Go Wild! Stay Cultured. International Nature and Culture Photo Contest within the European Year of Cultural Heritage

Nature and culture can both be on their own a fertile source of inspiration. What happens when they are interlinked? Today, we’re inviting you to join us on this journey of discovery by taking part in our photo contest. Share your photos showing your interpretation of culture and nature connections e.g. how culture is inspired by nature or what natural places have a value for culture. The pictures should be coming from Natura 2000 sites, the largest network of protected areas in Europe. Raise your voice on the importance of preserving natural habitats, especially for protected animal and plant species. You can have a look at this map to find out which Natura 2000 sites are closer to you. Go out, explore Europe and send us the best photos of culture and nature to participate in the Go Wild! Stay Cultured. photo contest. Have a message for decision-makers? We want to hear it as it might be a postcard with your photo that we send to their address, asking them to increase funding for both culture and nature conservation. Go Wild! Stay Cultured. 2018 Natura 2000 is the largest European sites network for the protection of habitats and species: a milestone in preserving biodiversity and a remarkable symbol of our cultural and natural heritage. Click here to read more about it and discover why we love it. Get inspired with more stories about linkages between Natura 2000 and culture in the publication: Linking Natura 2000 and cultural heritage from the European Commission.

Deadline: 18 November 2018, CET midnight

There will be no exceptions – plan your time ahead! Winners will be announced on 5 December 2018.

Prizes – total value of €1,500

Jury winner – first place: 2 Interrail Global Passes for 10 days within 1 month; Jury winner – second place: 2 nights-stay in the “Instants d’Absolu” Ecolodge & Spa, Regional Natural Park of Auvergne Volcanoes, France for 2 people., with free access to the spa. Available January throughout March 2019, excluding Saturdays; Jury winner – third place: 3 nights-stay and horse-riding tour with the ngo BROZ Slovakia in the camping Velký Lél, Danube island in Zlatná na Ostrove, Slovakia, for 3 people; Public vote winner: 3 nights-stay and horse-riding tour with the ngo BROZ Slovakia in the camping Velký Lél, Danube island in Zlatná na Ostrove, Slovakia, for 3 people; People’s choice winner: The Eluxe Magazine Box for one person – a copy of the book “Style and Trashion”, 3 issues of Eluxe Magazine, hairpackage from Saachs Organics.

Judging

Jury prize winners: CEEweb selection panel will pre-select 30 photos, based on the selection criteria. Three jury members will grade each photo with maximum of 50 points for each criterion. Three winners will be selected. Public vote winner: All the submitted photographs will be uploaded to the online gallery on the CEEweb website. The public voting will open on Monday 19 November at 11:00 a.m. CET and close on Monday 3 December at 3:00 p.m. CET. One person can vote one time, for 3 photos. People’s choice winner: All the submitted photographs will be uploaded to the Go Wild! Stay Cultured. Instagram page, starting from 23 July 2018. The winner who collects the most likes by Monday 3 December at 3:00 p.m. CET will win this prize. More detail to follow.

Criteria

Message strength: the authenticity of content and how it conveys contest’s message
Creativity: creative and original approach to the subject
Photographic quality

Entry fee

No fee, the contest is free!

Practical information

We accept digital photos only. Format: JPEG. or .jpg. Minimum size: 1,600 pixels wide (if a horizontal image) or 1,600 pixels tall (if a vertical image). Maximum size: 20 megabytes. Send to: office(at)ceeweb.org via WeTransfer. Maximum 3 photos by one author. File name: Surname_Title. A caption is obligatory and has to present the circumstances in which the photo was taken in a clear way (max 150 words). You have to be both the photographer and the copyright owner for all the images submitted. By participating in this photography contest, you give CEEweb your permission for the photo(s) to be uploaded to an online gallery for public voting, to be shared on both CEEweb’s and sponsors’ websites and social media, and that your photo(s) might be used for CEEweb communications and outreach activities, including showcasing photos at the exhibition.

Restrictions

Manipulated photos will not be accepted. Not meeting any of the criteria above will CEEweb reserve the right to not accept and publish the photos that do not meat minimum criteria.

Sponsors

Interrail – Official Sponsor Interrail is the official sales channel of Interrail passes for European residents. An Interrail pass is an all-in-one train ticket that allows you to travel in Europe wherever you want and whenever you want. You can tailor your adventure among over 40,000 destinations in 30 countries: no other travel pass will give you the same freedom! You can decide what to explore at your own pace: no having to buy point-to-point tickets, no need to queue at ticket offices and no need to worry about taking a specific train. You can stay longer in the places you love, make great connections with locals and travellers and enjoy trains comfort and amazing views. All you need to do is choose the right pass for your dream journey. Some trains do ask you to make a reservation, but most trains can be boarded by simply showing staff your Interrail Pass. This will give your travelling an ultimate dimension of freedom and flexibility. Whether you’re a family, a couple, a group of friends or a solo adventure, you can be the master of this adventure around Europe and you can personalize it as much as you want. Click here to find out more. Instants d’Absolu – Ecolodge & Spa In a secret unharnessed environment in volcanic France (Auvergne), «instants d’Absolu» Ecolodge & Spa is an invitation to wellness in the Wilderness. With a Spa overlooking awe-inspiring Lac du Pêcher, a restaurant based on fresh seasonal food from farm to table and bedrooms such as cosy bubbles, it is a place to relax while reestablishing those bio-links with the Earth and Sky suitable to re-enchant the daily life. Click here to find out more. BROZ – Regional Association for Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development From 1997, BROZ focuses on practical nature conservation in the region of South-Western Slovakia. The activities include Danube river restoration, conservation of floodplain meadows, restoration of traditional management of pollard willows, mowing, grazing of cattle and reed cutting. Many of these activities are implemented on the largest preserved Danube island “Veľký Lél”. Click here to find out more. Eluxe Magazine Eluxe magazine is the world’s first sustainable luxury magazine. It focuses on everything related to eco-luxury living: from sustainable fashion and clean beauty to organic food and ethical travel. Every day, Eluxe magazine delivers stories and inspiration online. Click here to find out more.