Potato 2008 for a period of no more than 12 months from the date of the announcement of the winners without any remuneration being due to the photographer. FAO will ensure due recognition and acknowledgement to the photographer. After the expiry of the 12 months period, FAO will negotiate on a case-by-case basis compensation to the photographer for any subsequent use of the material. The photographer declares that to the best of his/her knowledge no third party can claim any rights on the material submitted. The photographer also confirms that each person depicted in the image(s) has granted permission to be portrayed as shown.

1.7 - By entering the competition, the participant agrees and acknowledges that FAO is permitted to receive the participant's registration data. All personal information will be used by FAO in accordance with its privacy policy.

1.8 - The submitted material will not be returned. FAO assumes no responsibility for materials lost, damaged or delayed in the post.

1.9 - The terms set out above and on the entry form are binding.

2. Material specifications for entries

2.1 - Colour and black-and-white photographs are accepted in this contest.

2.2 - Photographs must be in digital format. The photograph need not be taken with a digital camera - scans of negatives, transparencies or photographic prints are acceptable. No print or film submissions will be accepted.

2.3 - All digital files must meet the following requirements:

• JPEG (.jpg) format
• 300 dpi resolution
• 20 cm x 30 cm

Multiple exposures, composite photographs and manipulated images are excluded from this contest. Minor burning, dodging and/or colour correction is acceptable.

2.4 - The photograph, in its entirety, must be a single work of original material taken by the contest participant. By entering the contest, the participant represents, acknowledges and warrants that the submitted photograph is an original work created solely by the participant, that the photograph does not infringe on the copyrights, trademarks, moral rights, rights of privacy/publicity or intellectual property rights of any person or entity, and that no other party has any right, title, claim or interest in the photograph.

2.5 - Each entry must be accompanied by the IYP World Photography Contest Entry Form duly filled out and signed. Participants in the Professional Photographers category must include a curriculum vitae.

3. Submission of entries

3.1 - All entries must be submitted and received by September 1, 2008 at 05:00pm (GMT+1) Proof of submission is not proof of receipt.

3.2 - The digital files of the entries may be uploaded directly via the internet, using an online account. Entrants can may create an online account at the following URL: http://www.potato2008.org/photocontest/register.html

3.3 - Alternatively, digital files of images may be sent on CD-ROM, accompanied by the signed entry form, by registered mail or pre-paid courier to:

IYP World Photography Contest
Room B-743
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome, Italy

3.4 - Entries submitted after September 1, 2008 at 05:00pm (GMT+1) will not be eligible for consideration.

II. Procedures for final selection of prize-winners

1. The Selection Committee will comprise a panel of distinguished photojournalists, professionals working in the field of photography and selected members of the IYP Informal International Steering Committee.

2. The following criteria will be used by the Selection Committee in ranking the photographs submitted:

a) Relationship between the content and the theme of the United Nations International Year; in particular the image should depict one or more of the following activities:

• Biodiversity
• Cultivation
• Post-harvest and processing
• Trade
• Marketing
• Consumption and utilization

b) Aesthetic and technical skill in conveying the message to the public;

c) Relationship between artistic originality and ability to focus public attention on the role of potato in one or more of the following themes: food security, cultural heritage, indigenous knowledge, sustainable production, biodiversity, environment, scientific advancement, labour and livelihoods support within the context of the Millennium Development Goals.

3. The Selection Committee will evaluate the material submitted and establish a short list of nominees from which the winners of the contest will be selected. The decision of the Selection Committee is final and no negotiation will be entered into with respect to any such decision.

4. The short list of the nominees and winners of the contest will be published on the IYP website (www.potato2008.org) by end of December 2008.

5. Prize winners in each category will be contacted directly by the IYP Secretariat.

III. Prizes

The winners in each category will be awarded the following prizes:

Professional photographers category

• 1st place - US$4 000 and a Nikon D300 kit (D300 body + AF-S DX Nikkor 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR lens)
• 2nd place - US$2 000 and a Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR lens
• 3rd place - US$1 000 and a Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR lens

Amateur photographers category

• 1st place - $US2 000 and a Nikon D60 kit (D60 body + AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR lens)
• 2nd place - $US1 000 and a Nikon D40 kit (D40 body + AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G II lens)
• 3rd place - $US 500 and a Nikon Coolpix S600 camera

IV. Sponsors

The IYP World Photography Contest, Focus on a global food, is proud to be supported by Nikon Europe.