Competition Categories
Nature – Overall Definition
Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archeology, in such a fashion that a well informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify its honest presentation. The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality. Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible. Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.
No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted. Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the nature story or the pictorial content, or without altering the content of the original scene, are permitted including HDR, focus stacking and dodging/burning. Techniques that remove elements added by the camera, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. Stitched images are not permitted.Vignetting is not allowed. All allowed adjustments must appear natural. Color images can be converted to grey-scale monochrome. Infrared images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed. Images can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.
Nature – Birds Only
This category has been developed because of Florida’s numerous bird photography opportunities and requests by members to isolate this competition. This category must follow all of the above overall nature definitions.
Nature Other
This category has been developed to enable members to enter animals, insects, landscapes, and other nature categories that do not include birds. This category must follow all of the above overall nature definitions.
Monochrome
An image is considered to be Monochrome only if it gives the impression of having no color (i.e. contains only shades of gray which can include pure black and pure white) OR it gives the impression of being a greyscale image that has been toned in one color across the entire image. (For example by Sepia, Red, Gold, etc.) A greyscale or multi-colored image modified or giving the impression of having been modified by partial toning multi-toning or by the inclusion of spot coloring does not meet the definition of monochrome and shall be classified as a Color Work.
Creative-Altered
This category is meant to be a “creative category” where the entries are photos that are recognizably altered.
The image must obviously display a change in natural color, form, shape or any combination of three. High Dynamic Range (HDR) images without further changes are not considered creative-altered.
The original image must be made by the entrant. All images must be original and may not incorporate elements produced by anyone else. Original images must be altered by the maker; artwork or computer graphics generated by the entrant may be incorporated if the original photographic content predominates. Images may not be constructed entirely within a computer. It is necessary that the image's core content be identifiable. Any subject matter is acceptable as long as the Creative-Altered guidelines are apparent.
Open
This is the general category of images not defined in any other categories such as nature or creative.
Assignment
Subject matter as defined in the schedule.
Photojournalism
Photojournalism images shall consist of pictures or sequences with informative content and emotional impact, including human interest, documentary and spot news. The journalistic value of the photograph shall be considered over pictorial quality. In the interest of credibility, photographs which misrepresent the truth, such as manipulation to alter the subject matter, or situations which are set up for the purpose of photography, are unacceptable in Photojournalism. Human Interest images depict a person or persons in an interactive, emotional, or unusual situation, excluding recreational or sports ACTION.