The Illusion 2015 is international contest of art photography, organized by photo club Pixel from Kicevo, Macedonia.

The Illusion 2015 is divided in 6 sections, all digital:
<b>OPEN (monochrome)</b>// PSA PID
<b>OPEN (color)</b> // PSA PID
<b>PHOTOJOURNALISAM</b>// PSA PJ
<b>TRAVEL</b> // PSA PTD
<b>NATURE</b> // PSA ND
<b>STREET</b> // PSA PID

Closing date: <b>17st October 2015</b>
Judging date: <b>31th October 2015</b>
Notification date: <b>05th November 2015</b>
Exhibition date: <b>12th November 2015 at NUCK "Koco Racin"</b>
Delivery of the catalogs and awards to the participants: <b>5th December 2015</b>

Entry fee is mandatory for every participant. It is unique for all sections and it cost 20 EUR.
Entry fee can be paid with PayPal or Skrills through our web site:
http://photogroup8.com/
Alternatively, the fee may also be paid with WesternUnion on the following info:
Name: Vladimir Jovanovski; Adress: B.B.Gucman nr.39A; City: Kumanovo; County: Macedonia
The fee can be sent by postal mail to following address:
Parallax; P.O. Box 207; 1300 Kumanovo; Macedonia
The works of the participants who did not pay the fee would not be taken into consideration.

The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers from around the world.
Entries must originate as photographs (image captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally. By virtue of submitting an entry, the entrant certifies the work as his own (aliases are not permitted). The entrant permits 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 posting on a website. Note: Entrants who indicate that their images may not be reproduced or used “may not be eligible” for awards or inclusion in audiovisuals of the exhibition and could be subject to disqualification by the exhibition sponsors.
The contest assumes no liability for any misuse of copyright. Images may be altered, either electronically or otherwise, by the maker. Artwork or computer graphics created by the entrant may be incorporated if the photographic content predominates, subject to divisional restrictions. All final work must be on photographic film, in an electronic file, or on photographic or electronic print material, mounting excepted.
The contest is open to anyone, however, an entry may be rejected when the sponsoring organization or its agent, in its reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to the exhibition rules and conditions. Images that do not meet the definition shall be disqualified. If time permits, the entrant shall be notified the image does not meet the definition and requested to resubmit an image that does meet the definition.

Photographs are submitted in digital form, sent as picture files sized 1980x1080 at 300dpi, or in any dimension derived thereof. No file naming is needed. Contests using digital projection will judge the images as received from the participant at 100% of the maximum permitted pixel size. Digital images can not be altered, including resizing, by the Contest before judging.
Participants may submit their works and application form in one of the following ways:
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp - uploaded through the web site: http://photogroup8.com/
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp - sent by e-mail, along with the application form, to: [email protected]
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp - burned on CD/DVD, along with the application form and entry fee, sent to the postal address of:
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Jovan Naumoski (photo club Pixel)
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp Kicevo, Kicevo
&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp 6250 Kicevo; Macedonia

To participate at Illusion 2015 participants will apply with both black & white or color works. Maximum allowed number of works in section, category, or class is four (4). No title or identification of the maker shall be written anywhere on the face of an image.
Entry form and contact information must be written in one of the official IAAP, FIAP or PSA languages. Each image must have a unique title. Words such as “Untitled” and “No Title” are not acceptable as part or all of an image’s title, nor are camera capture file names or titles consisting of only numbers. No file naming is needed.
Once an image has been accepted in a PSA Recognized exhibition, that same image, or a like “in camera” or a “reproduction” duplicate of that image may not be re-entered in any section of the same Division Star Ratings class in that exhibition regardless of media, format, or title.
An entrant’s four images will be distributed throughout four rounds of judging in that section. Minimum 30% acceptance rate is guaranteed.
The works will be projected on projector Acer H6510BD FHD 1920x1080.

Bozidar Barlakoski; (Macedonia)
Dragoslav Mirkovic; (Serbia)
Vladimir Jovanovski; (Macedonia)

6 x PSA Gold Medal, PSA Silver Medal, PSA Bronze Medal and 3 PSA Ribbon
6 X IAAP Gold Medal, IAAP Silver Medal, IAAP Bronze Medal and 3 IAAP Ribbon
UPI Gold Medal, IAAP Silver Medal, IAAP Bronze Medal and 3 UPI Ribbon
ISF Gold Medal, ISF Silver Medal, ISF Bronze Medal and 3 ISF Ribbon
NATIONAL Gold Medal, NATIONAL Silver Medal, NATIONAL Bronze Medal and 3 NATIONAL Ribbon

<b>PSA - Monochrome Photography</b>
A monochrome image is defined as having varying shades of no more than one color (various shades of that color from very light to very dark) but it may be any single color. Multi-toned images (various shades of two or more colors) and grayscale images with added an accent color are not acceptable in Monochrome Class sections and must be entered in Color Class section.
<b>PSA - Photojournalism Photography</b>
Photojournalism entries shall consist of images with informative content and emotional impact, including human interest, documentary, sports and spot news. The storytelling value of the image shall receive priority over pictorial quality. In the interest of credibility, PJ images must not misrepresent the truth. No situations shall be set up for the purpose of photography, and no alteration of the subject matter is allowed, including any techniques that add combine, relocate, replace or remove any elements of the original image. No unnatural sharpening or special effects filters can be applied. Only cropping, resizing, lightening, or darkening and restoration of original color are permitted. Color images can be converted to monochrome. Human Interest is defined as an image depicting a person or persons in an interactive, emotional or unusual situation, excluding recreational and sports action.
<b>PSA - Travel Photography</b>
Subject matter must portray Photo Travel. A Photo Travel image must express the feeling of a time and place, and portray a land, its distinctive features or culture in its natural state. There are no geographical limitations. Close up pictures of people or objects must include distinguishable environment. Techniques that add to, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. All adjustments must appear natural. Conversion to full monochrome is acceptable. Derivations, including infrared, are unacceptable.
<b>PSA - Nature Photography</b>
Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify its honest presentation. 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 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 including HDR, focus stacking and dodging/burning. 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. Color images can be converted to grayscale monochrome. Infrared images, either direct captures or derivations, are not allowed. Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.

Notification cards will be sent by email.
All participants of the competition (the authors which submitted works and paid the participation fee) will receive digital catalog on email. The organizer will take all possible care while handling the emails, awards and catalogs, will, however, assume no liability for damages and loses during shipment.

Mr Jovan Naumoski;
Kicevo, Kicevo; 6250 Kicevo; Macedonia
e-mail: [email protected]
web: http://photogroup8.com/