Intro
Foto Circle Society (FCS) is an organisation formed by enthusiastic and active photographers in the year 1998. Our motto is ‘Together we progress’. Since then, FCS is providing a platform for amateur photographers from the rural and urban areas in the then Thane district, before the division, to showcase their talent. As such Thane district predominantly includes rural areas.
Our activities involve arranging workshops for providing guidance through talks by experienced photographers, slide shows, series of lectures on various photography subjects, documentaries and conducting competitions and exhibitions for amateurs as well as professional photographers. Thane Municipal Corporation has played a vital role in this process by sponsoring our maximum events consistently.
During these two decades, we have had the opportunity to meet and receive Masters in this field and many others. This has immensely helped our members to understand the nexus between success and focused efforts.
We regularly organise workshops on basic as well as advance photography and also on specialized subjects like Fashion, Photo Journalism, Wildlife, Industrial, Creative lighting and Photoshop etc.
FCS participates in various cultural activities and happenings in Thane city like ‘Marathi Sahitya Sammelan’, ‘Nav Varsha Swagat Yatra’, and many more to reach out to Thaneites and orient them in photography activities. FCS also undertakes social programs like teaching photography to the students of ‘Kamalini Karnabadhir Vidyalay’ (a school for deaf and mute Children) free of charge. An exhibition titled ‘Pani- The Story of Water’, organised with intent to create awareness on ‘Save Water’ has enhanced the image of FCS in the society. Celebration of World Photography Day on 19th August and our special exhibition ‘Canvas’ are our unique ways to encourage talent.
‘Thane Mayor National Photography Competition and Exhibition’ is a unique example in our country. This competition and exhibition is organised by FCS and is fully sponsored by Thane Municipal Corporation, probably the only Municipal Corporation in India to do so. For the first 10 years, it was held as a District level competition and was expanded to State level in the next 9 years. From the year 2018 it is organized as a National level competition and exhibition with sizable amount of cash prizes, trophies and medals. We received an overwhelming response with record breaking (6638) entries.
A very active team of lady members is a great asset for FCS. Preparation of celebration of 8 March, the International Women’s Day, starts nearly six months in advance. An exhibition ‘Vidyullata’ is organised on that day, which includes photo stories of success of women in various fields from rural to corporate, social to glamour, education to business. For this exhibition, our lady members have not only travelled through entire Maharashtra but have even visited the Northeast states of our country and clicked various women personalities working for different causes.
FCS is also known for its most popular activity- Slide Show, which is organised on 3rd Sunday of every month at Thane Kala Bhavan, in the memory of Late Raghunth Kashinath Shintre, a senior photographer. It began on 17 Jan 2010 and continued till date. Till now FCS has organised more than 114 slide shows, without a single break, on diverse subjects. This is a platform for veterans as well as upcoming photographers to display their skills and talent.
‘फ- फोटोचा’ is our online Diwali yearly publication, in which the experiences and inspiring success stories of renowned photographers from diverse fields of photography are shared.
FCS members experienced very touching stories while clicking photographs of inmates of Thane Mental Asylum, on behalf of a NGO to issue identity cards for them.
‘Click-2017’ was altogether a different project run by FCS with the popular local daily newspaper ‘Thane Vaibhav’. For the entire year of 2017, ‘Thane Vaibhav’, published daily a photograph clicked by FCS member along with small story behind the photograph. Around 142 photographs had an opportunity to display their photos on various subjects to the readers of ‘Thane Vaibhav’. A lovely exhibition of these photos was organised by ‘Thane Vaibhav’ and FCS in Thane Kala Bhavan in January 2018.
FCS also organised ‘Spandan’, a 8 picture story exhibition, ‘The Hunt’- a monthly online photography competition, restricted to FCS members only. The journey of two decades of FCS would have been very difficult without the support from various stakeholders of the society. Foto Circle Society would like to progress with Thane Municipal Corporation, who extended cooperation to us time and again, due publicity given by print and electronic media, appreciation and encouragement bestowed by photo lovers, well wishers and many known and unknown supporters and last but not the least, the guidance and efforts taken by the founders and senior members of FCS.
Contest Information
Sections - For National Level:
A. Nature & Wildlife
B. Photo travel
C. Indian Weddings
D. Street Photography (Black & White)
Sections - For State Level (Maharashtra):
A. Historical Places of Maharashtra
B. Festivals of Maharashtra
Calendar
Submission Starts On: Tuesday,15th August 2023
Submission Closes On: Sunday, 24th September 2023
Last Date of Acceptance of fees : Tuesday 26th September 2023
Judging Starts On: Saturday 07th October 2023
Judging Completes On: Sunday 08th October 2023
Results Notification on Website : Saturday 14th October 2023
Date Of Exhibition: Friday 24th to Sunday 26th November 2023
Online Catalogue: On or Before Wednesday, 1st November 2023
Dispatch of Awards: On or Before Sunday,31st December 2023
Judges - For National Level:
• Sharmali Das Kolkata (EFIAP/D3, GMPSA)
• Tripti Roy Goa (EFIAP, FFIP)
• Gurudas Dua Indore (AFIP, FIIPC)
• Rupak De Lucknow (EFIAP)
Judges - For State Level :
• Shirish Sane Thane
• Shashank Ranjit Mumbai
Entry Fee
Note: We are not offering any discount on this photography competition for individual or Group or Club. Please do not email or call or contact asking any kind of discount offer. .
For National level: (Maximum 4 images per section, Total 16 images)
National
A. Any 1 section: Rs.300/-
B. Any 2 sections: Rs.400/-
C. Any 3 or 4 sections: Rs.500/-
D. All 4 Sections: Rs.500/-
Maharashtra
A. Any 1 or 2 sections: Rs.300/-
Entry fee should be paid online through our website (click on the Aavishkar link). Payment should be initiated and completed by the participants on or before 29th Sept. 2023, 23:59 hrs. Any payment initiated after that will not be accepted and such entries will be deemed disqualified.
Image Specifications
A. Pixels dimension: Maximum 1920 pixels X 1080 pixels(Shortest side should not be more than 1080pixels)
B. Resolution: 300 dpi
C. Image format: JPG/ JEPG
D. Image size: not more than 2 MB
E. IMAGE TITLE: Titles should not be more than 30 characters long. Titles longer than that cannot be printed along with the Image. Only Western/Latin, English Alphabet (a-z; A-Z; 0-9) is allowed. Words such as "Untitled" and "No Title” are not acceptable, nor are camera capture filenames or titles consisting of only numbers.
F. Image compression between 7-12
G. Photographs that have been accepted in previous Aavishkar National Salons or which are so similar as to be indistinguishable from previous acceptances will be disqualified irrespective of any category.
Rules and Regulations
1. Competition is restricted to Indian citizens only; however, in Maharashtra State Level Competition, competitor residing at Maharashtra State can take the part. Competitor need to submit Aadhar Card Copy if required.
2.Participants can submit maximum of 4 entries per section in as many categories as they wish.
3. Images for each section should be uploaded through Foto Circle Society's website only: http://www.fotocirclesociety.com
4. No entries will be accepted through any other mode - viz. prints, soft copies through mails, or physical media like CD/DVD/pen drives, etc.
5. Images should be submitted through Link of submission will be deactivated after the last date of submission and no entries will be accepted after that.
6. If the entries do not reach Foto Circle Society (FCS) due to any kind of technical fault, FCS shall not be held responsible.
7. As mentioned above, entry fee should be paid only by Payment gateway on or before Tuesday 26th September 2023 23:59 hrs.
8. Entries received without entry-fee shall get disqualified automatically.
9. Though extreme care shall be taken by FCS, it shall not be liable for any refund of entry fees / compensation due to loss, damage, non-receipt, or withdrawal of any entry.
10. Participant must possess the exclusive rights to every photo entered and will be responsible for having all necessary permissions relating to the subject/subject matter, including photos featuring individuals/property. They should possess the original RAW/High Resolution JPEG file of the photograph. FCS will not be responsible for any claims or complaints against violation of rights or damages from any parties related to it. The participant agrees to indemnify and hold the FCS harmless in such cases. In case of any dispute, participant shall submit the obtained permissions; else the entry shall be considered as disqualified. The participant is solely responsible for any such damages.
11. Entries with watermark will not be accepted.
12. Objectionable pictures portraying nudity OR political references OR the pictures with threat to national security OR the pictures with the potential threat to communal harmony OR the pictures outraging modesty of woman or children shall be considered for disqualification without any intimation to the participants.
13. Images taken on digital cameras or from negatives will be accepted. All pictures should be original. Cropping / corrections of brightness, contrast, sharpness, white balance to enhance the quality are permitted. Images with mixing / merging of two or more images, adding / deleting of the contents from the original image will be disqualified and rejected. In camera HDR, Focus Stacking and Multiple exposure images will not be accepted. If demanded/required, participants shall produce the original negative/ Raw / digital soft copy for verification.
14. Participants permit the sponsors to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to the exhibition. This may include low-resolution images being posted on Foto Circle Society's website. Permission to reproduce images in a catalogue or for publicity is assumed.
15. In the event that an entry is found to flout the entry requirements stated by FCS, the entry will be disqualified. Participant will not be notified of such judgment and no refund will be given. It is not the responsibility of FCS to ensure that the exhibition entry requirements and use of personal information do not break the laws and/or regulations of the place/location/state where the photograph is clicked.
16. Therefore, it is understood that participant has submitted such entries under their own responsibilities and at their own risk. In the event, that the entry becomes objectionable for the said reason/s, FCS will not be responsible for such damages.
17. Where necessary, FCS is liable to provide personal information of participant to local or any other authority.
18. In case of any conflict between a participant and FCS, the case will fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Thane (district of Maharashtra) Court and will be handled and settled accordingly.
19. Mode of judging will be ON LINE.
20. Only one entry per person, per section is eligible for prize. If one person gets two or more prizes in the same section, participant will get prize for the highest ranking picture only. It is applicable only for the first, second, third and two consolation prizes of each section .
21. If the same image is entered in different categories by the same participant, entry with the highest rank will be considered for display/prize and that entry will be eligible for the Prize in one section only.
22. Judge’s decision will be final. No appeal will be entertained.
23. Due credit will be given for all shortlisted entries.
24. In case of dispatch of the awards to the winners by courier/ Speed post, though FCS shall take extreme care, it shall not be liable for any damage/loss of awards/ Certificates/ Medals/ MEMENTOs, during transit. For any undelivered courier, participants are requested to contact FCS, immediately.
25. Youth photographers (Below 18 Years of Age) will have to submit age proof if required.
26. Submission of the entries to the competition implies acceptance of the above Rules and Regulations.
27. In case of any dispute with respect to selection of images, judge’s decision will be final.
28. In case of any other disputes, organizer’s decision will be final.
Definitions
Photo Travel:
Travel photography is a genre of photography that may involve the documentation of an areas landscape, people, cultures, customs and history. A travel photo as an image that expresses the feeling of time and place, portrays a land, its people, or a culture in its natural state, and has no geographical limitations. This genre of photography entails shooting a wide variety of subjects under varied available conditions, e.g. low light photography, available ambient light photography for exteriors of buildings and monuments, shooting on the streets, capturing moments which rarely recur, capturing the magic of light while shooting landscapes, etc
Nature-Wildlife:
The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality. Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible. Photographs of human-created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement. No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping, dodging/burning are permitted. Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the nature story or the pictorial content or without altering the content of the original scene are permitted. Techniques that remove elements added by the camera, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. Stitched images are not permitted. All allowed adjustments must appear natural. Colour images can be converted to grey-scale monochrome. Infrared images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed. Images used in Nature Photography competitions may be divided in two classes: Nature and Wildlife. Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. Images entered in Wildlife sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above are further defined as one or more extant zoological or botanical organisms free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat. Photographs of zoo or game farm animals or of any extant zoological or botanical species taken under controlled conditions are not eligible in Wildlife sections. Wildlife is not limited to animals, birds and insects. Marine subjects and botanical subjects (including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable wildlife subjects, as are carcasses of extant species.
Indian Weddings:
An Indian wedding is a traditional ceremony with diverse customs that can last for several days. It's known for its elaborate celebrations, including pre- and post-wedding rituals, influenced by regional, religious, and cultural factors. The weddings are joyful and vibrant, filled with music, dance, and beautiful decorations. Guests enjoy delicious feasts and cultural performances.
(Please note that pre-wedding photo shoots are strictly not allowed.)
Street Photography (Black and White):
Black and white street photography refers to the genre of photography that involves capturing candid, not posed, and spontaneous images of everyday life in public spaces (need not be on street), predominantly using black and white film or digital techniques to create grayscale images. It often emphasizes the contrasting tonal values, and the raw emotions, interactions, and narratives of people in urban environments. The street photography lies in its ability to capture the essence of a moment, capturing the atmosphere, energy, and unique stories unfolding in the streets. By removing the distraction of colour, the focus shifts to the composition, form, texture, and contrast within the frame, allowing the photographer to highlight the interplay between light and shadow, patterns, lines, and shapes, range of emotions, from joy and humour to solitude and contemplation. The absence of colour allows the viewer to focus on the subject matter, the expressions, and gestures of people, and the relationship between the human element and the urban environment.
Historical Places of Maharashtra:
Historic places or sites is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been recognized with official historic status. Historic place means a structure, building, group of buildings, district, landscape, archaeological site or other place that has been formally recognized for its heritage value. Maharashtra is a state located in the western part of India. It is the second most populous state which has a long historical background.
Festivals of Maharashtra:
A Festival is an event celebrated by a community with some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local gathering, mela, or carnival.
