Photo Salon

Photo Salon

Exhibition of photographic slides & digital images

The Photographic Salon celebrates the ethereal beauty of projected images of caves and caving. Cave-related slides and images are projected once, during the Thursday night Salon Awards Program, with a background of instrumental music written for the occasion. Images or slides must be of caves, cave-related subjects, or cave-related humor.

ENTRIES: All entries must be mailed to Cady Soukup (P.O. Box 600 Flint Hill VA 22627-0600) and must arrive no later than 30 March 2012. Please complete the entry form, which asks you to assign each image a Category, a Number, and a Title. We encourage you to include a short description of the image (location, participants, unusual stories associated with the image or trip). Please also send a self-portrait slide or digital image. Please check the artist's Rights and Conditions release boxes and sign the form before sending it in.

Film Slides. Slides must be mounted in 2 by 2 inch (5 cm by 5 cm) mounts of 35 mm or superslides. Cropping is permitted (please use metallic tape or a cropped copy). Place a spot in the lower left corner of the slide mount as it is viewed by the eye when properly oriented. Write the photographer's name and entry number on each mount. If film slides are judged as Accepted for Show, they will be digitized for display at the awards show.

Digital Entries. Submit digital images on a CD or DVD in standard file format (JPG) in the highest resolution available. Please submit images in the standard RGB color space (sRGB) if at all possible. Digital image files must be given a file name similar to the image's title and, if possible, the photographer's entry number, e.g., 01-WinningCavePhoto.jpg. Digital entries are encouraged to include digital data in the Exchangeable image file (EXIF) format.

CATEGORIES:
1. Story Series (maximum of 20 slides, include a caption for each slide in the series, considered a single entry);
2. Cave Photo (cave entrance, passage, formations);
3. Caver Photos (the focus is on the person or action);
4. Humor;
5. Science Photos (focus on the scientific aspect of caves; please submit an explanation of the reason the photo was taken and/or the subject of the research).

MEDIA:
Film Slides must be mounted in 2 x 2 inch mounts of 35mm or superslides. No glass mounts will be accepted. Cropping is permitted. Place a spot in the lower left corner of the slide mount as it is viewed by the naked eye when properly oriented. Write the photographer's name and a unique entry number on each mount.
Digital images submitted for judging should be submitted on a CD or DVD in standard file format (TIF, JPG, PDF) in the highest resolution available. Digital image files must be given a file name similar to the image’s title and, if possible, the unique number assigned by the photographer, i.e.: 01-BuddhaFormation.jpg.

ENTRY FEES: The entry fee is $1.00 per film slide or $0.25 per digital image. There is no fee if the film slide or digital image is donated to the NSS. There is a limit of 30 entries per photographer. If you wish your entry/entries returned by mail, you must provide postage cost and re-usable packaging. Entry fees are payable by check or money order payable to "NSS"..

ENTRY INFORMATION: Additional information you choose to include about each slide on your entry sheet, such as the name of the cave, general area, state or country where it is located, name of persons in the scene, or process (or lighting / digital techniques) used to create an unusual photograph is appreciated.

JUDGING: Judging occurs prior to convention. Judging criteria are shown at the link below. Each category is judged separately, although there is a single 'Best in Show' award from among all entries in the Photo Salon.

RIGHTS AND CONDITIONS:
All entrants retain copyright and all moral and intellectual rights to their work. Credit and copyright notice will be included with all images displayed. Digital copyright information will not be removed from any image. The NSS requests the following rights, which are optional. Indicate your agreement with any or all by marking the box(es) on the entry form:

The NSS may publish winning images in periodicals for the purpose of showcasing contest winners, within one year of the contest.
The NSS may publish winning images in periodicals for the purposes of promoting future congresses and competitions, for not more than four years.
The NSS may use these images in low-resolution on Web sites to announce the winners of this competition, for not more than four years.
The NSS may use these images in low-resolution in a CD/DVD of all entries. This CD/DVD will be lent to NSS members for viewing at no charge.

FURTHER INFORMATION - If you have questions, please contact one of the co-chairs below, or photosalon@caves.org.

CO-CHAIRS
Cady Soukup, Co-Chair
P. O. Box 600
Flint Hill, VA 22627-0600
540-675-3015
photosalon@caves.org

Ray Cole, Co-Chair
3410 Austin Ave
Alexandria VA 22310-3102
703-960-3559
photosalon@caves.org

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