Starryscape Dream-Optolong 2024 Nightscape Competition
Starryscape Dream-Optolong 2024 Nightscape Competition
Submission period: 20th May - 20th July 2024
Email: [email protected]
"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."
---Stephen Hawking
The relentless march of time sweeps us along, lost in the clamor and tumult, heads bent, trudging forward without pausing to gaze up at the boundless, twinkling expanse of the starry sky. The true beauty of the stars lies in their vast, expansive majesty, encompassing and embracing all within their celestial embrace. From a single corner of the Earth, a world of wonders unfolds - towering mountains and flowing waters, crossing over shimmering lakes and rolling hills, through the cyclical progression of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. We can embrace the glimmering starlight, follow the lens to document the clear, starry wilderness, and sense and convey the infinite possibilities of the universe.
Starryscape Dream--Optolong 2024 Nightscape competition is open to all astrophotography enthusiasts at home and abroad. We encourage everyone to submit your works!
Submitted and accepted date on May 20th 2024 (MON) , due on July 20th 2024 (SAT).
Category for Submission: Astral Landscapes
Please submit your photography entries under the category of "Astral Landscapes." The focus of the submissions should be on capturing the beauty of the celestial realm in combination with terrestrial landscapes during the period between sunset and sunrise. We encourage entries that showcase the night sky, including the Milky Way, star trails, and other extraordinary celestial phenomena, integrated harmoniously with captivating earthly scenes.
Categories of Work for Submission
There are two categories in this competition. Participants must indicate the category of their work in the details of submission.
I NighScape Category: It includes photographs of the night sky featuring the Milky Way, star trails, or other shots captured with telephoto lenses that combine starry skies and terrestrial landscapes.
II Special Celestial Category: It encompasses photographs of extraordinary celestial events such as meteor showers, lunar eclipses, auroras, comets, and other unique celestial phenomena. The images should showcase both the celestial spectacle and the surrounding landscape.
Please ensure that you specify the appropriate unit/category for your starry landscape photography submission.
Award and Prize Categories
I NighScape Category
|
Award Categories |
Winners Number | Prizes |
| The 1st Prize | One winner to be selected |
1>Cash prize of US$2,000 *1 2>Optolong Nikon Z series clip-in filter *1 3>Award certificate *1 |
| The 2nd Prize | Two winners to be selected |
1>Cash prize of US$600 *1 2>Optolong Nikon Z series clip-in filter *1 3>Award certificate *1 |
| The 3rd Prize | Three winners to be selected |
1>Cash prize of US$300 *1 2>Optolong Nikon Z series clip-in filter *1 3>Award certificate *1 |
II Special Celestial Category
| Award Categories | Winners Number | Prizes |
| The 1st Prize | One winner to be selected |
1>Cash prize of US$1,000 *1 2>Optolong Nikon Z series clip-in filter *1 3>Award certificate *1 |
| The 2nd Prize | One winner to be selected |
1>Cash prize of US$300 *1 2>Optolong Nikon Z series clip-in filter *1 3>Award certificate *1 |
| The 3rd Prize | One winner to be selected |
1>Cash prize of US$100 *1 2>Optolong Nikon Z series clip-in filter *1 3>Award certificate *1 |
Click the image to submit your work!
Shortlisted Award
All the participants whose submissions have been shortlisted will receive an exclusive 20% discount coupon from Optolong. This discount can be used to purchase Optolong filters including L-Pro, L-Ultimate, L-Quad Enhance Filter, L-eNhance, L-eXtreme, L-eXtreme F2, LRGB, and SHO-3nm filters.
The list of shortlisted entries will be determined by Optolong and announced on July 31, 2024 (Wed). Please refer to the official announcement by Optolong for the final list of shortlisted participants.
Conditions of Entry
• Participants must ensure that their work is original and authentic, with images taken using DLSR or Mirroless cameras (Sony E-mount, Sony Alpha,Olympus OMD,Canon M6,Fujifilm) paired with lenses. Composite images or stack of images to create the final images are allowed;
※Note: Entries taken by mobile phones are not accepted for this competition.
• There is no limit on time and place for shooting, color, black and white digital photos are acceptable. There is no limit on techniques and styles. In order to highlight the creativity of works, participants can have certain post-processing. However, the entries must be objective and real, and shall not be transferred (source documents shall be provided if necessary).
• All submitted entries must be original works created by the individual participant. Collaborative or group works are not allowed. It is essential that the submitted photographs do not infringe upon any copyright or raise any copyright disputes. If any evidence of plagiarism or copyright infringement is found, the participant will be solely responsible for any legal consequences and will be disqualified from the competition.
• Each participant is allowed to submit a maximum of three entries for the competition.
• The submitted entries must include the participant's name and the date of capture. .
• Kindly label your name and shooting date in the lower left corner of the entry, and ensure that the font is clearly visible when the image is enlarged to 100%;
• Entries must be submitted in electronic format (JPG, PNG);
• The maximum file size for submitted entries should not exceed 10MB. Additionally, the width or height of the photographs should be equal to or greater than 1000 pixels.;
•The submitted images are required haven’t won in the Optolong Starryscape competitions;
Submission Method and Details:
Method 1:
1)Please submit your entries and Registration Form as attachments to the submission email: [email protected].
Ensure that the files are named in the following format: Category + Title of the Work + Author's Name + Nationality.
If your image files are large in size, please use services such as "large attachments" or "file transfer stations" to ensure successful delivery, as email capacities may be limited.
Note※: The Registration Form should be downloaded as an Excel file, and the submitted form should also be in Excel format.
- Download the Registration Form provided as an attachment, and fill in the relevant information about your work accurately, honestly, and carefully. Providing insufficient information on the registration form may impact your chances of advancing to subsequent rounds if your entry is shortlisted.
Click here to download the Registration Form.
Method 2:
In case you are unable to download and use the Excel registration form, please follow the alternative submission method. Send your work and the required information directly to the submission email: [email protected]. The attachment format and email content requirements are as follows:
1)Attachment Naming: Category + Title of the Work + Author's Name + Nationality
2)Email Content: Please include the following information in the email:
–Category of participation
–Full name
–Nationality
–Title of the work
–Subject of the photograph
–Equipment used for the capture
–Shooting parameters
–Date of capture
–Location of capture
–Brief description of the work
–Post-processing techniques used
–Interesting story related to the photograph
•Copyright of the submitted works remains with the respective authors. By participating in the competition, you grant Optolong the authorization to use your works for promotional and display purposes during the event (proper attribution will be given to the original author).
•The list of winners will be announced on the Optolong official website and other social media platforms.
Competition Time Schedule
| DATE | EVENTS |
|
May 20th 2024 (MON) |
Submission begins. |
|
July 20th 2024 (SAT) |
Submission deadline |
|
July 31st 2024 (WED) |
The finalists will be published on Optolong official medias |
|
August 24th 2024(SAT) |
Winners announcement of categories |
Scoring Method
All submitted entries will be objectively evaluated and judged by a panel of five expert judges specially invited by Optolong. The judges have the final decision-making authority on the winning entries. The winning entries will prioritize but are not limited to seasonal astrophotography.
The rankings for all awards will be determined through joint deliberation by the panel of expert judges invited by Optolong.
The judges themselves will not participate in this competition by submitting entries.
With the scorching summer and the fiery start of the competition, let us eagerly await and look forward to your participation!
We specially invited five judges who come from different countries to make sure this event is managed equitably and responsibly. They are Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn from Canada, Mehmet Ergün from Germany, Yuri Beletsky from Chile, Vincent Cheng from Hong Kong(China) and Steed(虞骏) from China.
We are looking foward to your contributions!
Just feel free to click BELOE OPEN ALBUMS to review all submissions. Welcome “LIKE”, “FORWARD”, ”SHARE”, and “COMMENT”.
NightScape Category: https://photos.app.goo.gl/VucxTJSuaz5JqTPj6
Special Celestial Category: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7mtJmkdzArQ3FVAs5
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The ultimate interpretation right of this event belongs to Optolong Optics Co., Ltd. Participation in this call for entries implies agreement and compliance with all the rules of this competition.
Pay attention to Optolong Astro-photography contest:
https://optolong.com/cms/column/index/id/65.html
