Lower registration fee, new digital art photography category for Sinulog 2020 photo contest

Sinulog photo contest cluster heads Sidney Dyugani (left) and Icky Salazar. CDN Digital photo | Immae Lachica

CEBU CITY, Philippines— A lot of exciting enhancements have been made for Sinulog 2020’s photo competition.

One of the many enhancements is the addition of the Digital Art Photography category, which allows photographers to merge one photo with the use of any editing software.

Icky Salazar and Sidney Dyugani, cluster heads of the Sinulog photo contest, told CDN Digital that they made the necessary enhancements for a much better Sinluog coverage and photo contest.

“No big change, it is only the enhancement of what has been there ever since. The only big difference I think is we have number one stepped from embracing technology stepped to embracing the new times now, we have changed some names of the categories that are easier to understand,” said Salazar.

The categories that they have renamed are the Contingent category which is now named Sinulog Parade and Sidelights to Human Interest.

Along with the two categories are the Fluvial or Solemn Procession and Religious Activities, Float or Higante and Puppeteers, the Festival Queen, and the new Digital Art Photography.

Registration for the competition is from December 9, 2019 to January 4, 2020. Only 300 participants will be accepted.

The registration fee for the competition was lowered to P3,000 from P3,500 last year to give more photographers a chance to join.

With the registration fee of P3,000, participants can submit 10 free photos. From 30 excess photos, participants are also allowed 40 excess photos with each excess photo costing P50.

“Why did we raise it to 40? Aron ma 50 siya tanan. (So it will be 50) Because we are expecting better photos now and giving them the freedom to shoot plus the two free photos in the Digital Art Photography,” added Salazar.

So, all in all, participating photographers get 12 free photos and can submit up to 52 photos as their entry for Sinulog 2020’s Photo contest.

Meanwhile, organizers are also strict in implementing discipline among the participating photographers, who are required to sign an agreement for code of ethics.

“We’ve seen how unruly it has become in the streets so we are very dead set on instilling discipline this year so we will outright disqualify photographers who are unruly, after going through due process,” said Salazar.

The deadline of submission of entries will be on January 27, 2020. This gives photographers enough time to cover until the last activity in church for the Sinulog celebration, which is the “Hubo.” /bmjo