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Posted March 5, 2020
Questions? Call JPI (941) 896-9921
The 48 Hour Birding Photo Relay Contest
Photograph Edit Submit
The 48 Hour Photography challenge is a timed photo competition. Photos entered must have been shot in the given time period. 
Johnson PhotoImaging is hosting a 48-hour photo relay. Starting on April 29th at 3 PM EST finishing on May 2nd at 11 AM EST, competitors will go out and take pictures of birds, make edits and turn in the digital file before the deadline, May 2nd at 1 PM EST. Competitors will receive an entrant number and flash-drive when registering. Birds MUST be wild and not in captivity — no rescues, zoos, pets, or taxidermy.
Skill Groups
There are three skill groups in total. Each skill group represents a different skill level.

  • Beginner Level is defined as someone who is new to photography and hasn't won a competition or sold anything.
  • Intermediate Level is defined as someone who has won less than three competitions and rarely sells their images.
  • Advanced Level is defined as someone who has won more than four competitions and sells their work.
How to Enter
Register in person at Johnson PhotoImaging (JPI) for $35 or online at Eventbrite for an additional fee. The deadline to register is April 29th at noon . Event sponsors are providing thumb-drives for the challenge which are available for pick up at JPI. Up to 6 images may be entered!
Prizes
Prizes will be provided from the sponsors! Items like mirrorless cameras, waterproof cameras, monopods and camera bags. Additional cash prizes in the form of gift cards will be awarded. 
Theme: Birds
Images entered should fit into one of these categories; In-Flight, Nesting, and Natural behaviors.Please respect their space and follow the Audubon's rules for ethical bird photography.

Check out our Instagram for tips and techniques to improve your bird photography!
Nesting
Any activity around a bird's nest! A nest is a bird's home, so please respect the space. Global edits only.*
In-Flight
Capture a bird in flight! Photographing a bird in flight can be one of the most stunning images you can take, but be prepared to take a lot of photos to capture that one perfect one! Global edits only.*
Natural Behavior
Capture a bird interacting with its environment. This category is open to interpretation.
*Global Edits - Image Restrictions - Cloning, masking, and additional digital manipulation are NOT allowed in this criteria. Minimal changes are allowed like cropping, color balance, exposure, sharpening, levels, and curves.
Sponsors
Official Rules
GENERAL RULES FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS
  1. All participants must sign and submit a Waiver of Liability. 
  2. Images must be taken within the specified allotted time - Wednesday, April 29th, 2020, at 3:00 PM EST to Saturday, May 2nd, 2020, at 11:00 AM EST.
  3. FIELD ETHICS: All participants should adhere to Audubon's Guide to Ethical Bird Photography. This means that respect for birds and their environments should come before the photographer's need for a perfect shot. Avoid causing unnecessary stress to birds, do not lure birds with bait, and show respect for private property and other people. Questions? Consult Audubon's guidelines. NO BIRDS IN CAPTIVITY – No Zoos, Rescues, Taxidermy, or Pets. The judges will be asked to interpret this guideline and disqualify any suspect images visibly damaging the environment, animals with signs of stress, moved and shot in an unnatural environment or hazardous location, and animals being fed.
  4. All entries must be submitted within the posted hours and on the USB thumb drive received at registration, and use the file naming convention explained in the entry instructions.
  5. Each participant is responsible for his/her safety and the proper operation of his/her photographic equipment. Johnson PhotoImaging (JPI) and the event sponsors are exempt from all liability or responsibility whatsoever for all personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death, however caused, including but not limited to property liability or the negligence of the released parties, whether passive or active. Each participant must use his/her judgment regarding safety. 
  6. JPI reserves the right to postpone and reschedule the competition to a future date within 12 months from its original date if there are safety or weather concerns or not enough participation.
  7. Judge's spouse or significant other and their immediate family members are not eligible to compete for the given year. 
  8. The event is rain or shine.
HOW TO ENTER
Registration opens March 5th. You can register in person at Johnson PhotoImaging during regular store hours The deadline for registration is before 12:00 PM EST, April 29th. There will be no further registrations accepted after that.

Store Info
Johnson PhotoImaging
6709 53rd Ave E
Bradenton, FL 34293
(941) 896-9921
Hours - Monday through Friday 10 AM to 6 PM EST, Saturday 10 AM to 2 PM EST.
The store is closed on Sundays.

You can pay the $35 entry fee there and collect a USB thumb drive for the contest. You can also register online via Eventbrite for an additional service fee. Registration ends at 12:00 PM EST, April 29. It would be best if you still stopped in to pick up the thumb drive before, April 29, at 3:00 PM EST. All registration ends Wednesday, April 29, at 12:00 PM EST. There are no exceptions.

The event sponsors are providing the thumb drives for the challenge and are available at Johnson PhotoImaging. It would be best to use the provided thumb drives instead of your thumb drive to avoid inadvertent damage to yours.
PHOTO CATEGORIES
Entrants can enter into either a Beginner Skill Level, Intermediate Skill Level, or Advanced Skill Level, with a maximum of 6 images to the competition. Submitted images should include one or all three different themes, Birds In-Flight, Nesting, and Natural Behavior. You may submit a total of six photos; you can distribute your six photos across the themes however you'd like. i.e., Enter 2 in each theme or enter all six photos in one.

Themes - 
  • Birds In-Flight - Before you even begin to worry about your settings, an essential tip to successful bird in flight photography is the art of panning. The ability to follow your subject in the frame. So a proper panning technique is essential, especially with larger telephoto lenses that will dictate the use of a tripod and gimbal head. But whether you have a big heavy telephoto or are hand holding a smaller lens, the rule remains the same: keep things smooth and steady to increase your chances of success. Image Restrictions - Cloning, masking, and additional digital manipulation are NOT allowed in this criteria. Minimal changes are allowed like cropping, color balance, exposure, sharpening, levels, and curves - hereafter referred to as global edits.
  • Nesting - Any activity in and around the bird's nest. Where a bird lays and incubates its eggs and raises, its young, telephoto lenses will allow you to shoot from a distance. But how far away do you need to be? There's no hard-and-fast rule. Some backyard nests, for example, can be approached much less intrusively. The sensitivity of individual birds can also vary within the same species, depending on location. Many of Florida's feathered friends appear quite comfortable near humans, while in other areas, they can be susceptible to disturbance. Image Restrictions - Cloning, masking, and additional digital manipulation are NOT allowed in this criteria. Minimal changes are allowed like cropping, color balance, exposure, sharpening, levels, and curves - hereafter referred to as global edits.
  • Natural Behavior - What an animal does, how it cares for itself, and how it reacts to other organisms and the environment in which it lives. We see our world at 5 to 6 feet high, but birds see the world in a few inches to a few feet. Always try to photograph the birds from their eye level, except the birds in flight, of course. Some of the obvious benefits are: You get more intimate photographs of birds since you will get eye contact. There are no rules regarding digital manipulation, but please note, the judges usually find that less is more.
OUR "SHARE THE WEALTH" PRIZE RULES
  1. A weighted point system will be used for awarding prizes to encourage competition and reward excellence. Points are awarded for all places, including honorable mentions.
  2. No participant may receive more than one prize.
  3. Prize selection will occur immediately following the showing of the winning images based on the highest points.
  4. Each participant eligible must be present to receive a prize.
  5. In the event of a tie, the winners' prize selection order will be determined through random selection.
  6. All persons selecting a prize agree that their image(s) may be used JPI competitions in future years.
  7. Prizes are nontransferable.
WHAT WE ASK FROM OUR COMPETITION JUDGES
  1. The judges volunteer their time as working professionals with interest to help promote photography.
  2. The judges will award first, second, and third place in each category of participants. Honorable Mentions will be awarded at the judges' discretion. 
  3. The judges will eliminate an image if they believe it might violate the conservation rules or do not fit the criteria. The judges will select images based on the question, "Would I display this as a print on my living room wall?" 
  4. The decision of the judges will be final in all cases.
PHOTO ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS
The deadline for entries is before Saturday, May 2, 2020, at 1:00 PM EST. Images must be shot in RAW and processed into JPG during the contest period. Both the original RAW file and the final JPG must be on the thumb drive. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline - Saturday, May 2, 2020, at 1:00 PM EST. There are no exceptions. 

Each photo category has rules that state the type of manipulation that is allowed. Each participant may submit a maximum of six images to the competition on the USB thumb drive received at registration. You choose how to spread your selection of 6 total images across the themes. Entrants should save their images on the thumb drive as full resolution, 100% quality JPEGs with the following naming convention separated by underscores (_):
 
  • Skill level (ADV for Advanced, INT for Intermediate, BEG for Beginner.)
  • Theme ("flight" for Birds In Flight, "nest" for Nesting, "nat" for Natural Behavior.)
  • Three-digit entrant number (found on your USB thumb drive, please keep leading zeros in your file name.) 
  • Number the pictures submitted in this category [i.e., 1, 2, or 3]. Remember, a total of 6 entries are allowed for the competition; split your six entries across the available categories however you see fit. 
  • Entrant name (firstname_lastname) 
  • .jpg and the RAW file.

Examples: 

Competitor John Doe, who is entrant number 010, in the Advanced skill level, would name his second picture in Birds In Flight: 
ADV_flight_010_2_John_Doe.JPG 
ADV_flight_010_2_John_Doe.NEF (Nikon RAW file)

Competitor Jane Doe, who is entrant number 105, in the Advanced skill level and is submitting her third picture in Natural Behavior, would name her entry: 
ADV_nat_105_3_Jane_Doe.JPG. 
ADV_nat_105_3_Jane_Doe.ORF. (Olympus RAW File)
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