MAIN CATEGORY
HARMONY OF LIFE
In this nomination, photos shall reflect the unity of the animal and its environment in the artistic and biological aspects. The photos shall be evaluated as an integral composition created by the nature and captured by the photographer.
ANIMAL PORTRAIT
Photos of any wild animals in close-up. In this nomination, the basic criteria shall be successful imaging of the animal’s character and “soul” through its emotions, eyes expression, pose, pace.
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
Photos of wild animals (beasts, birds, amphibians, etc.) in their natural freedom. In this nomination, the uniqueness of the photo is a priority. The photograph shall show a point of interest in the animal’s life. Dynamic, emotional, eye-catching and original frames are welcome.
THE MICRO WORLD
Photos of representatives of the micro world (insects, spiders, invertebrates, small underwater animals) in their natural living environments. Images of subjects at any time of their life, interaction with other animals, species and the environment are welcome. In this nomination, the harmony and the artistic merit of the entire composition is a priority.
THE UNDERWATER WORLD
In this nomination, images taken underwater shall be accepted. A competition work shall show the freshness of the composition, the complexity of obtaining the frame, the drama. Photographs illustrating the uniqueness and the immensity of underwater ecosystems are welcome.
ART AND NATURE IMAGE
In this nomination, the principal value shall be the light, structural and graphic solution of the entire composition as a whole. Photos showing animals, plants and mushrooms are welcome.
LANDSCAPE
The nomination includes landscape photographs showing the beauty and the harmony of wildlife. Photographs shall not show any noticeable man made interference. Works shall be evaluated by the degree of their artistic merit and compositional perfection. The geographical position of the shooting point and the landscape type are not considered.
MAN AND NATURE
This is a photojournalism nomination. In this nomination, photographs shall be accepted that show any interaction of wildlife and humans, such as: working in wildlife reserves; animals and people in zoos; people preserving wildlife; negative human impact on the environment.
Frames advocating violence shall not be accepted to participate in the competition.
NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN WILD NATURE PHOTOS
In this nomination, photographs shall be accepted that are taken by advanced remote photography methods: trail cameras, drones and other hardware.
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The title and the grand prize shall be awarded to the photographer who presented the most original, emotional and eye-catching frames, most of which were made in Russia and were especially distinguished by the jury. The title and the prize may not be awarded if the jury fails to choose the author who meets these requirements.