The Hidden Forests Around Us
This photo competition emphasizes the global reach and impact of kelp forests, highlighting their ecological, economic, and cultural significance across ⅓ of our world’s coastline. It also begs us to ask, how do we create and maintain personal connections to a rapidly changing ocean. The "Hidden Forests Around Us" theme invites photographers to capture how kelp forests are connected to our daily lives and how we as a society can build a new relationship with our ocean to save them. Entries will showcase the multi-faceted essence of these unique ecosystems and inspire affection and recognition for these often underappreciated underwater worlds.
We aim to illuminate our human connection to kelp forests, the rich diversity of life they sustain, the economies they bolster, and the cultures they influence, unveiling the vibrant colors of the kelp forest tapestry that blankets our planet's oceans. By doing so we hope to elevate kelp forests in the conservation conversation and to achieve the goals of the Kelp Forest Challenge, a global mission to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forest by 2040.
FilmFreeway Submission Instructions: https://www.kelpforestphotoawards.com/instructions.html
Categories:
Kelp and Connections to People
Kelp For Our Future
Kelp Stories (Photojournalism)
Kelp Ecosystems (Wide Angle)
Kelp Macro
Kelp Wildlife
Youth (<21)
Great Southern Reef
Kelp and Connections to People: Kelp forests are connected to people in more ways than we realize. This category highlights the diverse ways people rely on and are linked to kelp forests around the world. Appropriate images including sustainable harvesting, recreational activities like diving and snorkeling, or artistic interpretations of human interactions with kelp.
Kelp For Our Future: Kelp forests are incredibly resilient but are increasingly threatened and we need a new approach to save our kelp forests. This category highlights the ways that people are working to protect, restore, or research our kelp forests and ensure these ecosystems persist for generations to come. Images could include researchers in action, scientific instruments, visuals that represent scientific findings related to kelp, restored areas, highlight threats to kelp forests, or any effort working to help our kelp.
Kelp Stories (Photojournalism): This category invites photographers to narrate a story related to kelp through a series of 5 images. These could include stories of survival, the daily life of creatures within the kelp forest, or the impact of environmental changes on these ecosystems or the people and organizations working to protect, conserve, study, or restore kelp forests.
Kelp Ecosystems (Wide Angle): Capture the grandeur and complexity of kelp forests in all their wide-angle glory. This category invites photographers to showcase the beauty and vastness of these underwater jungles, providing an ecosystem perspective.
Kelp Macro: Dive into the intricate details of kelp and its surrounding microcosm. This category encourages photographers to focus on the smaller, often overlooked aspects of kelp life, from the texture of the kelp to the minute organisms that call it home.
Kelp Wildlife: Highlight the diverse array of marine life that thrives within the kelp forests. From playful sea otters to elusive sharks, this category celebrates the biodiversity found in these rich habitats.
Youth (<21): A category dedicated to young, budding photographers 18 years and under. This encourages the younger generation to explore, appreciate, and capture the magic of kelp forests, fostering a connection with nature at an early age.
Great Southern Reef: A category dedicated to showcasing kelp forests along Australia’s “Great Southern Reef”, an 8,000 km stretch of coastline that is intricately linked to kelp forests and over 2/3s of Australians.
Prizes.
We will award prizes for the winners and runner ups of each category. Prizes are a mix of monetary, goods, and vouchers.
The winner of each category will receive approximately $1600 in prizes.
The winner of the Kelp Photographer of the Year will receive approximately $3500 in prizes.
The runners up in all categories will receive approximately $600 in prizes.
All values given in AUD.
