Hi All - 

The South Shore Camera Club competes in the  Photographic Society of America Interclub Projected Image Division (both Color and Monochrome) and Nature.(Open) Competitions. The competitions are held three times a year and are open to all PSA member clubs around the world.

PLEASE READ ALL RULES 

IMAGES FOR ROUND 1 MUST BE SENT TO PAT (NATURE) AND DOMENICK (PID COLOR AND MONOCHROME) BY NOV. 10TH, ROUND 2 BY FEB. 10TH, AND ROUND 3 BY APRIL 10TH
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU PUT SSCC IN THE SUBJECT LINE AND INDICATE WHICH DIVISION YOU ARE ENTERING.

Domenick Creaco <dcreaco@yahoo.com> is our chair for the PID color and monochrome divisions. He will choose images from those entered into our monthly competitions as well as images that are sent to him for consideration.  They do not need to have been previously entered into a SSCC competition. The only requirement is that they may not have previously won an award in the same PSA Interclub division. However, that same Award Image may be entered into any other Division competition where the image fits the image definition of that competition. 

Pat Walsh <vistech@aol.com> is our PSA Nature chair. Because there are specific requirements for Nature, you must send any images you wish to be considered to Pat.  As long as they follow the rules for nature and have not won an award in the PSA Nature Inter club competition in a previous year they are eligible. You may send as many images as you wish during the year and they will be kept in a folder which she will use to select the images for each round.

Requirements for Nature images are listed below and in the attachment, 
which gives many excellent examples of what is allowed and disallowed. 
Basically the rules are:
  • The nature story telling is most important. Although high technical quality is required, a technically perfect  portrait of an animal will not score well in nature (may do well in PID)- it must be doing something or interacting with another animal or environment. See the attachment above for excellent examples. 
  • You may not add anything that was not there when you pressed the shutter or remove anything that was there except by cropping (no cloning, sky replacement, blackening or blurring out backgrounds etc.)
  • You may optimize exposure (including burning and dodging), color and sharpening, but it must look natural (over saturation and over sharpening will lower your score). 
  • Artistic filters, blurring (except in camera), vignetting, texturing or toning are not allowed. Conversion to grey scale is allowed
  • Images may not show any man made object or objects altered by man unless they are essential to the nature story. No fences, buildings, hybrid flowers, domestic animals, mowed lawns, pruned branches, etc. but leg bands, nesting platforms, barns (for barn owls) etc. are allowed
  • Greyscale Monochrome images and Color Images may be entered in Nature, but toned or spot colored images are not permitted
  • Frames may only be white or grey and a single stroke up to 5 pixels.


General Image Requirements

  • Titles: Each image must have a unique title that is a description of the image. Titles can be no more than 35 characters

  • Images must be sent to Domenick or Pat by the following dates:

    Round One 11/10, Round Two 2/10, RoundThree 4/10

  • Entries: A club can enter 6 images by 6 different makers in each competition.

  • IMAGE SIZE: 

     HORIZONTAL IMAGES CAN BE NO MORE THAN 1400 PIXELS WIDE OR 1050 PIXELS TALL. 

    VERTICAL IMAGES CAN BE NO MORE THAN 1050 PIXELS TALL.

    Unless your image proportions are in the exact ratio of 4 to 3, one of these dimensions will be less than the maximum.

    There is no specific resolution requirement.

  • Save the file in jpg format only. 

  • sRGB color space is recommended for optimum results.

  • Color and Monochrome images from the same capture that share substantial pictorial content in common will be considered the same image and must be given the same title.

     

     

Statement on Subject Matter - applicable to all sections

The fundamental rule that must be observed at all times and applies to all sections offered in exhibitions with PSA recognition 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 in any exhibition with PSA recognition. 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 in PSA recognized exhibitions must comply with all relevant laws and regulations, associated with aerial photography, in the country in which the image was taken. 


Statement on Artificial Intelligence (AI) - Image Creation  and Ownership - applicable to all sections

In all sections of the exhibition, images must originate as photographs made by the entrant. They may not incorporate identifiable images produced by anyone else (for example: clip art, replacement skies, or stock images). Images created in whole or in part by image creation software (frequently called ‘AI’ images) are not allowed. Editing or alteration of images is permitted within the limits specified in the relevant section definitions that are available here https://psa-photo.org/page/division-definitions

Any person submitting or attempting to submit a totally AI generated image that does not begin with a light capture    from the maker, from any Photographic Society of America exhibition, social media, event, or publication, other than for editorial purposes, shall be prohibited from PSA for a period of from 3 years to life.



Projected Image Division - Color

The subject matter is unrestricted for PID images in separate color and monochrome (see below for  Monochrome definition) classes. Images can only be in color. Images previously in Open PID are considered a
color. Creative Images may be entered in this competition

Projected Image Division - Monochrome Definition
An image is considered to be Monochrome only if it gives the impression of having no color (i.e., contains only shades of grey 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 will be classified as a Color Work.
A color image which has been changed to monochrome may be submitted to the PID Monochrome Division, but must have the same title as the original color image.

  • Nature Division - General
    Joint PSA and FIAP definition

                                            

    • 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. Adding a vignette or blurring the background during processing is not allowed.
    • 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.
    • No modification that changes the truth of a Nature image is allowed. Images may be cropped but no other technique that removes, adds or moves any part of the image is allowed.
    • Techniques that remove elements added by the camera, such as dust spots, digital noise and lens flare are allowed.
    • Complete conversion of color images to greyscale monochrome is allowed. Partial conversion, toning and infrared captures or conversions are not allowed.
    • Images of the same subject that are combined in-camera or with software by focus stacking or exposure blending are allowed. Multiple images with overlapping fields of view that are taken consecutively and combined in-camera or with software (image stitching) are allowed

    Below is an excellent guide written for judges and competitors of the nature division, with many examples of what is allowed and not allowed.






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