Vultures in Focus – Photography Contest

Are you passionate about vultures and their conservation, with a talent for photography? Join us in the ‘Vultures in Focus Photography Contest’ and share your stunning vulture photographs with the world. 

This time, our photography contest is not only focusing on Europe’s vulture species but also all vultures from around the globe – Old World Vultures from Africa, Asia, and Europe, and New World Vultures from the Americas!

Photographers will have several perks of entering the contest, including promotion of their work and prizes for the winners, and of course contribution to vulture awareness and conservation. 

Capture the beauty of vultures and be part of positive change! Share your favourite vulture photographs with us.

Prizes

First prize 

• €300 Amazon voucher 
• 1 book 
• 1 plushie 

Second prize  

• €100 Amazon voucher 
• 1 book 
• 1 plushie 

Third prize  

• €50 Amazon voucher 
• 1 book 
• 1 plushie 

Promotion of photographers

The VCF’s ‘Vultures in Focus’ Photography Contest aims to promote photographers by showcasing their work across extensive communication channels. This includes the upcoming European Vulture Conference 2023, where vulture experts and enthusiasts from around the world will gather to discuss vulture conservation and research. We will feature your photos on our communication channels, always giving you full credit. We hope your work will garner recognition for your dedicated efforts in the challenging field of bird photography.

Boost vulture awareness

By participating in this contest, you play a vital role in changing the negative perception of vultures. Your photographs will help us showcase the beauty and magnificence of these important birds and discuss their significance in a captivating and engaging way. These images play a crucial role in supporting vulture conservation, raising awareness, and shifting perceptions.

How to participate

Join us in celebrating the remarkable vultures and their conservation. Share your favourite vulture photographs with us today!

To participate, submit up to five photos via the dedicated Photo Contest Submission form.

Before taking part in the Vultures in Focus – Photography Contest, please read and agree to the Terms and Conditions listed below.

The deadline for photo submissions is Sunday, 24 September 2023.

Before taking part in the Vultures in Focus – Photography Contest, please make sure you read and agree to the Terms and Conditions listed below. 

Terms and Conditions 

It is a condition of entry that all terms and conditions are accepted and that the entrant agrees to abide by them. 

Eligibility  

• The contest is open to the general public and participants must be 18 years of age or older on the closing date of the contest, 24 September 2023. 

• Employees, volunteers, and board members of the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), as well as their immediate family members, are not eligible to participate. 

Entry Submission 

• Participants must submit their entries electronically through the designated Google Form submission page provided by the VCF.  
• Entry to the contest is free of charge. 
• Each participant can submit a maximum of five (5) photographs.  
• All entries must feature at least one vulture species: 
  • Andean condor (Vultur gryphus) 
  • Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) 
  • Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) 
  • California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) 
  • Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres) 
  • Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus) 
  • Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) 
  • Greater yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes melambrotus) 
  • Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) 
  • Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis) 
  • Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) 
  • Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) 
  • King vulture (Sarcoramphus papa) 
  • Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotus) 
  • Palm-nut vulture (Gypohierax angolensis) 
  • Lesser yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes burrovianus) 
  • Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) 
  • Rüppell’s vulture (Gyps rueppelli) 
  • Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) 
  • Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)  
  • White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) 
  • White-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) 
  • White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) 
• Entries must be original photographs taken by the participant. Any form of plagiarism or copyright infringement will result in disqualification.  
• Participants must upload their photos in the dedicated sections of the Google Form submission form.  

Image specifications  

• Photograph submissions must be in digital format, but the original entry does not need to have been taken on a digital camera. Please upload JPG or PNG files. 
• Digital files submitted must be of high quality. Each photo must have a minimum width of 1,600 pixels for horizontal images or a minimum height of 1,600 pixels for vertical images. You can use larger images. The maximum file size for each photograph is 10 MB.   
• Watermarks, signatures, or any other identifying marks should not be included in the submitted photographs. 

Ownership and usage rights  

• By entering the contest, participants warrant that they are the sole owners of the submitted photographs and have obtained all necessary permissions and releases for any recognizable individuals, locations, or copyrighted materials depicted in the images. 
• Participants retain the copyright of their photographs. However, by entering the contest, participants grant the VCF a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use the submitted photographs for promotional and non-commercial purposes related to the ‘Vultures in Focus – Photography Contest,’ including but not limited to, publishing, displaying, reproducing, distributing, and editing the images in online and offline media. Participants also grant the VCF permission to use their photographs for communication purposes to promote vulture conservation, awareness, and fundraising campaigns. 
• The VCF may edit, crop, or modify the submitted photographs as needed to suit the intended promotional, communication, and fundraising purposes. The VCF will always credit the photographer when using their images, but shall not be held responsible for any unauthorized use or misuse by third parties. Failure to publish a credit due to error or oversight by the VCF shall not be deemed a breach of these Terms and Conditions. Please let the VCF know if that happens to be corrected as soon as possible.  
• Entrants and winners in the contest agree that their identity may be disclosed for communication purposes and/or in winner announcements. This right is granted in any of the following uses: 
  • On the website  
  • Judging the contest 
  • Displaying and auctioning photographs during the European Vulture Conference 2023 
  • In publicity materials (including social media) 
  • Publication in other magazines, electronic or print media 
  • For general awareness purposes, including International Vulture Awareness Day and specific VCF conservation projects 
  • For fundraising campaigns aimed at supporting vulture conservation initiatives 

Data protection  

• The VCF will collect personal data about entrants at the time of the contest through the Google Form to manage the contest and all associated activities. After the contest, personal data will be deleted unless participants have requested to be added to the VCF’s newsletter email list and/or photographer list. 

Ethics  

• The entrant must not do anything to cause injury or distress to wildlife or destroy their habitat. If it is suspected that the entry has been achieved through cruel or unethical practices, the entry will be disqualified.  
• By participating in the contest, entrants are reminded to provide information that is complete, true, and accurate.  

Judging and selection 

• All eligible entries will be showcased on the VCF’s Facebook page as part of the photography contest. External users can participate in the voting process by liking their favourite photographs using their Facebook profiles. Subsequent to this initial public voting phase, a panel of professional wildlife photographers will assess the top 50% of the most liked pictures. However, if the number of photographs in the top 50% exceeds 100, the panel will evaluate up to the top 100 photographs. From this selection, the panel will then choose the final set of 10 to 30 photographs to be featured at the audiovisual corner during the European Vulture Conference 2023. 
• Entrants whose photographs are shortlisted will need to provide a summary of the photograph and a short bio of themselves. 
• The VCF reserves the right to disqualify any entry that does not comply with the contest rules or that is deemed inappropriate, offensive, or violates any laws or regulations.  
• The selected winners will be notified by email or through the contact information provided during submission. If a winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within a specified period, the prize may be forfeited, and an alternate winner may be selected.
• Key dates:
  • Photograph Submission: 25 August – 24 September, 2023
  • Facebook Vote: 28 September – 5 October 2023  
  • Panel Judging: 6 –21 October 2023  
  • Announcement of winners: November 2023  
  • Exhibition: 14-16 November, 2023 

Prizes for winning photographs 

Entrants who produce the top 3 photographs will be eligible for prizes: Amazon Voucher, the Photography Book ‘Sentieri invisibili – Evanescent paths’ by Gianluca Damiani and the VCF’s Bearded Vulture plushie 

First Prize   

• A €300 Amazon voucher 
• 1 copy of the book 
• 1 plushie 

Second Prize 

• A €100 Amazon voucher 
• 1 copy of the book 
• 1 plushie 

Third Prize  

• A €50 Amazon voucher 
• 1 copy of the book 
• 1 plushie 

Prize Redemption 

• Winners will be notified through the provided contact details.   
• Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged or redeemed for cash.  

General conditions 

• By participating in the contest, participants agree to release and absolve the Vulture Conservation Foundation, its officers, directors, employees, and affiliates, from any claims, damages, or liabilities that may arise because of their involvement or the acceptance, use, or appropriate use of any awarded prize. 
• The VCF retains the prerogative to adjust, temporarily halt, or conclude the contest, or make amendments to the contest regulations, if necessary, without prior notification. In such instances, participants will be duly informed through the official communication channels designated for the contest. 
• The VCF shall not be held accountable for any technical glitches, errors, or delays that might transpire during the submission phase or the evaluation period. 
• The VCF maintains the right to disqualify any participant found to be in breach of the contest regulations or found engaging in any fraudulent, disruptive, or unethical behaviour. 

By participating in the ‘Vultures in Focus Photography Contest,’ participants acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agreed to these terms and conditions. 

For any queries and clarifications, feel free to contact us.  

© Banner photo by Hansruedi Weyrich