Tours:
LAND PHOTOGRAPHY
Punta Sur Ecological Park
Visit Punta Sur Ecological Park, which is a natural reserve by the ocean, with a lookout tower from where you can spot crocodiles, beach and mangrove area, where you also will be able to appreciate local wildlife, birds, iguanas, mangrove and dune vegetation, etc.There is as well an access to the beach from where you can snorkel the shallow reefs of the area in case you are interested in underwater photography.
Price includes ground transportation and bilingual escort.
Lagoons, Mangroves and Raccoons
Starting point: Fisherman's Dock in Laguna Ciega. Transportation will be provided to and from this point.Travel by boat in the ocean to the opening of Montecristo Lagoon. Once in the lagoon the motor will be shut off and we will continue with a push pole through a labyrinth of mangroves and if conditions permit will disembark and continue by foot through a trail of one the wildest places in Cozumel.
During this expedition we may observe a great variety of birds including ospreys.
When we return to the dock we'll take some time to photograph the endemic Cozumel Dwarf Raccoon.
Depending on the schedule and energy of the group we may add an extra stop to walk the Barracuda trail and the old sascab quarry, both of which are good places to photograph birds and other flora and fauna.
4 passengers maximum per boat.
Recommended equipment:
- Monopod to shoot from the boat.
- At least a 200 mm lens, preferably 400 mm and/or a tele extender.
- Waterproof backpack or camera in case it rains or to protect from ocean breeze and water on the floor of the boat.
- Backpack for the trails
- Water bottle
- Sun block, hat, pants and long-sleeved shirt.
UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY
Nacho Gil tour
Starts at 9 am. Election of the reef (it will be different each day of the tour)
Expectations of the trip:
- Reef panoramic with wide angle
- Fish in group or individual
- Marine animals such as turtles, octopus, fish or corals.
- Underwater human interaction
- Macro coral reef and its tiny inhabitants
Includes:
Two dives, safety equipment, boat, water, fruit and biscuits. The tour will be guided directly by the photographer and diver Nacho Gil, who will provide you with excellent tips and advice to help you take great photos. Be prepared for having lots of fun!
Scuba Du Tour
Departure will be at 9am from Scuba Du's exclusive dock at Presidente InterContinental. Scuba Du will provide a Private Boat for participants and the experience will be lead by Scuba Du's Resident Underwater Photography Expert Jose Luis Aragon Diaz of Studio NOX. Reefs will be determined by subject matter and current conditions to best suit the purposes of the contest.
Requirements:
For Certified divers. Participants must have own camera, and have been on an open water dive in the previous 6-12 months. Participants will be required to show C-Card and fill out dive application & liability release.
Inclusions:
Tanks (AL 63, 80 or 100) & weights, purified bottled water, fresh fruit, fresh facial towels, Marine Park fee, dedicated custom dive boat with friendly and experienced crew, VHF Radio, DAN Oxygen. Two dives at different reefs inside the Marine Park. Helpful tips and advice on best techniques for underwater photography. There will be a maximum 6 participants per dive master.
Exclusions:
Dive equipment (BCD, Regs, Wetsuit, Mask/Fins), gratuities for boat crew.
Get ready to make bubbles and have a great Private outing with the best crew and Staff in Cozumel!
TENTATIVE AGENDA
Cozumel Photo Shootout Nov 15th – 20th
| Nov 15th | |
|---|---|
| 14:00 – 17:00hrs | Registration at Jacques Cousteau room |
| 17:00hrs | Conference “Oportunidades fotográficas” by Carlos Rico |
| 17:30hrs | Orientation: Questions and answers session |
| 18:00hrs | Photographic workshop “Macro” by Paul Camhi |
| 19:30hrs | Welcome cocktail at Jacques Cousteau room |
| Nov 16 | |
|---|---|
| 04:45 – 08:30hrs | Tours departures (depending on scheduled tours) |
| 07:00hrs | Breakfast at Caribeño Restaurant |
| 12:00 – 15:00hrs | Pictures reception at Palancar room |
| 17:00hrs | Conference “Hazardous Marine Life Injuries” by Dr. Dario Gomez – DAN |
| 18:00hrs | Conference by Ty Sawyer |
| 19:00hrs | Photographic workshop “Wide Angle” by Paul Camhi |
| Nov 17 | |
|---|---|
| 04:45 – 08:30hrs | Tours departures (depending on scheduled tours) |
| 07:00hrs | Breakfast at Caribeño Restaurant |
| 12:00 – 15:00hrs | Pictures reception at Palancar room |
| 18:00 – 19:00hrs | Fonatur |
| 19:00hrs | Conference “Melanesia Islands of diversity” by Michelle Westmorland |
| 20:00hrs | Tasting by La Perlita (beverage not included) |
| Nov 18 | |
|---|---|
| 04:45 – 08:30hrs | Tours departures (depending on scheduled tours) |
| 07:00hrs | Breakfast at Caribeño Restaurant |
| 12:00 – 15:00hrs | Pictures reception at Palancar room |
| 17:00hrs | Conference by Iván Salazar |
| Nov 19 | |
|---|---|
| 08:00hrs | Breakfast at Caribeño Restaurant |
| 10:00hrs | Semi-Sub tour departure |
| 12:00hrs | Visit to Fonatur, best picture |
| 19:00 – 22:00hrs | Award Dinner (Presentation of the photos and closing ceremony) |
| Nov 20 |
|---|
| Check Out |
Frequent Questions
What criteria are taken to qualify the photos?
- Photographic technique
- a. Focus. - Image focus must be crisp when viewed at full resolution size.
- b. Exposure. - Correct exposure for the image and subject.
- c. Lighting. - Angle and position of light must be appropriate for the image.
- d. White Balance. - Images with evidently wrong white balance will be discarded.
- e. Spotlessness. - Lenses and sensors must be clean.
- f. Free of distractions (elements that are evidently not part of the shot)
- Merit
- a. Difficulty.- Factors such as patience, set up complexity, weather, physical conditions, etc… will be considered.
- b. Rarity.- The more unusual or rare species will receive a higher score.
- c. Timing.- Images that capture specific behavior or involve more than one subject in movement or a precise moment of interaction between the subject and its background.
- Aesthetics
- a. Composition.- Good composition and framing which creates an aesthetic balance for the entire image.
- b. Color.- How well the colors interact in the image.
- c. Impact.- Does the image by itself tell me something?
- d. Movement.- Is movement depicted in the image?
Rules
- Subjects must not be harassed.
- Please be respectful of other photographers. Don’t distract or scare away their subject, or interfere with their lighting.
- Avoid unnecessary damage to foliage.
- Keep your cell phone on vibrate
How many tours you can take daily?
It is only allowed to take a photography category per day (either underwater or land). That is, if you choose the first day of land photography, you are entitled to take all the tours scheduled for land photography offered during the day (there will be different schedules and tours to choose from), and although if there is some diving tour that fits into your schedule you may not take both. In this way, if you also want to take underwater photography, you have to schedule your dive for the next day, and vice versa.
For land photography:
What kind of equipment is recommended for land photography tours?
- SLR camera with a len at least of 200 mm. Lens for macro, flash and tripod.
- Bring lens cleaning kit.
How many cameras are allowed to bring?
- No limit of number.
What kind of species is expected to see in this kind of tours?
- Island endemic species like birds, lizards, crabs, raccoons, etcetera; also Cozumel’s flora, especially mangroves and many beautiful landscapes.
For underwater photography:
What kind of picture format will be taken during the tours?
- Wide Angle: For underwater scenes and panoramas. It is appropriate to approach the target.
- Macro: To take very small targets at close range.
What kind of equipment is recommended for underwater photography tours?
- For wide angle, is recommended to have flashes and lenses of 10.5 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm.
- For macro, is recommended to have lenses of 60 mm and 105mm.
- Bring camera protection in case of rain; each person will be responsible for protecting your equipment.
*The reefs to visit depend on the number of participants in each tour.
* NOTE: Please send us by email your choices of tours prior your arrival. This is strictly necessary for the coordination of event logistics.
Logistic of images reception
- A memory card must be delivered to format it and a picture of the Cozumel Photo Shootout logo will be taken as starting signal before each tour.
- Daily deliver of the photos of the contenders immediately after each tour in the Palancar Room.
- The photos of each participant will be downloaded in a personalized folder.
- Each photographer will have the opportunity to deliver a list with the number of the photos that were chosen (6 per day); those pictures will be saved in a folder named “Contest Photos”. The photos will be taken from each participant’s folder to ensure no manipulation of the images.
- The judges will pre-select the chosen photos per day before the final eliminatory to choose the winners.
- The winners will be announced and prizes will be handed during the Award Dinner.
*NOTE: These photos will not have name of the photo or participant therefore the selection of the judges will be neutral.
*NOTE: This information is subject to changes. The final version will be delivered during the welcome cocktail.
