LONDON -

Scientific photography is a field that requires a variety of skills that mix knowledge of science and the art of photography, and many scientific and journalistic institutions are urging amateur and professional photographers to apply for international competitions that are launched continuously to attract more photographers to academic platforms and highlight this rare field.

In addition to competitions, scientific photography has editors specialized in scientific journals who are responsible for receiving pictures and publishing what suits media platforms, so the competitions open new horizons to get to know the editors and introduce them to distinguished pictures and photographers.

Thus, these competitions open horizons for free work with international magazines by selling them scientific images. Al Jazeera Net interviewed one of the most famous international arbitrators in these competitions to learn about the most important thing that draws the judges' attention.

Timothy Revell is an international science judge and editor at New Scientist magazine.

Equipment is not always a winning condition

Timothy Revell is New Scientist editor, presenter of the BBC's famous Naked Scientists, 2015 Guardian Student Media Award recipient, and referee International in the New Scientist Science Photography Competition.

Revell presents the most prominent points that a science photographer looking to win an international science competition should not overlook. “Contests are usually contested between amateurs and professionals alike, and we as judges look for exceptional images that fall into 3 main categories: the natural world, modern life, and changes environmental".

He added, "It is difficult to determine the criteria that make an exceptional photo, but the best photos are the ones that immediately catch your eye when you look at them and invite you to reflect on their details, and looking pushes you to see and interpret the details you captured."

He continued, "In our competitions, we do not set technical conditions or standards for the equipment or software in which the images are edited, of course professional cameras give greater readiness, but I always expect that there will be genius photos taken through mobile phones as well."

One of the best photos this year was taken by James Crombie (New Scientist)

Photographs in an exceptional moment

When asked about his favorite photos as a contest judge, he said, "One of the best photos this year was taken by James Crombie, and it was taken at the right time, as he took it while the birds were forming their flock in the form of a giant bird. The photo is very beautiful, no doubt, but if it had been taken." A moment before that didn't make her quite as cool."

Revell reviewed many good photos, including an unarranged photo of two mice arguing in a subway station. The photo was taken with modest facilities, but the timing and place of the capture were perfect to provide an exceptional picture.

Therefore, scientific photography does not involve expensive equipment and modern technologies, except in certain specializations such as microscopic photography and macro lens photography.

Unarranged photo of two mice arguing in a subway station (Sam Rowley - New Scientist)

Pictures in a few hours

When reading the word scientific photography, microscopic photography or macro lenses usually come to mind, but in fact this is just a branch of scientific photography.

Macro and microscopy photography requires special equipment and techniques.

At first, the use of imaging in laboratories was limited to the purpose of preserving the minute details of microscopic images, and with time this type gained the attention of many scientific journals.

Among the most famous of these images are images of insects, where the macro lenses highlight dazzling details that are not visible to the naked eye.

In contrast to ordinary scientific images, in which the timing of the moment can be the main hero, these enlarged images are based on the factors of focus and deliberation.

As it may take some photographers hours to catch insects, and others install equipment for hours, taking into account the lack of movement or vibration because this affects the efficiency of the image, which has the ability to capture the finest dust particles.

Macro Cameras

Macro cameras need to operate at a distance of 6 inches (15 centimeters), with a maximum of double that distance in the most appropriate conditions. The working distance of the lens is the smallest to suit the magnification of images in a 1:1 scale, and it should be as close as possible to the shooting position.

This technology also needs lenses with a longer focal length with a greater working distance than lenses with a moderate focal length.

For example, the Nikon 200mm f/4 or Canon 180mm f/3.5 are examples of macro lenses with large working distances.

In comparison, the "Nikon 60mm f/2.8" macro lens has a much lower working distance, and the type of lens is chosen depending on the nature of the captured image, whether insects, eggs, water droplets or snow.

The grasshopper in a photo taken by Hassan Belgar from Cyprus and was among the winning photos in 2020 (Royal Society of Biology)

International competition available for Arab photographers

Many international competitions open their doors at least once a year, and the editors encourage contestants to communicate throughout the year in order to publish the most unique photos, and what you have to do is knock on the doors waiting for more photos.

In order to translate the advice of the international judge into a practical way, Al Jazeera interviewed the officials of the Royal Society of Biology competition, which opens its doors these days for amateur and professional participants, and closes for submissions on July 23.

Raghav Silvam, official of the competition office, said that the competition is open to all nationalities, all ages and all levels, from amateurs to professionals. The competition does not require matters related to the novelty of taking the photo or its technical quality, as the competition accepts photos without complicated technical requirements.

With regard to prizes in the competition, the association offers a financial prize of 1,000 pounds, equivalent to 1,384 US dollars, for contestants over 18 years old, while the prize is 500 pounds, equivalent to 640 dollars, for young participants under 18 years.

The competition opens its doors for participants to submit images under 8 main themes: capturing movements, the hidden world, our changing world, patterns in nature, conflict and living survival), feeding life as well as home: habitat and shelter and big to small.