This competition has seven (7) Set Subjects:
- Architecture
- Food Photography
- Creative
- Scapes
- People
- Open – AB & B Grade
- Nature
Images in all of the Set Subjects may be in colour or monochrome.
Definitions
ARCHITECTURE
Pictures depicting the interior or exterior of any manmade structure portraying the surface texture, lighting, colour, or geometry and emphasising the character or beauty of the structure and suggesting its purpose or human associations. People, statues and fountains may be included but not be the dominant point of the image.
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Food photography encompasses images where food is the main or prominent element within the frame. This genre allows for the inclusion of people engaging with the food, provided that their involvement contributes to conveying a narrative.
CREATIVE
Creative or experimental photographs display a novel effect because of an unusual combination of objects and /or unusual viewpoint. Photographs in which the images have been modified during or after exposure by using an experimental technique are also eligible in Creative/Experimental sections. The photograph must always have a basic photographic image. Digital manipulation processes may be employed provided the original photograph was exposed by the entrant. (APS)
SCAPES
A pictorial representation of land, sea, seashore, or urban environments that captures the aesthetic appeal of these outdoor settings. It brings the viewer into the scenery and perfectly captures the settings, mood, and feeling in the location. It can focus on wide-angle shots of landforms, rivers, estuaries, seas, seashore, city skylines, streetscapes and the like. It may also involve closer shots of features of these environments. If humans or animals are in the image, they should not be the main foci, but rather be intentionally present to give a sense of scale to the image.
PEOPLE
A photograph of a person or people that must show all of the person(s) from head to foot (no head to waist close-ups).
The person(s) in the photograph must be the focal subject, however the image could also depict their environment or a broader scene. Can be posed or candid. Must be a live human being (mannikins, statues or ornaments will not be accepted).
NON A GRADE – OPEN
Any subject which is treated pictorially, embodying the elements of good design, arrangement or composition, and which reflects the personal interpretation of the photographer. Members of clubs that are in B or AB Grade. Clubs which do not use grades may still enter all sections of the competition. For these clubs, any member whose images have not been selected by the club for the set subject sections may have images selected for Non A Grade Open.
NATURE
Nature photography records all branches of natural history except anthropology and archaeology. This includes all aspects of the physical world, both animate and inanimate, that have not been made or modified by humans.
- Nature images must convey the truth of the scene that was photographed. A well-informed person should be able to identify the subject of the image and be satisfied that it has been presented honestly and that no unethical practices have been used to control the subject or capture the image. Images that directly or indirectly show any human activity that threatens the life or welfare of a living organism are not allowed.
- The most important part of a Nature image is the nature story it tells. High technical standards are expected and the image must look natural.
- Objects created by humans, and evidence of human activity, are allowed in Nature images only when they are a necessary part of the Nature story.
- Photographs of human-created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domesticated animals, human-created hybrid animals and mounted or preserved zoological specimens are not allowed.
- Images taken with subjects under controlled conditions, such as zoos, are allowed.
- Controlling live subjects by chilling, anaesthetic or any other method of restricting natural movement for the purpose of a photograph is not allowed.
EDITING GUIDELINES FOR NATURE
Processing or editing must be limited to making the image look as close to the original scene as possible, except that conversion to grayscale monochrome is allowed.
Allowed editing techniques:
- Cropping, straightening and perspective correction.
- Removal or correction of elements added by the camera or lens, such as dust spots, noise, chromatic aberration and lens distortion.
- Global and selective adjustments such as brightness, hue, saturation and contrast to restore the appearance of the original scene.
- Complete conversion of color images to grayscale monochrome.
- Blending of multiple images of the same subject and combining them in camera or with software (exposure blending or focus stacking);
- Image stitching – combining multiple images with overlapping fields of view that are taken consecutively (panoramas).
Editing techniques that are not allowed:
- Removing, adding to, moving or changing any part of an image, except for cropping and straightening.
- Adding a vignette during processing.
- Blurring parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene.
- Darkening parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene.
- All conversions other than to complete grayscale monochrome.
- Conversion of parts of an image to monochrome, or partial toning, desaturation or over-saturation of colour.
SUBJECT MATTER STATEMENT
The fundamental rule that must be observed at all times is that the welfare of living creatures is more important than any photograph. This means that practices such as baiting of subjects with a living creature and removal of birds from nests, for the purpose of obtaining a photograph, are highly unethical, and such photographs are not allowed. Under no circumstances may a living creature be placed in a situation where it will be killed, injured or stressed for the purpose of obtaining a photograph. Images that show live creatures being fed to captive animals, birds or reptiles are not permitted under any circumstances.
There are also concerns about the use of aerial photography, drones, helicopters, low flying aircraft. These should not cause any interference with other individuals or animals which causes a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupt the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment. Entrants must comply with all relevant laws and regulations, associated with aerial photography, in the country in which the image was taken. (APS definition)
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