Sapphire Circuit 2020
Artists’ Forum of Kolkata, India organises Sapphire Circuit 2020 at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021. This international level photography circuit is affiliated by the Photography Society of America (PSA 2020 – 5437) and powered by Pixel Clash, a Photography Salon Software. The circuit is based on four sections: A) Open Color (color/monochrome digital) PSA PID Color B) Open Monochrome (monochrome digital) PSA PID Monochrome C) Nature (color/monochrome digital) PSA ND D) Photo Travel (color/monochrome digital) PSA PTD. The circuit closes entries on 17 December 2020 and the judgment is done from 27 December 2020 to 6 January 2021. Notification of awards and acceptances is done on 20 January 2021. EDAS will be prepared for submitting to PSA on 5 February 2021. Catalogue will be delivered on 24 March 2021. Awards will be delivered from 24 March 2021.
Judges
In Sapphire Circuit 2020 Judging1, the judging panel is featured by Gunther Riehle, APSA, GMPSA/P (Germany), Herdis Halvas-Nielsen, MPSA, Cr 3 (Germany), and Barbara Schmidt, MPSA, EFIAP/b (Germany). In Judging2 of the circuit, the judges are Barbara Jenkin, GMPSA/G, EFIAP/d2, SPSA, ARPS (England), Jennifer Margaret Webster, EPSA, EFIAP, BPE 3, DPAGB, LRPS (England), and Dr. Wendy Allard, PPSA, FRPS, CPAGB (England). The panel of Judging3 is featured by Cyril Mazansky, GMPSA, SPSA, EFIAP (USA), James D. Smith, MPSA, GPU Cr 3 (USA), and Irene Kramer, EPSA (USA). Judging4 of the Sapphire Circuit is featured by Lewis K.Y. Choi, GMPSA, EFIAP/S, GPU Cr 4 (Hong Kong), Kwok Kei Daniel TSE, GMPSA, GMUPHK, EFIAP/s (Hong Kong), and Wolfgang Lin, GMPSA, EFIAP/b, GMUPHK (Hong Kong).
Result
Judging 1
In Judging 1, the Open Monochrome section has a 32.10% acceptance rate; in the Open Colour section, this rate is 32.77%. The acceptance rates of the Nature section and Photo Travel section are 32.62% and 32.90% respectively. In the Open Monochrome section, the PSA Gold award is received by DAVID BRAY from England for the image THE LANCASTER BOYS. The Salon Gold award recipient in this section is MANFRED PILLIK from Austria for the image BEREIT SALON GOLD. In the Open Colour section, LEE ENG TAN from Singapore receives PSA Gold for the image GHOST BRIDE 2 and MICHEL CAMBON from France receives Salon Gold for the image THE STAIRCASE. In the Nature section, ELZABE BOGENHOFER from South Africa receives PSA Gold for the image GEVAARLIKSTE-VAN-DIE-GROOT-5 and LINGYUN MAO from the USA receives Salon Gold for the image CHINSTRAP PENGUIN 2. In the Photo Travel section, PSA Gold is received by ZHICAI REN from China for the image OFFSHORE ARCHITECTURE 13, and JAN SIEMINSKI from Poland receives Salon Gold for the image SELLA.
Judging 2
In Judging 2, the acceptance rates in Open Monochrome, Colour, Nature, and Photo Travel sections are 34.45%, 33.94%, 33.50%, and 33.14% respectively. In the Open Monochrome section, the PSA Gold award is received by LEE ENG TAN from Singapore for the image TRIBAL LADY 14, and the Salon Gold award is received by CHING CHING CHAN from Hong Kong for THE GOAT LADY. In the Open Colour section, the recipients of PSA Gold and Salon Gold are ARNALDO PAULO CHE (from Hong Kong) and GILLIAN STEYN (from England) for their images LANTERN FESTIVAL and LIONS IN EVENING LIGHT respectively. In the Nature section, CHING CHING CHAN from Hong Kong receives PSA Gold for TAKE A RIDE and ELZABE BOGENHOFER from South Africa receives Salon Gold for the image IM-NOT-BLESSING-YOU. In the Photo Travel section, JIN FAN from the USA receives PSA Gold for the image NYC FIREWORK IN RED and ASHOK KUMAR from India receives Salon Gold for the image KAMBALA RACE.
Judging 3
In Judging 2, the acceptance rates in Open Monochrome, Colour, Nature, and Photo Travel sections are 34.68%, 34.67%, 32.50%, and 33.01% respectively. BILL BUCHANAN from the USA receives PSA Gold in the Open Monochrome section for the image DETROIT FROM MILLIKEN PARK. DAVID BRAY from England receives Salon Gold in the same section for the image THE LANCASTER BOYS. In the Open Colour section, PSA Gold and Salon Gold awards winners are ELZABE BOGENHOFER (from South Africa) and RONALD WILSON (from the USA) for their images SMALL THINGS AMUSES SMALL MINDS and HORSE DRIVE 6 respectively. KOICHI SATO from Japan receives PSA Gold for BREEDING FOREST GREEN FROG and MICHAEL TRAN from the USA receives Salon Gold for OYSTERCATCHER FEEDING in Nature section. In the Photo Travel section, FRANCIS KING from Canada receives PSA Gold for A FISHING VILLAGE IN LOFOTEN, and BERND STOFFL from Australia receives Salon Gold for THE LEIE AT GHENT.
Judging 4
In this judging section, the acceptance rates in Open Monochrome, Colour, Nature, and Photo Travel sections are 32.77%, 34.44%, 33.68%, and 34.46% respectively. In the Open Monochrome section, the PSA Gold award is received by FLORENTINO MOLERO GUTIERREZ from Spain for the image DESCANSANDO. GILLIAN STEYN from England receives Salon Gold in this section for HOLDING THE CORNER. LEE ENG TAN from Singapore receives PSA Gold for GHOST BRIDE 2 and SHERMAN CHEANG from Macau receives Salon Gold for DANCING TOGETHER. In Nature section, AMAL ALAMEER from Saudi Arabia receives PSA Gold for the image COUPLE and DILIP PATEL from USA receives Salon Gold for the image EXCITEMENT. In the Photo Travel section, AYE CHAN MYAT THU from Myanmar receives PSA Gold for FIRE BALLON FESTIVEL and WEI YE from China receives Salon Gold for the image THE CHIEF OF THE GREAT WALL 12.
Source of the cover image and information: the official website of Artists Forum of Kolkata
