The judging of the entries to the contest “Caves of Brazil” took place on November 18, 2011, at the headquarters of the SBE, in Campinas. The judging commission was headed by the photographer Gustavo Pedro of the Association for Photographers of Nature (AF-Natura) and counted on the participation of the geologist and speleologist Regiane Velozo of the Sector of Environmental management of Votorantim Cements, and the engineer and speleogist José Ayrton Labegalini of the Sector of International Relations of the Brazilian Speleogical Society
The selective process was initiated with a brief technical seminar in which the criteria to be utilized in judging were discussed . Technical criteria such as composition, light exposure, and illumination techniques were considered, as well as the content of the photo (esthetics, variety in surface and underground landscapes, and the relation of the environment to humans.
A total of 249 photographs taken by 48 photographers were evaluated. The ~ 0 to 15. In the initial screening process, 27 photos scoring greater than 12 points (an average of 4 points per judge) were selected for a second joint analysis considering not only the original criteria, but also the purpose of the photo (book cover or calendar). A consensus of the three judges was sought. Twelve photos were eliminated, and the remaining 15 were ranked for the awarding of prizes.
| Prizes | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1º | José Humberto M. de Paula | Lapa de São Vicente, São Domingos/GO |
| 2º | Ramon César Ferreira | Gruta do Baú, Pedro Leopoldo/MG |
| 3º | Alexandre Lobo | Travertinos – Gruta do Chico Pernambuco, Descoberto/BA |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| 4º | Sérgio Dotta Junior | Gruta Torrinha, Iraquara/BA |
| 5º | Marcelo Canet Krause | Abismo Anhumas, Bonito MS |
| 6º | Carlos Leonardo Bracalente Giunco | Salão Taquepa, Caverna Santana, Iporanga/SP |
| 7º | Ricardo de Souza Martinelli | Gruta do Areado III, Apiaí/SP |
| 8º | Alexandre Dotta | Caverna Lapa Doce, Iraquara/BA |
| 9º | Ricardo Cavalcanti Siqueira | Gruta Pratinha, Iraquara/BA |
| 10º | Alexandre Dotta | Gruta Azul, Chapada Diamantina/BA |
| 11º | Alexandre Lobo | Toca da Barriguda, Campo Formoso/BA |
| 12º | Flávio Tadeu Pires da Silva | Caverna São Bernardo, São Domingos/GO |
| 13º | José Humberto M. de Paula | Lapa da Angélica, São Domingos/GO |
| 14º | José Humberto M. de Paula | Lapa da Angélica, São Domingos/GO |
| 15º | Ricardo Siqueira | Gruta de Temimina, Apiaí/SP |
The presentation of the prizes and the divulgation of the photos will take place during the official launching of the book Humans and the karst landscape, planned for January of 2012. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who participated in the contest, as well as the organizing team. We hope to hold a second photographic contest at the end of 2012, and solicit as of now the support of the speleologic community and that of photographers of nature to make it another success.
