Milvus Photocontest

Milvus Photocontest - International Nature Photography Competition

With a long standing tradition, Milvus Photocontest is the most important nature photography competition in Romania, exhibiting extraordinary photographers and images during its 13 annual editions. It is open for worldwide amateur and professional photographers.

We, the Milvus Group and Forona, the Romanian Nature Photographers Association, are convinced that the visual power of the breathtaking natural photos is an amazing tool to bring people closer to the values of nature and will help us in our quest to conserve it. We believe that nature photography can raise awareness and can make everybody understand the important role that nature has in our life.

Fees

Entering the contest is conditioned by the payment of a non-refundable participation fee. For categories A or B the participation fee is 10 €; registration in both categories costs 15 €. Participation in category C is 5 € (25 lei).

Guidelines

For more detailed information, please check the competition rules and the ethic code, available in English, Romanian and Hungarian, respectively the FAQ area.

Competition rules:

RO HU EN

Ethical code:

RO HU EN

Meet the judges

Dan Dinu

Dorin Bofan

Kerekes István

Daniel Mîrlea

Zoltán Gergely-Nagy

Competition calendar

Photo submission interval:

February 01 2023 - April 02 2023

Raw files request:

April 08 to 21, 2023

Public vote:

April, 24 - May, 07 2023

Announcing the winners:

May 2023

The awards ceremony and exhibit opening:

June, 03 2023

The finalist photos will be presented in an exhibition organized in June, 2023 in Brașov city (Romania). All participants will be notified about the exact time of the prize-handling ceremony.

Registrations are now closed

Prizes

Grand prize: The Grand winner will be awarded the Milvus Trophy and 750 Euros and a wildlife guided photo tour in Danube Delta for 2 persons worth of 1000 Euros offered by Descoperă Delta Dunării
The Grand Prize can be awarded to a single image.

Prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in each category will be awarded with:

First place: Certificate of Merit and 300 Euro.
Second place: Certificate of Merit and 200 Euro.
Third place: Certificate of Merit and a “Wild Romania” photographic album by Dan Dinu

Public award (by Facebook votes): Certificate of Merit and a gift-package offered by Milvus Group.

Frequently Asked Questions

After you have read the competition rules, if you can not find the answer to your question please don't hesitate to contact us by using the contact form.

Who can enter the Milvus Photocontest?

The contest is open for all photographers, regardless of their nationality, except for category C opened only for Romanian residents. However, the members of Forona management, Milvus Group’s employees, members of the jury, sponsors employees and their level I relatives are not allowed to register.

I just registered. Where is my activation email?

Please check your Spam or Junk Mail folder. Make sure to add our email to your Trusted Emails or Contacts or Allowed Sender List, to make sure you get all emails from Milvus Photocontest.

How do I enter?

Upload your images at Submit your photos section, complete your personal data and select your payment method.

How can I pay my entry fees?

You can pay your entry fee using PayPal, a credit card or by bank transfer.

Can I submit my images via e-mail, as prints or CDs in the mail?

We only accept digital submissions via our website. It's the fastest and most convenient way for you, for us, and for Nature.

How many images can I submit?

You may enter up to 5 images per each category, up to 10 images in the international A and B categories. Photographers from Romania could submit an additional 5 images in the C category.

Can I enter one image into multiple categories?

Yes, you may enter the same image into as many categories as you want.

Can I enter an image that has been published?

Both published and unpublished works are accepted.

Can I enter an image that won other competitions?

Yes, images that have been awarded in other competitions or have been submitted to other competitions currently underway are eligible.

Can I enter again an image that won at the Milvus Photocontest before?

No, images that have won prizes in previous editions of our contest cannot be submitted.

What size / format file should I submit?

Images should be in JPG (sRGB) format, with a maximum 1920 pixels on the long edge; it must also be no larger than 3 MB. EXIF data must not be removed. Each image need to have an English title.

Can I submit an image taken with a phone or drone camera?

Such images can be entered in the competition only if they are fitting into specified size and format and a higher resolution version can be submitted for print.

Are black and white images accepted?

Yes, you can submit images that were converted to black and white.

Do I need to submit other files?

If an image passes the pre-selection phase, we will want to see its original file (RAW) as taken by camera and a high resolution image in TIFF format suitable for printing for exhibitions and marketing materials.

Is there a time limit on when the picture was taken?

There are no restrictions on the date of a picture.

Are there restrictions in regard to the image subject?

Images should be taken in nature and/or with wild subjects. Nothing man made, nor cultivated plants, nor pets or captive animals, is admitted as subject. However, such elements may appear in the frame if they constitute the natural medium of the subject.

Do you accept digitally manipulated images?

Digitally manipulated images are accepted, although within reason and taste. Certain corrections of images are allowed, such as levels, curves, color balance, hue/saturation, brightness and contrast. The correction of certain technical errors is also possible, such as the removal of distortions or dust on the lens, etc. However, the photos should remain as realistic and natural as possible, with limited digital alterations. Check the competition rules for more guidance on this subject.

What happens if I forget to fill out a field in the entry form?

You will not be able to submit the entry form until all required items have been filled out. If you overlook a required field, a message will be displayed. Please follow the on-screen instructions to complete the form.

I'm having problems uploading data.

Please follow the instructions on the entry form. If you are unable to resolve the problem after reading them, send an inquiry using the contact form.

Can I get a refund?

No. The entry fees are non-refundable.

Can I replace my images after submission?

No. Once you have selected to submit your images into a specified category, you will not be able to change any of them.

Can I make changes to my entry after I have paid?

No, after the payment has been made, your entries cannot be edited.

Will my images be used in any other way?

All entrants understand that any image submitted to the competition may be used by Milvus Group and Forona, for the sole purpose of promoting the competition and the photographers themselves.

When and how are the results announced?

The Organizer will contact the winners via e-mail on their registered email addresses. We also plan to announce the winner's names and images on the Organizer’s and Milvus Photocontest website and social media pages.

How much does it cost to enter the Milvus International Nature Photo Contest?

All the entry fees are specified in the competition rules and above at the Category area.

Is judging anonymous?

Yes, we respect the integrity of the photographers and therefore judging is anonymous. Judges will not know the names of any of the entrants.

Should there be a watermark/copyright information added to the images entered into the competition?

No. All images must be clear of any copyright information so that the photographer's identity is not revealed by the image. In the interest of fairness, the judges are not allowed to see the names of the photographers when judging. Any images that do contain photographers names on the image or any other watermark/copyright information, will be disqualified from being presented to the judges.

When will the Danube Delta photo tour take place?

If you are the lucky winner of the Grand Prize, first of all, congratulation! We will get in contact and will see which date suit you best after June, 15 2023.