Aquascaping Competition myaquascaping1.blogspot.co.id Already know aquascaping contest 2017? Or curious iaplc 2016 winner?
The Aquatic Gardeners Association is pleased to announce the results for the 2016-2017-2018 International Aquascaping Contest.
We had another outstanding year and came close to achieving another record for entries, with more than 500 aquascapes submitted to this year’s contest.
Nearly all of the categories in this year’s contest had record participation and some outstanding biotopes, paludariums, and Dutch aquascapes were also submitted.
As in years past, the success of the contest is dependent on the hard work of our esteemed panel of judges. Without their willingness to take time from their busy schedules to participate in our contest, our Aquascaping contest would not be the success it is today.
For this year, we have the AGA’s own Karen Randall, André Longarco of Aquabase Brazil, Balbi Vaquero of Fish Corner from Spain, and Domenico Losciale of Anubias from Italy.
We were also fortunate to again have Marco Aukes judge our Dutch category and we hope to continue to grow our Dutch category even more for next year. Aquascaping competition Phil Edwards assisted with the Biotope and Dutch categories.
Thank you judges for taking time out of your busy schedule to judge the contest; they are truly appreciated by our contestants and the AGA.
Our contest would not be the success it is without our contest sponsors. We had some outstanding companies support this year's contest including Seachem Laboratories, Aqua Forest Aquarium, Florida Aquatic Nurseries, Dr. Tim’s Aquatics, Ista Products, Invertebrates by Msjinkzd, Green Aqua LLC, and the Chicago Aquatic Plant Society.
We also received support from two individual sponsors, Ben Belton and Bernat Hosta. Thank you! Each contribution is greatly appreciated and ensures the continued success of our contest!
Finally, I would like to thank ... Cheryl Rogers for providing this year’s contest graphics. And a huge thank you to Erik Olson our tech guru, who does all the behind the scenes work to ensure that the contest runs smoothly. So, without further ado, enjoy this year's aquascapes!
AGA Aquascaping Contest - Rules and Guidelines
General Entrance Guidelines
The AGA Aquascaping Contest generally is open for entries from June through mid-September, with the results and winners announced in early- to mid-November. Please check the contest entry page for the exact dates for this year.
This event is primarily a friendly way for hobbyists to share their aquascaping efforts with each other, and to learn better techniques through the display and evaluation of those efforts.
The contest will also allow hobbyists to compete for awards. The event is open to all hobbyists, regardless of age, national origin or degree of experience in the hobby.
The focus of the event is on Aquascaping in freshwater aquaria, brackish water aquaria and paludariums. Brackish and Marine aquaria will be acceptable in the Biotope category only.
Aquascaping Competition - Aquascapes shall be sorted for judging into the following categories:
The Aquatic Garden and Dutch Aquascape categories require that you use live plants in your aquascape.
The Biotope Aquascape category is reserved for aquariums that are attempting to recreate a particular natural environment, and as such will be judged accordingly.
Aquascaping Competition - Biotopes may or may not include plants, but should be made of primarily natural materials.
The Paludarium category is self-explanatory; it is reserved for an aquarium with above and below-water aquascaping.
Within each type, aquascapes may be split into to multiple size cateogries. The choice of splits is based on participation, and up to the discretion of the judges and organizers.
Each entrant will need to:
Complete a form with their personal information (including their real legal name and a return address)
Agree to the photo release (part of the above form)
Supply basic information for each aquascape (maximum three aquascapes per entrant)
Upload photographs (1-5 per aquascape)
Further questions may be answered by the organizers at showcase@aquatic-gardeners.org
Aquascaping Competition - Judging and Awards
Judging will be conducted with each aquascape identified only by number; i.e. the judges will not know the identity of the entrant whose aquascape they are considering. Judges do not communicate with each other when scoring each aquascape.
Within each category, each judge's ranking (not raw score) for the aquascapes will be harmonically averaged to determine the overall ranking of aquascapes within the category.
Awards (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) will be given to the three highest ranked aquascapes. Overall rankings 4~10 be acknowledged as "top ten" (presented in tank volume order, not rank order!). There is no physical award for top ten.
After the winners are tabulated, the judges will also choose, by vote, a "Best of Show" Aquascape and a "Most Innovative" Aquascape. They will communicate with each other over this decision.
Judges are asked provide feedback on the qualities of each aquascape in the contest. These comments will be placed on the website associated with the appropriate aquascapes.
Aquascaping Competition - The decisions of the judges are final.
There are four basic criteria which we wish considered in the judging of the aquascapes entered in the contest. They are:
To assist the judges, and to clarify and expand upon the basic criteria, these are some of the things we ask each judge to consider when reviewing each aquascape:
Does balance exist between the various components of the aquascape? Is space within the aquarium used effectively? Do open areas exist and balance and complement more enclosed spaces?
Are the colors of the various elements of the aquascape (including animals) complementary and do they work well together?
Selection & Use of Materials - maximum 40 points
Are the materials selected for use within the aquascape appropriate for use in an aquarium?
Are the various materials harmonious with one another? I.e. if several rocks and/or pieces of driftwood are used, do they compliment one another or do they produce a discordant effect?
Do the animals compliment or detract from the selection and arrangement of hardscape and plants?
Aquascaping Competition - Viability of Aquascape - maximum 30 points
Is the aquascape set up in a manner which, with proper maintenance, is likely to lead to long term (one year or more) success of the aquarium?
If used, are the plants selected for the aquascape appropriate for long term use in an aquarium?
Are the animals selected as inhabitants of the tank likely to cause damage to one another or to the aquascape itself? Are the animals appropriate to the size of the tank that houses them?
Aquascaping Competition - Biotope Aquascape
A biotope is a habitat originating from a specific location. It has particular environmental characteristics specific to the area and a native population of plants and animals.
A single stream or lake may include numerous biotopes. For instance, a stony riffle in a stream may be one biotope while a nearby silt-bottomed pool on the same stream may be a different biotope.
On the other hand, the same biotope may occur in numerous streams in a region where all stony riffles or silt-bottomed pools support the same community of plants and animals.
In its purest form, the biotope aquascape is a microscopic representation of a naturally-occurring particular geographical area in the wild.
An entry that accurately represents a biotope through species selection and arrangement of hardscape and living elements will receive a higher score.
Rules for acceptable entries in the AGA’s Aquascaping Contest Biotope Category:
1. Material used including wood, rocks, and other hardscaping material should, as closely as possible, represent the appearance of natural materials found in the specific location.
2. Example: Mopani driftwood would not be used in an Asian rainforest biotope aquascape. However, manzanita wood could be used effectively to represent branches and roots in an Amazon biotope.
Plants and animals should be indigenous to the specific location.
3. Example: Guppies should not be used in a Lake Malawi biotope aquascape. However, a few non-native fish or shrimp included for algae control will be overlooked.
Choice and placement of plant and animal species should also represent the specific location.
4. Example: Although both plants grow in Asian streams, it would be unlikely to find Cryptocoryne cordata, which likes shaded areas, mixed with C. crispatula, which is found in sunny areas.
5. Exotic, non-native, or invasive species of plants and fish should not be used in a biotope aquascape. All flora and fauna should be native species originally indigenous to the biotope being described.
Aquascaping methods used for Aquatic Garden aquariums are not applicable to biotope aquascaping. Design should be directed toward creating an authentic replication of a natural habitat.
Arrangement of hardscape materials, and placement and grouping of plants, should mimic that found in nature rather than an abstracted image of a natural scene often used in Aquatic Garden aquascaping.
Salt marsh/marine planted aquaria are acceptable in the Biotope Category only. Plants/macroalgae should be the majority "plant". Corals and other sessile inverts, if any, should be minimal.
An expert committee will screen submissions in the Biotope Category and accept as entries those that in its sole determination, follow these rules. The committee’s judgment will be final. If there are questions regarding the validity of the biotope aquascape, the committee may ask for justification.
Aquascaping Competition - Based on the criteria, to aid the screening process, we strongly suggest that entrants provide the following information:
A description of the biotope represented by the entry.
A description of the materials used in the entry, including plants, fish, and hardscape materials. Include why certain choices were made.
References to substantiate the appropriateness of the materials used. Books, articles, photos, and web links are all acceptable references.
If the committee rejects a submission because it does meet the guidelines for the category entered, the AGA will automatically move rejected submissions to the appropriate category.
After a Biotope entry has been approved by the screening committee, it will be judged by the AGA International Aquascaping Contest judging panel. Each judge will score the biotope based on the following criteria:
Aquascaping Competition - Results of the judging will be made public at the appropriate times as determined by the dates predetermined by the AGA
Dutch Category Judging Guidelines
Overall Impression - maximum 50 points
Aquascaping Competition - Composition: Balance, Use of Space, Use of Color - maximum 60 points
Is the aquascape laid out well?
Does the aquarist make effective use of the “Rule of Thirds” to create (a) focal point(s)? (Tanks 36” or less in length should not have more than one focal point.)
Are the plants well grouped, and are the groups well defined? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate a small space between groups)
Does the aquarist make good use of differences in color, leaf size and shape, and height (growth habit or trimming) to maximize contrast between groups of plants? (Groups of neighboring plants should clearly be of different heights)
Does the aquarist effectively use differences in height and plant group shape to create a sense of flow and depth?
Is there a plant “street”? If so, is it easily discerned and does it enhance the sense of depth of the aquascape?
Are the back and sides are planted? Do the species and planting enhance or detract from the sense of depth and scale? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate the portion of the walls not covered by species in the substrate be planted.)
Selection & Use of Plants, Hardscape Materials, and Animals - maximum 50 points
Has the aquarist selected plants appropriately?
Traditional NBAT rules dictate use of no more than 1 plant species per 10 cm/4 inches of tank length (sometimes up to 2 more species per tank if their use doesn't detract from the aquascape; judge's discretion). Has the aquarist effectively used a limited number of species?
If a Specimen Plant is used as a focal point, does it blend well with the aquascape or is it overpowering? i.e., does it draw and hold the eye too strongly or is it simply too large?
Aquascaping Competition - Do the colors, shape, and size of the fish chosen harmonize with the plants?
Are schooling fish present in sufficient numbers to make a suitable school? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate at least 12 fish per schooling species)
If hardscape materials are present, are they used sparingly as a stand alone element? (A single piece of wood or a rock may be acceptable according to NBAT rules if it enhances the aquascape. Wood and/or rocks used as structure and mostly covered by epiphytes does not count.)
Are planted sides and rear panes present or absent? There should be no visible glass except for the front viewing pane. (This criteria only addresses the presence/absence of planted walls as a hardscape/design element for clarity.
If planted walls are not present or if glass is visible deduct points. Use of walls should be considered as part of Composition.)
Viability of Aquascape - maximum 40 points
With appropriate grooming and maintenance, are the plants selected suitable for use in the aquarium if maintained as-is for a long period?
If visible, are the fish and other animals likely to be too large for the aquarium, cause damage to the aquascape, or each other at adult size?
Photographs
The short version:
Aquascaping Competition - Entrants are requested to provide 1 ~ 5 images of their aquascape, ideally showing both overall views and close-ups of details they wish to highlight.
While the focus of this event is on the aquascape shown in the images, entrants are encouraged to try and provide the clearest, sharpest images possible. The better the images that are provided, the better they will reproduce and display.
Please send the highest resolution and quality possible. We can handle most formats, even camera raw.
You may alter an aquascape's image only for color correction, brightness, shadow/highlight, contrast and/or sharpness.
While the organizers realize that in an event of this type it is entirely possible for an unethical person to manufacture a digital image of a non-existent tank, it is our hope that entrants will honor the spirit of sharing and friendly competition upon which this event is based.
We are counting on the honesty and integrity of our participants to submit only images that are truly representative of their work as aquascape artists!
Many entrants feel the need to add large "frame" borders around their photographs; this detracts from the image, by making it scale smaller than other entries. In all likelihood, we will just remove the border. Please save us the work, and submit your images borderless.
Images submitted should not have the photographer's name or Copyright Notice superimposed over the image. Images should not include the aquascaper in the picture (aka, a "selfie").
Judging needs to be anonymous, and this information could affect the impartial evaluation of aquascapes. We will add a copyright 'burn-in' in the final website.
When creating a planting plan, keep in mind that a blocky diagram works much better than something with thin lines, and high-resolution graphic is just as important as in the photographs.
A simple sketch with a Sharpie pen on a piece of paper will look better on the final site than a tiny 320x240 pixel graphic done with a Paint program. Also make sure to list the plants in the caption rather than in the graphic itself. This will save us an incredible amount of retyping and graphic retouching time!
All entrants must agree to a Photo Release before their entries and photographs will be accepted into the contest. Aquascaping competition and aga contest rules and aquatic gardeners association 2016.
The Aquatic Gardeners Association is pleased to announce the results for the 2016-2017-2018 International Aquascaping Contest.
We had another outstanding year and came close to achieving another record for entries, with more than 500 aquascapes submitted to this year’s contest.
Nearly all of the categories in this year’s contest had record participation and some outstanding biotopes, paludariums, and Dutch aquascapes were also submitted.
As in years past, the success of the contest is dependent on the hard work of our esteemed panel of judges. Without their willingness to take time from their busy schedules to participate in our contest, our Aquascaping contest would not be the success it is today.
For this year, we have the AGA’s own Karen Randall, André Longarco of Aquabase Brazil, Balbi Vaquero of Fish Corner from Spain, and Domenico Losciale of Anubias from Italy.
We were also fortunate to again have Marco Aukes judge our Dutch category and we hope to continue to grow our Dutch category even more for next year. Aquascaping competition Phil Edwards assisted with the Biotope and Dutch categories.
Aquascaping Competition
Thank you judges for taking time out of your busy schedule to judge the contest; they are truly appreciated by our contestants and the AGA.
Our contest would not be the success it is without our contest sponsors. We had some outstanding companies support this year's contest including Seachem Laboratories, Aqua Forest Aquarium, Florida Aquatic Nurseries, Dr. Tim’s Aquatics, Ista Products, Invertebrates by Msjinkzd, Green Aqua LLC, and the Chicago Aquatic Plant Society.
We also received support from two individual sponsors, Ben Belton and Bernat Hosta. Thank you! Each contribution is greatly appreciated and ensures the continued success of our contest!
Finally, I would like to thank ... Cheryl Rogers for providing this year’s contest graphics. And a huge thank you to Erik Olson our tech guru, who does all the behind the scenes work to ensure that the contest runs smoothly. So, without further ado, enjoy this year's aquascapes!
AGA Aquascaping Contest - Rules and Guidelines
- General
- Judging
- Biotope
- Dutch
- Photographs
General Entrance Guidelines
The AGA Aquascaping Contest generally is open for entries from June through mid-September, with the results and winners announced in early- to mid-November. Please check the contest entry page for the exact dates for this year.
This event is primarily a friendly way for hobbyists to share their aquascaping efforts with each other, and to learn better techniques through the display and evaluation of those efforts.
The contest will also allow hobbyists to compete for awards. The event is open to all hobbyists, regardless of age, national origin or degree of experience in the hobby.
The focus of the event is on Aquascaping in freshwater aquaria, brackish water aquaria and paludariums. Brackish and Marine aquaria will be acceptable in the Biotope category only.
Aquascaping Competition - Aquascapes shall be sorted for judging into the following categories:
- Aquatic Garden
- Dutch Aquascape
- Biotope Aquascape
- Paludarium
The Aquatic Garden and Dutch Aquascape categories require that you use live plants in your aquascape.
The Biotope Aquascape category is reserved for aquariums that are attempting to recreate a particular natural environment, and as such will be judged accordingly.
Aquascaping Competition - Biotopes may or may not include plants, but should be made of primarily natural materials.
The Paludarium category is self-explanatory; it is reserved for an aquarium with above and below-water aquascaping.
Within each type, aquascapes may be split into to multiple size cateogries. The choice of splits is based on participation, and up to the discretion of the judges and organizers.
Each entrant will need to:
Complete a form with their personal information (including their real legal name and a return address)
Agree to the photo release (part of the above form)
Supply basic information for each aquascape (maximum three aquascapes per entrant)
Upload photographs (1-5 per aquascape)
Further questions may be answered by the organizers at showcase@aquatic-gardeners.org
Aquascaping Competition - Judging and Awards
Judging will be conducted with each aquascape identified only by number; i.e. the judges will not know the identity of the entrant whose aquascape they are considering. Judges do not communicate with each other when scoring each aquascape.
Within each category, each judge's ranking (not raw score) for the aquascapes will be harmonically averaged to determine the overall ranking of aquascapes within the category.
Awards (1st, 2nd and 3rd place) will be given to the three highest ranked aquascapes. Overall rankings 4~10 be acknowledged as "top ten" (presented in tank volume order, not rank order!). There is no physical award for top ten.
After the winners are tabulated, the judges will also choose, by vote, a "Best of Show" Aquascape and a "Most Innovative" Aquascape. They will communicate with each other over this decision.
Judges are asked provide feedback on the qualities of each aquascape in the contest. These comments will be placed on the website associated with the appropriate aquascapes.
Aquascaping Competition - The decisions of the judges are final.
There are four basic criteria which we wish considered in the judging of the aquascapes entered in the contest. They are:
- Overall Impression (70 points)
- Composition, Balance, Use of Space, Use of Color (60 points)
- Selection & Use of Materials (40 points)
- Viability of Aquascape (30 points)
To assist the judges, and to clarify and expand upon the basic criteria, these are some of the things we ask each judge to consider when reviewing each aquascape:
- Overall Impression - maximum 70 points
- Does the aquascape make a significant positive visual impression upon the viewer?
- Do all parts of the aquascape work together to present a harmonious whole?
- Composition, Balance, Use of Space, Use of Color - maximum 60 points
- Is the aquascape laid out well?
Does balance exist between the various components of the aquascape? Is space within the aquarium used effectively? Do open areas exist and balance and complement more enclosed spaces?
Are the colors of the various elements of the aquascape (including animals) complementary and do they work well together?
Selection & Use of Materials - maximum 40 points
Are the materials selected for use within the aquascape appropriate for use in an aquarium?
Are the various materials harmonious with one another? I.e. if several rocks and/or pieces of driftwood are used, do they compliment one another or do they produce a discordant effect?
Do the animals compliment or detract from the selection and arrangement of hardscape and plants?
Aquascaping Competition - Viability of Aquascape - maximum 30 points
Is the aquascape set up in a manner which, with proper maintenance, is likely to lead to long term (one year or more) success of the aquarium?
If used, are the plants selected for the aquascape appropriate for long term use in an aquarium?
Are the animals selected as inhabitants of the tank likely to cause damage to one another or to the aquascape itself? Are the animals appropriate to the size of the tank that houses them?
Aquascaping Competition - Biotope Aquascape
A biotope is a habitat originating from a specific location. It has particular environmental characteristics specific to the area and a native population of plants and animals.
A single stream or lake may include numerous biotopes. For instance, a stony riffle in a stream may be one biotope while a nearby silt-bottomed pool on the same stream may be a different biotope.
On the other hand, the same biotope may occur in numerous streams in a region where all stony riffles or silt-bottomed pools support the same community of plants and animals.
In its purest form, the biotope aquascape is a microscopic representation of a naturally-occurring particular geographical area in the wild.
An entry that accurately represents a biotope through species selection and arrangement of hardscape and living elements will receive a higher score.
Rules for acceptable entries in the AGA’s Aquascaping Contest Biotope Category:
1. Material used including wood, rocks, and other hardscaping material should, as closely as possible, represent the appearance of natural materials found in the specific location.
2. Example: Mopani driftwood would not be used in an Asian rainforest biotope aquascape. However, manzanita wood could be used effectively to represent branches and roots in an Amazon biotope.
Plants and animals should be indigenous to the specific location.
3. Example: Guppies should not be used in a Lake Malawi biotope aquascape. However, a few non-native fish or shrimp included for algae control will be overlooked.
Choice and placement of plant and animal species should also represent the specific location.
4. Example: Although both plants grow in Asian streams, it would be unlikely to find Cryptocoryne cordata, which likes shaded areas, mixed with C. crispatula, which is found in sunny areas.
5. Exotic, non-native, or invasive species of plants and fish should not be used in a biotope aquascape. All flora and fauna should be native species originally indigenous to the biotope being described.
Aquascaping methods used for Aquatic Garden aquariums are not applicable to biotope aquascaping. Design should be directed toward creating an authentic replication of a natural habitat.
Arrangement of hardscape materials, and placement and grouping of plants, should mimic that found in nature rather than an abstracted image of a natural scene often used in Aquatic Garden aquascaping.
Salt marsh/marine planted aquaria are acceptable in the Biotope Category only. Plants/macroalgae should be the majority "plant". Corals and other sessile inverts, if any, should be minimal.
An expert committee will screen submissions in the Biotope Category and accept as entries those that in its sole determination, follow these rules. The committee’s judgment will be final. If there are questions regarding the validity of the biotope aquascape, the committee may ask for justification.
Aquascaping Competition - Based on the criteria, to aid the screening process, we strongly suggest that entrants provide the following information:
A description of the biotope represented by the entry.
A description of the materials used in the entry, including plants, fish, and hardscape materials. Include why certain choices were made.
References to substantiate the appropriateness of the materials used. Books, articles, photos, and web links are all acceptable references.
If the committee rejects a submission because it does meet the guidelines for the category entered, the AGA will automatically move rejected submissions to the appropriate category.
After a Biotope entry has been approved by the screening committee, it will be judged by the AGA International Aquascaping Contest judging panel. Each judge will score the biotope based on the following criteria:
- 70 General impressions/ faithful reproduction of biotope
- 60 Accuracy of plants and animals for biotope
- 40 Accuracy of hardscape
- 30 Condition
Aquascaping Competition - Results of the judging will be made public at the appropriate times as determined by the dates predetermined by the AGA
International Aquascaping Contest.
Dutch Category Judging Guidelines
Overall Impression - maximum 50 points
- Does the aquarium as a whole; plants, fish, and hardscape, create a positive visual impact?
- Do all parts of the aquarium work together to present a harmonious and cohesive whole?
- Do the plants and animals appear healthy?
- No hardware should be visible.
Aquascaping Competition - Composition: Balance, Use of Space, Use of Color - maximum 60 points
Is the aquascape laid out well?
Does the aquarist make effective use of the “Rule of Thirds” to create (a) focal point(s)? (Tanks 36” or less in length should not have more than one focal point.)
Are the plants well grouped, and are the groups well defined? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate a small space between groups)
Does the aquarist make good use of differences in color, leaf size and shape, and height (growth habit or trimming) to maximize contrast between groups of plants? (Groups of neighboring plants should clearly be of different heights)
Does the aquarist effectively use differences in height and plant group shape to create a sense of flow and depth?
Is there a plant “street”? If so, is it easily discerned and does it enhance the sense of depth of the aquascape?
Are the back and sides are planted? Do the species and planting enhance or detract from the sense of depth and scale? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate the portion of the walls not covered by species in the substrate be planted.)
Selection & Use of Plants, Hardscape Materials, and Animals - maximum 50 points
Has the aquarist selected plants appropriately?
Traditional NBAT rules dictate use of no more than 1 plant species per 10 cm/4 inches of tank length (sometimes up to 2 more species per tank if their use doesn't detract from the aquascape; judge's discretion). Has the aquarist effectively used a limited number of species?
If a Specimen Plant is used as a focal point, does it blend well with the aquascape or is it overpowering? i.e., does it draw and hold the eye too strongly or is it simply too large?
Aquascaping Competition - Do the colors, shape, and size of the fish chosen harmonize with the plants?
Are schooling fish present in sufficient numbers to make a suitable school? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate at least 12 fish per schooling species)
If hardscape materials are present, are they used sparingly as a stand alone element? (A single piece of wood or a rock may be acceptable according to NBAT rules if it enhances the aquascape. Wood and/or rocks used as structure and mostly covered by epiphytes does not count.)
Are planted sides and rear panes present or absent? There should be no visible glass except for the front viewing pane. (This criteria only addresses the presence/absence of planted walls as a hardscape/design element for clarity.
If planted walls are not present or if glass is visible deduct points. Use of walls should be considered as part of Composition.)
Viability of Aquascape - maximum 40 points
With appropriate grooming and maintenance, are the plants selected suitable for use in the aquarium if maintained as-is for a long period?
If visible, are the fish and other animals likely to be too large for the aquarium, cause damage to the aquascape, or each other at adult size?
Photographs
The short version:
- 1-5 Photos
- Highest Resolution Possible
- Color-correction, brightness only; no "photoshopping"
- No identifying "burn-ins"; no "selfies"
- No borders or frames, please
- No collages (multiple photos in same image)
- No photos of people
Aquascaping Competition - Entrants are requested to provide 1 ~ 5 images of their aquascape, ideally showing both overall views and close-ups of details they wish to highlight.
While the focus of this event is on the aquascape shown in the images, entrants are encouraged to try and provide the clearest, sharpest images possible. The better the images that are provided, the better they will reproduce and display.
Please send the highest resolution and quality possible. We can handle most formats, even camera raw.
You may alter an aquascape's image only for color correction, brightness, shadow/highlight, contrast and/or sharpness.
While the organizers realize that in an event of this type it is entirely possible for an unethical person to manufacture a digital image of a non-existent tank, it is our hope that entrants will honor the spirit of sharing and friendly competition upon which this event is based.
We are counting on the honesty and integrity of our participants to submit only images that are truly representative of their work as aquascape artists!
Many entrants feel the need to add large "frame" borders around their photographs; this detracts from the image, by making it scale smaller than other entries. In all likelihood, we will just remove the border. Please save us the work, and submit your images borderless.
Images submitted should not have the photographer's name or Copyright Notice superimposed over the image. Images should not include the aquascaper in the picture (aka, a "selfie").
Judging needs to be anonymous, and this information could affect the impartial evaluation of aquascapes. We will add a copyright 'burn-in' in the final website.
When creating a planting plan, keep in mind that a blocky diagram works much better than something with thin lines, and high-resolution graphic is just as important as in the photographs.
A simple sketch with a Sharpie pen on a piece of paper will look better on the final site than a tiny 320x240 pixel graphic done with a Paint program. Also make sure to list the plants in the caption rather than in the graphic itself. This will save us an incredible amount of retyping and graphic retouching time!
All entrants must agree to a Photo Release before their entries and photographs will be accepted into the contest. Aquascaping competition and aga contest rules and aquatic gardeners association 2016.
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