Conditions of Entry

Preamble: The NPF is holding a photographic competition and exhibition as one of the activities on the NPF weekend – 27th and 28th July, 2024  Entries in the competition will be judged in advance of the exhibition to enable trophies, certificates and reports to be prepared ready for presentation. Maitland Camera Club are managing the administration of the competition.

Competition Details, Rules and Instructions:

  1. The competition is open to individuals who are members NPF affiliated clubs.  Due to the imbalance in club membership numbers, there will be no inter-club competition.
  2. Images must not have won awards in previous NPF annual competitions.
  3. The competition will cater for six sections: Monochrome Prints (MP), Colour Prints (CP), Nature Prints (NP), Open Digital (OD), People Digital (PD) Macro Digital (MD).
  4. All photographs and elements of photographs must have been captured by the entrant and no image or substantially similar image may be entered in more than one section by the same entrant. Any manipulation of the image must be done by, or under the explicit direction, of the entrant.
  5. Individuals may enter a total of six (6) images across the six (6) sections, with a maximum of two (2) entries in any one section.
  6. The entry fee is on the website and is per person regardless of the number of sections entered.  Payment of this entry fee will entitle the entrant to attend all the NPF activities across the weekend as well as entry to the photographic competition.
  7. Each club will need to organise the bulk delivery of prints to a central location by Friday 12th July, 2024.

Image Size:

  1. Entries in the Monochrome, Colour or Nature print sections are to be no smaller than 25cm x 20 cm in size and are to be attached to 50cm x 40cm or 20” x 16” mount board.  Combined thickness of print and mount board is not to exceed 4 mm.
  2. The back of all print entries must display the label printed from the MyPhotoClub website.

Definitions:

Ethical Photography

The fundamental rule that must be observed at all times and applies to all sections in all competitions in the MCC 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 competition.  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. This rule applies regardless of whether or not the creature being killed, injured or stressed is visible in the captured image.

The use of aerial photography, drones, helicopters, low flying aircraft should not cause any interference with other individuals or animals which causes a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupts the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment.

Photograph

A visible image originating from the action of light or other forms of radiant energy upon a photosensitive medium or device.

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is NOT permitted in any section. AI refers to any photograph or element generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.

Colour

Photographs entered in a Colour Section are images that are not monochrome.

Monochrome

Photographs entered in a Monochrome Section must give the impression of having no colour (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 colour across the entire image. (For example by Sepia, red, gold, etc.)  A greyscale or multi-coloured image modified or giving the impression of having been modified by partial toning, multi-toning or by the inclusion of spot colouring does not meet the definition of monochrome and shall be classified as a Colour Work.

Nature (PSA/FIAP definition)

Content Guidelines
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.


Wildlife Photography
In addition to the restrictions on Nature photography, to be eligible for any Wildlife award images must meet the following conditions:
(a) Zoological organisms must be living free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat of their own choosing.
(b) Images of zoological organisms that have been removed from their natural habitat, are in any form of captivity or are being controlled by humans for the purpose of photography are not allowed.
(c) Botanical organisms may not be removed from their natural environment for the purpose of photography.
(d) Images that have been staged for the purpose of photography are not allowed.

Attention is drawn to the PSA Statement on Subject Matter which applies to all sections and to the Editing Guidelines for Nature, Photojournalism and Photo Travel

Editing Guidelines
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 color.

Attention is drawn to the PSA Statement on Subject Matter which applies to all sections

People

Images of a person or people with an emphasis on storytelling.

Macro

Macro and Close-Up photography is photography, usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is equal to greater than life size.

Preparation of Prints by Clubs Prior to Submission: 

For each print section, entries from each club are to be sorted in order, using the numbers allocated by the website.

Preparation of Digital Entries by Clubs Prior to Submission:

None required. Entrants are to upload as per normal club entry but using the NPF site, same size and conditions apply. Any entries submitted to your local camera club using the MyPhotoClub site may be selected and can automatically be used without the need to upload again.

Contacts for queries or assistance: 

  • Petro Holowinskyj (ph. 4948 9036)
  • Brad Le Brocque (0415 771 129)
  • or talk to your club NPF delegate.