The Apricot Photo International Salon is exhibition of art photography organised by Lens NGO, Armenia

The Apricot International Salon is divided in 4 sections, all digital:
1 • OPEN Monochome / PSA PID MONO
2 • OPEN Color / PSA PID COLOR
3 • NATURE / PSA ND
4 • TRAVEL / PSA PTD

Closing date: 24.05.2021
Judging: 06.06.2021
Notification: 15.06.2021
Exhibition date: July 2021
Delivery all awards to the authors by September 2021

Participation fee is mandatory for all participants and it is EUR 20 for first section and additional EUR 5 for next section.
The fee can be paid:

• via PayPal through our web site: http://photoapricot.com/ or to [email protected]

• via Skrill - [email protected]

• by postal mail along with the CD with photographs sent to the address:
Objective Salon, Shiraz str 28 - 41, Yerevan, 0088 Armenia

• by bank tranfer:
Armenia entrance, PROMETEY bank Account No.: 1660003258440145 to Vigen Mnoyan
Czech entrance, c.u.: 97129002 / 5500 (Raiffeisenbank)
Slovakia entrance, c.u.: 2947 0024 70 / 1100 (Tatrabanka, a.s.)
SINGAPORE - PayPal account: [email protected]
IRAN - for payment Entry Fee, please contact Focus Photo Club office on tel. 02188518457
For EUR payments around the world:
Tatrabanka, IBAN code: SK67 1100 0000 0029 4700 2470, SWIFT code: TATR SK BX

Please write your Name in description field.
The works of the authors who did not pay the fee would not be taken into consideration

The photo salon is open to amateur and professional photographers from all over 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 and 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. The exhibition assumes no liability for any misuse of copyright. An entry may be rejected when the sponsoring organization or its agent, in its reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to exhibition rules and conditions. The exhibition 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. There are no restrictions as to subject matter except as outlined in the rules and definitions of specific sections, or specified by law in the country where the exhibition is held. 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 “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. Images may be altered, either electronically or otherwise, by the maker. All final work must be on photographic film, or on electronic file, or on photographic or electronic print material, mounting excepted.

With 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 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 and 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. 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 en- trant’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.

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 which 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. Your email address and contact information will not be made public.

PSA Statement on Subject Matter (CE-2)
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.

The photographs of authors with the application are submitted in these ways:
• uploading through our web site: objective/apricotphoto.com (Entry form filled online)
• by e-mail: [email protected] (along with filled and signed scan copy of entry form)
• on CD,
Apricot Photo
Mr. Artur Sargsyan
Shiraz str 28- 41
Yerevan, 0088 Armenia

To participate at Apricot International Salon 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. An entrant‘s images will be presented to the judges randomize. 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 shall be in the same round order as submitted by the entrant. Photographs are sent in digital form, as a picture file with maximum dimensions of 2500x1400pixels at 300 dpi. Judges will use data projector Sony SRX-R515P with 4096 x 2160 pix resolution. No file naming is needed. Each photo needs to have its own title. The titles cannot be repeated.

Andrey YURLOV, EFIAP (Slovakia)
Garik AVANESIAN, MFIAP (Czech Republic)
Vigen MNOYAN, AFIAP (Armenia)

At Apricot International Salon there will be awarded:
BEST AUTHOR - FIAP blue pin
4 x FIAP Gold, 4x Silver and 4x Bronze medals and 24x blue ribbons,
4x PSA Gold medals
4 x IAAP Gold, 1x Silver and 1x Bronze medals and 4x ribbons,
4 x CFFU Gold, 4x Silver and 4x Bronze medals
12 x APNA (national) Gold, Silver and Bronze medals

PSA Definition of a Monochrome image for any monochrome sections recognized by the PSA Projected Image Division or the PSA Pictorial Print Division. An image is considered to be Monochrome only if it gives the impression of having no color (i.e. contains only shades of gray which can include pure black and pure white) OR it gives the impression of being a grayscale 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.

Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, ex- cept 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.
Conditions of Entry Checklist
• 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 speci- mens 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 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.

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 greyscale monochrome. Other derivations, including infrared, are not permitted. All allowed adjustments must appear natural.

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

Contact person: Mr. Artur Sargsyan