(a) The Organiser reserves the right to verify the validity of entries and the entrant (including without limitation the entrant’s identity) and to disqualify the entrant if they submit an entry that does not comply with these Competition Rules, if they tamper in any way with the entry process, or if they are unable to demonstrate their eligibility for a prize.

(b) The Organiser reserves the right to void the photograph if it does not comply with the Competition Rules or if the photograph or the entry form is determined In the Organiser’s discretion to be illegible, incomplete, objectionable, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error, obtained by mistake, fraud or theft or in breach of any law or regulation of Russia or any country.

(c) A judging panel shall be established by the Organiser, with the judges selected in the Promoter’s absolute discretion. The identity of the judges need not be disclosed by the Organiser and the decisions of the judging panel may remain anonymous.

(d) The judging panel may use any criteria in evaluating the photographs including artistic and visual appeal as well as the extent to which the photograph captures the themes of the competition.

Stage 1 – competition entry and verification (from 22 May 2015 till 14 September 2015)

Stage 2 – nominee selection nominee selection and announcement (15 September 2015)

Stage 3 – winner selection (1 October 2015)

Stage 4 – winner presentation and awards (8 October 2015)

Winners will be notified as soon as practicable after the winners are confirmed by the judging panel.

The photographs of selected nominees will be published on MINEX Russia Forum website and may be also announced via news releases and media.

The winners will be announced at the MINEX Russia Mining Awards Gala Dinner organised on 8 October 2015 at the Radisson Slavyanskaya Hotel in Moscow.

The winners will receive Diplomas and valuable prizes. Winning photographs will be published on MINEX Russia Forum website and announced via news releases and media.

Photos submitted for the competition must meet the following technical requirements:

(a) The photographs must be relevant to the themes of the competition

(b) The entrant may submit a maximum of 3 photographs for each category of the competition and the total number of photographs submitted should not exceed 10.

(c) The photograph must have been taken by the entrant.

(d) The photograph must be a single work of original material and cannot be a composition of numerous images.

(e) The photograph must not be in the public domain.

(f) The photograph must not be altered, however: cropping, spot toning, dodging and burning (and their digital equivalents) in the course of normal fine-tuning is authorised; and contrast adjustment and colour adjustment in the course of normal fine-tuning is authorised. In this clause, what constitutes an alteration in the course of normal fine tuning is determined in the Promoter’s sole discretion.

(g) Subject to the terms and conditions of these Competition Rules, a photograph published on a website or exhibited in a gallery may also be entered unless the photograph or intellectual property rights to it have been sold.

(h) The photograph must not be date stamped

(i)  Uploaded photograph should be saved in jpeg (with a minimum of 3Mb), or *tiff format at 300dpi at an A4 size (30cm x 21cm).