Meet our international Wiki Loves Earth 2022 winners!

A good start in Spain&Andorra and Austria

The contest is opened only 4 days, but we have two leaders: Austria and Spain&Andorra.They are constantly changing places in the ranking. At this moment Austria has 1442 photos and Spain&Andorra – 1425.

Malh deth Melic. Author: Amadalvarez. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

For Andorra & Spain the contest has had a good start with 1 out of 5 of all photos. They have also a dedicated Flickr group that works well with currently 100 more photos pending to transfer to Commons. 80% of the photos were uploaded by one user known as a very active participant in previous editions of Wiki Loves Monuments. The bad news is that almost all photos are from Catalonia, only one from Andorra and none from other Spanish regions. The spanish team has an active partner for promotion and press releases, but only for Catalonia. Now they should improve outreach in other regions.

One of the uploaded photos from Spain. Author: Mikipons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

We wish new achievements and the huge amount of beautiful photos from the each region of Spain and Andorra.

Contest’s progress

We have the first statistics of uploaded photos.

The largest number of them is in Austria – 1117.

View from the wine bill to the north, upper and lower Schwarzsee, Frauennock (2678m). Author: Gerdsch. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Austria license.

Andorra&Spain ranks second place with 1003 photos.

Photo from Spain. Author: Mikipons. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

And Macedonia ranks the third position with 528 photos.

View of Matka, April 2014. Author: MacedonianBoy. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Then we see:

4. Ukraine with 428 photos

5. Germany with 379 pictures

6. Armenia and 214 photos

7. 84 photos in Azerbaijan

8. 69 in Brazil

The other counties have less then 50 photos.

Sudak. Crimea. Ukraine. Author: Olena Ilnytska. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

More photos from each country you can see at the official Facebook page, Vkontakte or at Instagram.

 

That’s how the jury chose the winners last year!

Before the start of the photo contest “Wiki loves Earth – 2014” the Organizing Committee decided to supplement the published earlier results of the contest of 2013 by brief comments to the best photographs.

Oleg Zharii was asked to write them. We hope that his thoughts concerning the twelve photographs will help one to understand why namely these pictures were awarded by jury and will provide useful recommendations to photographers including participants of the next contests.

1st place — Krasnickaja Katya, “Sunrise on Ai-Petri Mountain”
1st place — Krasnickaja Katya, “Sunrise on Ai-Petri Mountain”

1. The ground of success of this photograph: it shows a natural phenomenon hardly ever seen by us. One can easily see sunlight over clouds through a plane window but rarely from the ground. A good detail contrast in the foreground, even in shadows, gentle colors of sunrise lighting, nice background and sky – well-deserved first place.

 2nd place — Sergiy Krynytsya (Haidamac), “Canyon of Dnister”, Town of Zalishchyky, Ternopil Region

2nd place — Sergiy Krynytsya (Haidamac), “Canyon of Dnister”, Town of Zalishchyky, Ternopil Region

2. Dnister’ canyon is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine, and the loop of the river around Zalishchyky is its most beautiful spot. The photo is a classic of landscape photography: both foreground and background are interesting. Long shadows from trees show that sunset is coming, and the best time for shooting is namely two or three hours after sunrise and before sunset when lighting is softer than at daytime.

One could shoot this picture with one frame using a wide-angle lens. However, in this case the peninsula in the background would look too small as compared to the foreground. That’s why the author made use of the panorama technique at a moderate focal length. The photograph has been stitched from eight vertical frames, what equalized scales of plans. However may be the panorama should be completed by one more frame on the left.

When one is shooting a picture with several planes (this landscape has also a middle plane, the bridge), shift for even several centimeters strongly affects the final result. A composition is ideal when the foreground details do not hide each other. The stones should remain in the picture and the tree should not hide the bridge (should the proper shooting location exist). May be, shift to the right would enable the photographer to reveal the bridge, however the picturesque stones could be lost. This panorama demonstrates importance of careful selection of the surveying point. It seems so that the author has selected the best one.

3rd place — Balkhovitin, “Glassy outcrop of upper chalk”, Town of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Region
3rd place — Balkhovitin, “Glassy outcrop of upper chalk”, Town of Kramatorsk, Donetsk Region

3.Trees in the foreground and in the background add volume to the image of a unique geological formation, and the road brings dynamics to the picture. The photograph could become more interesting under a different lighting. However, photography, similarly to diplomacy, is “the art of possible”. That’s why at the moment when the travelling photographer found himself at the surveying point, he surely made the best possible shot.

4th place - Balkhovitin, Regional Landscape Park “Zuivskiy”, Donetsk Region
4th place – Balkhovitin, Regional Landscape Park “Zuivskiy”, Donetsk Region

4. Prerequisite of an interesting landscape photographs like this is the presence of both foreground and background. At a slow shutter speed, water flow and plants movement in the foreground are blurred. This brings dynamics to the picture. Sun reflection in the right part and a sun spot in the foreground add charm. Tender April leafage makes the photo more transparent.

5th place - Balkhovitin, Ukrainian Steppe National Park “Stone Graves”, Donetsk Region
5th place – Balkhovitin, Ukrainian Steppe National Park “Stone Graves”, Donetsk Region

5. Chimeric stone conglomeration in the foreground and a quieter one in the background create contrast of the picture. Middle of spring with its intrinsic tender leafage and flowers in stone fissures, probably, is the best season for shooting. Middle placement of horizon in this case is a justified violation of photography canons not recommending dividing the frame in half by horizontal or vertical lines. Thanks to that, nice sky occupies in the picture it’s deserved and enjoying equal rights place. Stones on the right close the frame thus creating a balanced composition.

6th place - Ihor Dereviahin, Obruchev mud volcano, Crimea
6th place – Ihor Dereviahin, Obruchev mud volcano, Crimea

6. The best way to represent an unusual object of nature in a plain is to shoot it “as is”. For this relief, absence of sunlight may be is a better variant of lighting. The picture is well completed by a soft pattern of summer sky. However, the result could be better in early spring or in gold autumn season. Also it would be better to expand the frame both ways. Otherwise, the composition looks too tight.

7th place - Balkhovitin, Wildlife preserve “Khaphalskiy”, Crimea
7th place – Balkhovitin, Wildlife preserve “Khaphalskiy”, Crimea

7. Small waterfalls in mountains are especially magical in autumn when ground is covered by colored leafs. We should accept the situation that direct sunlight won’t reach water in the forest. However, whenever possible one should avoid symmetrical frame composition when the main accent is centered.

 

 

8th place - Slava Leontiev, Botanical wildlife preserve “Tepe-Oba mountain massif”, Crimea
8th place – Slava Leontiev, Botanical wildlife preserve “Tepe-Oba mountain massif”, Crimea

8. Classics of landscape photography: foreground under sunlight, shadowed picturesque mountains and sea in the background. On should try to guess how such amount of snow has sticked to the tree!

 

 

 

9th place - Ihor Dereviahin, Tikhaya (Quiet) Harbor, Crimea
9th place – Ihor Dereviahin, Tikhaya (Quiet) Harbor, Crimea

9. Contrast of the picture is created by beautiful clouds and blue sea. When you don’t know what is outside the frame, you can assume that one should experiment with composition to get the most impressive photograph.

10th place - Sergiy Krynytsya (Haidamac), Lakes Vorozheska, Massif Svidovets, Carpathians
10th place – Sergiy Krynytsya (Haidamac), Lakes Vorozheska, Massif Svidovets, Carpathians

10. Zest of the photograph is its diagonal composition. Reflection of clouds in still water creates impression of conciliation.

 

 

 

 

11th place - Mykhailo Petskovych,“White Elephant”, building of the former observatory on the Pip Ivan Mountain, Ivano-Frankivsk Region
11th place – Mykhailo Petskovych,“White Elephant”, building of the former observatory on the Pip Ivan Mountain, Ivano-Frankivsk Region

11. Contrast side light reveals relief of snow covering and volume of the construction. People figures on the roof give an idea of its size. Impressive contrast between bright snow and subdued sky.

 

 

 

12th place - Serhiy Krynytsia (Haidamac), Zelenyi (Green) Island in Korsun, Cherkassy Region
12th place – Serhiy Krynytsia (Haidamac), Zelenyi (Green) Island in Korsun, Cherkassy Region

12. Emotional sculpture of Rosych makes contrast with quiet and majestic beauty of the island. Beautiful sky. The picture would be better if the frame has been expanded to the left and obviously under the quiet weather.

 

 

 

Oleg Zharii, photographer, member of jury of the contest «Wiki loves Earth – 2013», www.zharii.kiev.ua

 

Wikimedians of Nepal are ready to organize the contest

It’s our pleasure to inform you that Wikimedians of Nepal (Wikimedia Nepal) are ready to organize «Wiki Loves Earth 2014» in Nepal – an open photo competition of the Natural Monuments in Nepal, in coordination with Wikimedia Foundation Inc.

Pokhara and Phewa Lake. In the background all Annapurna summits. From left to the right: Annapurna South, Annapurna I with the snow covered Hiunchuli in front, Machapucharé (steep summit left of the image center), Annapurna III (image center in the background), Annapurna IV, Annapurna II, and Lamjung Himal. © User: Wolfgang Beyer / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Pokhara and Phewa Lake. In the background all Annapurna summits. From left to the right: Annapurna South, Annapurna I with the snow covered Hiunchuli in front, Machapucharé (steep summit left of the image center), Annapurna III (image center in the background), Annapurna IV, Annapurna II, and Lamjung Himal.
© User: Wolfgang Beyer / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Now our colleagues from Nepal communicate with Nepal Tourism Board for getting a list with natural heritage. Also they are going to cooperate with Nepal Nature Conservation, UNESCO, ICIMOD, International Union for Conservation of Nature and other environment funds.

Machapuchare from Annapurna Sanctuary, Nepal. © User: Ben Tubby / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0
Machapuchare from Annapurna Sanctuary, Nepal.
© User: Ben Tubby / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA-3.0

We are pleased to welcome Nepalese team at the International Photo Contest «Wiki Loves Earth 2014» and wish them really great results from their intensive work!

Achievements of our Spanish colleagues

We are happy to hear news from Spanish and Andorran colleagues. Spanish team works hard, but time is running out. Well, we can cheer them up and wish really great results from their intensive work.

«On the Catalan Wikipedia we have been working on lists of Andorra and three regions of Spain: Catalonia, Balearic Islands and Valencian Community. It has been a hard work. Previous experience with Wiki Loves Monuments and Wiki Loves Public Art has been helful for working with this kind of lists, but in that case there is not an unique register of natural heritage sites. In Andorra there is little information about natural protected areas. In Spain the legal situation is quite confusing. The same area can have different protection levels and denominations. We contacted the local natural heritage office in Barcelona and they provided us more information helping to clarify concepts and thus to make more comprehensive lists of sites.

Waterfall near Urbasa, Navarra. Author - Bea.miau. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Waterfall near Urbasa, Navarra. Author – Bea.miau.

The collaborating natural heritage office of the government of Catalonia has become a partner for organizing the contest. Their press department will help with promotion. The tourism office of the province of Girona has collaborated in previous editions of Wiki Loves Monuments and they were willing to sponsor a prize for Wiki Loves Earth. We plan to offer ten prizes distributed on a territorial basis in order to try to spread the contest to all territories and to promote specially more unknown natural sites. Local agents will organize photographic expeditions to areas of interest conducted by specialists.

Botanical garden «Sorteny Natural Park», Andorra. Author - Simonjoan. License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Botanical garden «Sorteny Natural Park», Andorra. Author – Simonjoan. License: CC BY-SA 3.0

For jury members we have contacted two professional photographers with experience photographing nature. They have made a lot of questions about free licenses from their professional point of view, but they have understood the purpose of the project and they join it without any reserve. Other members of the jury will be two scholars of natural heritage and two experimented Wikipedians. This composition of the jury reflects three basic points to evaluate: quality, representativeness and utility for Wikipedia.

There is still work to do but we are excited about this, as well as Wikipedians and sponsors are»

Vicenç Riullop

Riding on a roller coaster in Wiki style

We recieved a letter from Wiki Loves Earth in Andorra & Spain. Here our colleague tells us why he does it, how he justifies his volunteers and himself. So, have a fine ride… or read.

Organizing a photography contest with thousands of participants pursuing thousands of proposed targets is complex. Doing this with volunteers is even more interesting. It is difficult to coordinate schedules with volunteers, but it motivated contributors bring plenty of great surprises. Lots of participants engage in our Wiki Loves initiatives for the first time, unfamiliar with the concept of open knowledge, freely licensing their pictures with enthusiasm. The result is something that still amazed me.

I have been involved in three editions of Wiki Loves Monuments and one of Wiki Loves Public Art. When Wiki Loves Earth was announced last year, my fellow organizers and I hesitated to commit to it. We were a small team covering a linguistic community, and each contest requires lots of energy. Suddenly, someone said “Be bold! I will go ahead; anyone else?” This is the wiki style, and here we are; our small team is excited to start another round.

Organizing Wiki Loves contests is like riding on a roller coaster: unbalanced, unpredictable, but absolutely worthy — not unlike Wikipedia itself. Some activities may reach a featured outcome, while others remain as stubs, and others suddenly appear without any prior plans.

Wiki Loves Earth focuses on pictures of Natural Heritage sites. We found that the legal concept of Natural Heritage is still under development in Andorra. In Spain, its interpretation is left to each of the autonomous regions with inconsistent results. Some regional governments have good information online; others have different inventories from different offices. Sometimes, the same region can have three, four, or more different types of classifications. However, Wikipedians are intellectually promiscuous and motivated to tackle challenges like these. At the end, our research is useful to clarify concepts and to improve related articles in Wikipedia.

Each Wiki Loves edition has concluded with the understanding that promotion requires future improvements. We expect to promote the contest through the organization of local activities involving sponsors and media partners, in order to reach specific audiences beyond Wikimedia.

Now comes the time for managing surprises. Any day, someone could appear with a new sponsor contacted through a friend, or someone else could tell us that they are organizing a photographic expedition with their local library. This is unpredictable; there is no way to plan for it. Perhaps a group of friends may compete among themselves to take more photos of different places, or a teenager could write to us explaining his story biking uphill to achieve a picture just as desired.

I love this, and I am grateful for sharing the ride with my fellow volunteers and colleagues.

Vicenç Riullop

Organizing committee of Wiki Loves Earth in Andorra & Spain

Member of Amical Wikimedia

«Wiki Loves Earth» winners awarded

«Wikimedia Ukraine» awarded «Wiki Loves Earth» winners.

12 best photos belong to six authors, all of them awarded: Krasnickaja KatyaSerhiy Krynytsia (Haidamac)BalkhovitinIhor DereviahinMykhaylo Petzkovych та Slava Leontiev.

Main prizes in «The best photo» nomination got the following pictures:

1st place — Katya Krasnytska, Dawn on Ai-Petri Mountain, Crimea

2nd place — Serhiy Krynytsia (Haidamac), Dniester Canyon national nature park, Zalischyky, Ternopil Oblast

3rd place — Balkhovitin, Upper Cretaceous rock exposure (geological natural monument), Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast

Winners in the «Most natural monuments pictured» nomination:

Katya Krasnytska (center) — Best photo winner

Serhiy Krynytsia — second prize in Best photo nomination

Also first place for the numbers of monuments. With travel guides by Assa publisher (“Ukraine! Take an active break” series).

Dmytro Balhovitin, third best photo (also 4th, 5th and 7th)

WLE 2013 Ceremony 3 168.jpg
Organizers, jury and winners together

Source: http://uk.wikinews.org

«Wiki Loves Earth» greets the winners

From 11736 photos uploaded by 365 contestants jury selected 12 best:

Dniester Canyon national nature park, Zalischyky, Ternopil Oblast, author – Serhiy Krynytsia (Haidamac)
Dawn on Ai-Petri Mountain, Crimea, author – Kateryna Krasnytska
Tykha Bukhta regional landscape park, Crimea, author – Ihor Dereviahin
Töpe Oba Massif botanical nature reserve (zakaznik), Crimea, author – Slava Leontiev
Khapkhalskyi hydrological nature reserve (zakaznik), Crimea, author – Dmytro Balkhovitin
Lake Vorozheske (hydrological natural monument), Svydovets mountain range of the Ukrainian Carpathians, author – Serhiy Krynytsia (Haidamac)
Zuivskyi regional landscape park, Donetsk Oblast, author – Dmytro Balkhovitin
Obrucheva mud volcano (geological natural monument), Crimea, author – Ihor Dereviahin
Bily slon (English: White Elephant), the building on the peak of Pop Ivan (former Polish Astronomical and Meteorological Observatory), Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, author – Mykhailo Petskovych,
Kamyani Mohyly (literally: “stone tombs”) nature preserve, Donetsk Oblast, author – Dmytro Balkhovitin
Zelenyj island in Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi, Cherkasy Oblast, author – Serhiy Krynytsia (Haidamac)
Upper Cretaceous rock exposure (geological natural monument), Kramatorsk, Donetsk Oblast, author – Dmytro Balkhovitin