The International exhibition of art photography Mirage 2021 is exhibition of art photography organised by photo club FENIX from Tirana, Albania.

The International exhibition of art photography Mirage 2021 has six digital sections:

OPEN PIDC
OPEN PIDM
NATURE ND
PHOTOJOURNALISM PJD
TRAVEL PTD
STREETS PIDC

I. Acceptances in PID recognized Color sections shall be credited towards PID Color Star Ratings and Who’s Who Color listings. Monochrome images accepted in PID recognized Color sections shall only be credited towards PID Color Star Ratings.
II. Acceptances in PID recognized Monochrome sections shall be credited towards PID Monochrome Star Ratings and Who’s Who Monochrome listings.
III. All acceptance eligibility shall be in accordance with the PID Star Ratings or the Galaxy/Diamond Ratings requirements as appropriate.

Closing date: 20-Jun-21
Judging date: 28-Jun-21
Notification date: 04-Jul-21
Delivery of the catalogs and awards to the authors by 04-Aug-21.

PUBLIC SHOWINGS
19-Oct-2021 at Art House, Shkodra, Albania.
22-Noe-2021 at Gallery 70 Contemporary Art, Tirana, Albania.

Depending of the number of sections participant applies, the fee cost as follow:
- any 1, 2, or 3 sections = 20 EUR
- any 4, 5, or 6 sections = 25 EUR

The fee can be paid via PayPal through our web site:
https://mirage.photofenix.com
The works of the authors who did not pay the fee would not be taken into consideration.

This exhibition is open to anyone; however, an entry may be rejected when the Sponsor or the Exhibition Organizers, in their reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to exhibition rules and these Conditions of Entry. Membership in any photographic organization is not required.

Sanctions: Entries will not be accepted from any entrant who is currently sanctioned by PSA.

PSA Star Ratings
To receive proper Star ratings credit from PSA, entrants must provide their names and country exactly the same in each exhibition. Aliases are not permitted. Please contact PSA in the event of name changes or relocating to another country

Image Creation
Entries must originate as photographs (image-captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally. .

Certification:
By virtue of submitting an image, the entrant certifies the work as his or her own (.Images may not incorporate elements produced by anyone else (for example: clip art, images or art by others downloaded from the Internet). Aliases are not allowed. 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 “will not be eligible for awards” or inclusion in audio-visuals of the exhibition “and could be subject to disqualification” by the exhibition sponsors. The exhibition assumes no liability of any misuse of copyright

Alteration and Computer Generation Subject to Divisional restrictions (particularly Nature, Photo Travel, and Photojournalism) images may be altered, either electronically or otherwise, by the maker. Adjustments to enhance images or creatively modify images are allowed providing the underlying photograph is retained in a way that is obvious to the viewer. Images may not be constructed entirely with a computer, and must be the sole work of the author. All parts of the image have to be photographed by the author who is holding the copyright of all works submitted

Re-use of accepted images: Once an image has been accepted in a PSA Recognized exhibition, any identical image, or near identical image, may not, in future, be entered or re-entered in any section of the same Division Star Ratings class in that exhibition regardless of media, format, or title; may not be re-titled for entry into any other PSA Recognized exhibition, including translation into another language.

Entry: An Entry consists of, up to and including, four (4) images entered by a single Entrant into the same Section. An entrant may only enter a specific Section once.

Titles:
Each image must have a unique title. That unique title must be used for entry of that image or of an Identical Image into any and all PSA-Recognized exhibitions. Titles must be 35 characters or fewer. No titles may be visible to the judges, and nothing in the image may identify the maker. Titles must not include file extensions such as .jpg or .jpeg (or any other camera capture filenames), or words such as "untitled" or "no title". Titles may not consist solely of numbers.

Color and Monochrome:
Color and Monochrome images from the same capture that share substantial pictorial content in common will be considered the same image and must be given the same title.
However, PSA members working on Galaxy and Diamond Star Ratings are allowed to continue using different titles of monochrome versions and color versions of the same capture that have already been accepted until the required number of acceptances for those titles has been completed.

The Exhibition will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the PSA and FIAP

An entrant’s images will not be presented to the judges consecutively. An entrant’s four images will be distributed throughout four rounds of judging in that section. Distribution of images will be in the same round order as submitted by the entrant.

An image may be entered in only one section where acceptances of that image in multiple sections would be eligible for the same star path

DATA PROTECTION
By entering this exhibition, you are explicitly consenting to the personal details you have supplied, including email addresses, being held, processed and used by the exhibition organizers for purposes associated with this exhibition. You also explicitly consent to such information being sent to organizations that have accorded official recognition, patronage or accreditation to this exhibition. You acknowledge and accept that entering this exhibition means that the status and results of your entry may be made public.

BREACH OF CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
FIAP:
The mention that by the sole act of submitting his/her images or files to a salon under FIAP Patronage, the entrant accepts without exception and with no objection the following terms: - that the submitted images can be investigated by FIAP to establish if these obey to FIAP regulations and definitions even if the entrant is not a member of FIAP, - that FIAP will use any means at its disposal for this undertaking, - that any refusal to cooperate with FIAP or any refusal to submit the original files as captured by the camera, or failure to provide sufficient evidence, will be sanctioned by FIAP, - that in case of sanctions following the non compliance with FIAP regulations, the name of the entrant will be released in any form useful to inform the breaches of the rules. It is recommended to leave the EXIF data in the submitted files intact in order to ease eventual investigations. If, at any time, it is determined in the reasonable discretion of the exhibition organizer or the judges before, during, or after the judging of an exhibition that an entrant has submitted entries where one or more images may fail to comply with these Conditions of Entry, including the stated definitions, the exhibition organizers reserve the right to delete the entry from the exhibition and void any or all acceptances or awards in connection with the exhibition. Fees may be forfeited or refunded in these circumstances. The entrant acknowledges that the decision of the exhibition organizers or the judges is final
PSA:
In order to ensure that images comply with the Conditions of Entry and definitions, the exhibition organizers may carry out reasonable measures to verify that:
a) the images are the original work of the entrant and
b) the images comply with the rules and definitions as set out in these Conditions of Entry
These steps include, but are not limited to, questioning any entrant, requiring the submission of RAW files or other digital files representing the original capture of the submitted image(s), confronting the entrant with evidence that one or more submitted images fails to comply with the Conditions of Entry (also known as Entry Rules), and offering the entrant a reasonable opportunity to provide counter evidence to refute the exhibition organizer’s evidence by a set deadline. Such entries that are not cleared or are still questionable after the entrant has presented evidence may be considered in breach of these Conditions of Entry, and declined. Such entries may be referred to PSA for further investigation of possible ethics violations
PSA retains the right to investigate in any way all complaints/suspicions of breaches of entry conditions, impose sanctions if deemed necessary, void the acceptances of any image found to violate the PSA rules, include the entrant’s name on the list of sanctions provided to Exhibitions, and share such investigations with FIAP. Entrants automatically agree to these terms by the act of entering the Exhibition and agree to cooperate with any investigation.
If another party is submitting images on the entrant’s behalf, the entrant will still be held responsible for adhering to these Conditions of Entry (Entry Rules) and will be subject to sanction for any violations to these Conditions of Entry and PSA’s Statement of Ethics that may result.

NOTICE:
PSA notice:
When an entrant fills in the entry form to submit an entry the entrant will see a feature to affirm he or she has read these conditions of entry when he or she fills out the entry form. If the entrant does not so affirm the entry will not be submitted

FIAP notice:
In order to have legal authority on those who do not respect the rules of FIAP, the organiser must make sure that all participants of an online event under FIAP patronage tick a box next to which the following text is stated:
“I hereby expressly agree to FIAP document 018/2017 « Conditions and regulations for FIAP Patronage » and FIAP document 017/2017 « Sanctions for breaching FIAP regulations and the red list ». I am particularly aware of chapter II « Regulations for International photographic events under FIAP patronage » of FIAP document 018/2017, dealing under Section II.2 and II.3 with the FIAP participation rules, the sanctions for breaching FIAP regulations and the red list.

PSA Statement on Subject Matter
There is one hard and fast rule, whose spirit must be observed at all times and applies to all sections offered in PSA recognised exhibitions. 
The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph.
This means that practices such as baiting of subjects with a living creature and removal of birds from nests, for the purpose of obtaining a photograph, are highly unethical, and such photographs are not allowed in any PSA exhibitions.
There is also a PSA policy on the use of aerial photography - aircraft, helicopters and drones. This policy can be found at https://psa-photo.org/index.php?psa-policies#drone.
The purpose of this policy is to prevent any interference with other individuals or animals which will or may cause a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupt the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment. Entry in this exhibition requires exhibitors to agree to this and other PSA policies
The content of images must comply with these General Conditions and with the Division and Section definitions listed in these conditions. Images that - in the sole opinion of the judges or the Exhibition Organizers - do not comply are likely to be disqualified so the entrant may be aware of the problem when considering entry into other PSA recognized exhibitions.

Photos must be in JPEG format, dimensions 1920 pixels by 1080 pixels max at 300 dpi, JPEG compression value (if Photoshop used for export): 7-12, file size maximum 4 Mb. No file naming is needed. Exhibitions using digital projection is judge the images as received from the photographer at 100% of the maximum permitted pixel size.
Digital images cannot be altered, including resizing in either direction, by the exhibition or by the exhibition's equipment before or during judging.
The photographs of authors with the application are submitted in these ways:
- by e-mail: [email protected]
- uploading thought our web site: https://mirage.photofenix.com

NOTICE: When an entrant fills in the Entry Form to submit an entry the entrant will see a feature to affirm he or she has read these Conditions of Entry when he or she fills out the entry form. If the entrant does not so affirm the entry will not be submitted.

To participate at MIRAGE 2021 authors will apply with black & white or color works. Maximum number of photographs per theme is 4. No title or identification of the maker shall be written anywhere on the face of an image.
Photographs must be sent in digital form, as a picture file with dimension 1920x1080pixels at 300 dpi. The exhibition is not allowed to resize the pictures sent by the entrants. The works will be projected on projector Acer H6510BD FHD 1920x1080. No file naming is needed. Maximum file size is 4 Mb.

Burak Senbak (EFIAP/b, GPU Aphrodite,Turkey)
Dragoslav Mirkovic (EFIAP/g MFFSS, Serbia)
Bojan Petrovic (EFIAP, Serbia)

At INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION MIRAGE 2021 there will be awarded these medals:
FIAP Blue Badge for the best Author
6x FIAP Gold; x12 FIAP ribbons
6x PSA Gold; x18 PSA ribbons
6x IAAP Gold, Silver, Bronze medals and 18 ribbons;

The organizer reserves the right to award the most successful authors of MIRAGE 2021 depend on the total number of the entrants.

All entries shall conform to the stricter of these definitions for acceptances to be validated by all the International Organizations granting recognition or patronage.

FIAP definition of Monochrome
A black and white work fitting from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black and white work toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black and white category; such a work can be reproduced in black and white in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage. On the other hand a black and white work modified by a partial toning or by the addition of one colour becomes a colour work (polychrome) to stand in the colour category; such a work requires colour reproduction in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage

PSA Monochrome Definition
An image is considered to be Monochrome only if it gives the impression of having no color (i.e. contains only shades of grey which can include pure black and pure white) OR it gives the impression of being a greyscale image that has been toned in one color across the entire image. (For example by Sepia, red, gold, etc.) A greyscale or multi-colored image modified or giving the impression of having been modified by partial toning, multi-toning or by the inclusion of spot coloring does not meet the definition of monochrome and shall be classified as a Color Work

Monochrome images may be entered in PID Color sections but will only be eligible towards PID Color Star Ratings if accepted.

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 images must appear natural.
• Color images can be converted to greyscale 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 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.

Photojournalism entries shall consist of images with informative content and emotional impact, reflecting the human presence in our world. The journalistic (story-telling) value of the image shall receive priority over pictorial quality. In the interest of credibility, images that misrepresent the truth, such as those from events or activities specifically arranged for photography or of subjects directed or hired for photography, are not eligible. Techniques that add, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. The only allowable modifications are removal of dust, scratches or digital noise, restoration of the existing appearance of the original scene, sharpening that is not obvious, and conversion to greyscale monochrome. Derivations, including infrared, are not eligible.

A Photo Travel image expresses the characteristic features or culture of a land as they are found naturally. There are no geographic limitations. Images from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography are not appropriate. Close up pictures of people or objects must include features that provide information about the environment. Techniques that add, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. The only allowable adjustments are removal of dust or digital noise, restoration of the appearance of the original scene, and complete conversion to grayscale monochrome. Other derivations, including infrared, are not permitted. All images must appear natural.

All participants will receive report card notifications via e-mail. The results of the exhibition will also be published on the website https://mirage.photofenix.com
All participants of the competition (the authors which submitted works and paid the participation fee) will receive digital catalogue of the photo salon. The organizer will take all possible care while handling the email, awards and catalogues, however we assume no liability for damages and loses during shipment.
License agreement:
By submitting an entry, the entrant certifies legal Age, and own all rights to these images, including copyright or parents or guardians gives permission on his/her behalf if he/she is not of Legal Age. The exhibition assumes no liability for any misuse of copyright.

Chairman:
Ylber Idrizi
Rruga Xhanfize Keko 82; 1001 Tirana; Albania
Email: [email protected]