AAS 2021 Photo & Artwork Contest

This year, we at AAS are excited to announce a competition to highlight your wonderful photography and illustration of arachnids! The competition will consist of six separate categories, so all kinds of arachnid artwork is welcome. The categories are: Arachnids in the Wild, Arachnids in Controlled Conditions, Arachnologists at Work, Microscopy, Scientific Illustration, Mixed Arachnid Art. Everyone can submit one entry per category, and the winners will be decided by popular vote by conference attendees. Winning entries from each category will be featured on the AAS website and social media, and will be awarded arachnid-themed prizes! For more info, see detailed rules below.

Entries to the contest close on June 21st 2021, so get those images in soon! Remember, the arachnids are depending on YOU for good publicity!

Please submit your entries using this link >>here<<. Please ensure the photos do not have your name on them, as we want them to be judged on merit alone.

Awesome prizes to be won!

Top row: Spider Bandana by Mary Capaldi, Arachnid T-shirt by Thomas Shahan, Araneus painting by Rebecca Steele, Signed copy of Spi-ku by Leslie Bulion
Bottom row: Tarantula Collective T-shirt, Embroidered Orbweb by Tea Francis, Arachnid beanie by The Vexed Muddler

Español: 

¡Este año, todos en AAS están emocionados de anunciar un concurso para resaltar su maravillosa fotografía e ilustración de arácnidos! La competencia constará de seis categorías separadas, por lo que todo tipo de obras de arte de arácnidos son bienvenidos. Las categorías son: Arácnidos en a la Naturaleza, Arácnidos en Condiciones Controladas, Aracnólogos en Acción, Microscopía, Ilustración Científica, Arte Arácnido Mixto. Todos pueden enviar una entrada por categoría, y los ganadores se decidirán por votación popular de los asistentes a la conferencia. Las entradas ganadoras de cada categoría se presentarán en el sitio web de AAS y en las redes sociales, ¡y se les otorgarán premios con temática de arácnidos! Para obtener más información, consulte las reglas detalladas a continuación.

Las inscripciones al concurso cierran el 21 de junio de 2021, ¡así que obtenga esas imágenes pronto! Recuerde, los arácnidos dependen de usted para una buena publicidad.

Envíe sus entradas utilizando este enlace >> aquí <<. Por favor, asegúrese de que las fotos no tengan su nombre, ya que queremos que se juzguen únicamente por sus méritos.

Rules

Scope and Conditions

The competition is open to all types of arachnid artists. Each person can submit a maximum of one entry per category, and can submit an entry to as many or as few categories as desired. All entries must be the original works of the contestant. Entries received after the deadline, or that do not meet the qualifications for their respective category will not be considered. The organizing committee also reserves the right to refuse any works that they decide are offensive or hateful. Members of the AAS 2021 Organizing Committee may submit entries, but are not eligible to receive any awards or prizes (these will be awarded to the next eligible entry). Only attendees of the virtual conference are eligible to receive awards or prizes.

Voting

Winners of each category will be decided by popular vote. Only attendees of the virtual meeting may vote on the competition. 

Categories

1. Arachnids in the Wild / Arácnidos en la naturaleza

In this category, photographs of arachnids in their natural environment will be accepted (including photographs where the subject is a natural prey of another species). Photographs will not be accepted where evidence exists that an animal was used as bait to attract a predator, or where an animal was deliberately placed in a setting that does not correspond with its natural environment. 

En esta categoría se aceptarán fotografías de arácnidos en su entorno natural (incluidas fotografías donde el sujeto sea una presa natural de otra especie). No se aceptarán fotografías donde exista evidencia de que un animal fue utilizado como cebo para atraer a un depredador, o donde un animal fue colocado deliberadamente en un entorno que no se corresponde con su entorno natural.

2. Arachnids in Controlled Conditions / Arácnidos en condiciones controladas

In this category, photographs will be accepted where the animal (live) has been photographed in laboratory conditions or an otherwise manipulated environment. Works where an artificial background is used (for example, a neutral color) or controlled conditions (for example, terrariums) will be accepted. Photographs of pet arachnids will be accepted for this category.

En esta categoría, se aceptarán fotografías en las que el animal (vivo) haya sido fotografiado en condiciones de laboratorio o en un entorno manipulado de otro modo. Se aceptarán obras donde se utilice un fondo artificial (por ejemplo, un color neutro) o condiciones controladas (por ejemplo, terrarios). Se aceptarán fotografías de arácnidos como mascotas para esta categoría.

3. Arachnologist at Work / Aracnólogo(s) en el trabajo

In this category prizes photographs will be accepted that document the work of professional and amateur arachnologists, both in the field and in the laboratory. For the purposes of this category, “arachnologist” includes any person who is studying arachnids, regardless of age, profession, or academic degree. 

En esta categoría se aceptarán premios fotografías que documenten la labor de aracnólogos profesionales y aficionados, tanto en campo como en laboratorio. Para efectos de esta categoría, “aracnólogo” incluye a cualquier persona que esté estudiando arácnidos, independientemente de su edad, profesión o grado académico.

4. Microscopy / Microscopía

Images of arachnids taken using any type of microscopy will be accepted: stereomicroscopy or compound microscopy, optical microscopy, scanning microscopy, microtomography, etc.

Se aceptarán imágenes de arácnidos tomadas mediante cualquier tipo de microscopía: estereomicroscopía o microscopía compuesta, microscopía óptica, microscopía de barrido, microtomografía, etc.

5. Scientific Illustration / Ilustración científica

Scientific (naturalistics, taxonomic, and/or educational) illustrations of arachnids will be accepted in this category and they may combine different techniques and tools, both manual and digital, in color or monochrome.

En esta categoría se aceptarán ilustraciones científicas (naturalísticas, taxonómicas y / o educativas) de arácnidos que podrán combinar diferentes técnicas y herramientas, tanto manuales como digitales, en color o monocromáticas.

6. Mixed Arachnid Art / Arte Arácnido Mixto

In this category, other types of arachnid art not included in the other five categories will be accepted. For example, this may include but is not limited to sculpture, mixed media collage, stylized illustration, and knitting/felting products.

En esta categoría, se aceptarán otros tipos de arte arácnido no incluidos en las otras cinco categorías. Por ejemplo, esto puede incluir, entre otros, escultura, collage de técnica mixta, ilustración estilizada y productos de tejido / fieltro.

Photograph Editing

In the processing of the photographs, digital adjustments by the photographer (white balance, exposure, levels, contrast, saturation, focus, elimination of vignetting, etc.), as well as the cleaning of particles through cloning, will be accepted. Focus-stacked photographs will also be accepted. Alterations or manipulations of the image, or parts of it, which cause the photograph to reflect a reality other than the one photographed, will not be accepted. Photographs can be presented in both color and monochrome. 

Entry Formatting & Submitting FIles

All entries must be submitted via >>this link<<. Each entry file is limited to 10MB in size. All photographs must be submitted in JPEG format. Digital illustrations may be submitted in lossless formats (such as PNG) as long as the file size is less than 10MB. To keep voting anonymous, all images must not have a signature, watermark, frame or other easily identifiable mark. 

Please make sure your images are at least 1500 pixels on the long side. After submitting one image, open the link to the contest again to submit another.

Each entry may also include a title and brief description of the piece, with information such as the identity of the subject (taxonomic info in the case of arachnids, or names in the case of persons/characters), location, and other information you consider relevant. In the case of microscopy images, a brief description of the techniques and instruments used, along with the region of the animal in the image is also appreciated. Untitled entries will be identified by an entry number.

Legal Info

By participating in this contest, you consent for AAS to retain the right to copy and display submitted images temporarily for the purposes of voting and exhibiting on the conference  software. Winning images may be reproduced, with credit to the artist, in the Journal of Arachnology, the AAS website, and/or the AAS social media accounts. Following the conclusion of the contest, you may withdraw consent for your images to be publicly reproduced in the above mentioned manners by contacting the email below. Artists retain all property rights to their photographs and other images. 

Contact

For questions and issues, please email photocontest@~@americanarachnology.org