We had another very successful competition night at the club last night with an excellent rollup.
Our judge Nicole Curtis did a great job with the judging and I’m sure we all learned a lot from her different perspective she gave us on our images.
Nicole was very generous with giving awards which would have given us all a boost to our confidence for starting the year out.
It certainly was great to see so many prints from our members. There were some very impressive images.
Congratulations and well done everyone!
Our next competition night is on Monday 11th March.
Entries will be both print and digitals.
Our March digital images are due in by 11:59 pm Saturday 24th February. That gives us only 11 more days.
Unfortunately, if you miss the deadline there is nothing we can do. The images are passed onto the judge early in the morning on the day after and the competition cannot be reopened.
If you miss the deadline for the digitals you can always choose to put in print entries instead.
The prints sections will close 2 days before competition night (At 11:59 pm on the Saturday before the competition. Saturday 9th March).
You then need to bring your prints with you on the night and have them on the stands by 6:30.
Please put the dates in your calendar where you’ll remember.
Our set subject for February is:
“Nature” – The definition we are using for Nature is the PSA/FIAP Nature Definition…..
Please read this definition thoroughly as it will be strictly followed when our Nature images are judged.
The international definition of ‘Nature Photography’
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 colour 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.
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
In addition to the restrictions on Nature photography, images in Wildlife sections of exhibitions must meet the following conditions:
- Zoological organisms must be living free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat of their own choosing.
- 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.
- Botanical organisms may not be removed from their natural environment for the purpose of photography.
- Images that have been staged for the purpose of photography are not allowed.
For more information and guidelines please visit Roy Killen’s website https://www.roykillen.photography and look in the Nature Photography section where you will also find the official PSA Guide for Nature Photographers and judges which was written by Roy.
As well as our set subject we will have are usual colour and mono categories.
Please remember that for 2023 we can still only enter 3 images each in total.
Note: We can only put in 2 entries per section (Colour, Mono or Set Subject) per member.
We could choose 2 prints or 2 EDI’s or 1 Print and 1 EDI per section.
Remember, print and digital for each section is 1 category for the purposes of entering.
Our judge for March is Roy Killen.
Most of us know Roy quite well. Below is a little information about himself that Roy has supplied.
My main interest is nature photography.
I have been competing in international competitions since 2008 and have received more than 5700 acceptances and more than 400 awards. Through these competitions I have gained the following photographic distinctions:
- EFIAP (Excellence award, International Federation of Photographic Arts)
- GMPSA (Grand Masters award, Photographic Society of America)
- GMAPS (Grand Masters award, Australian Photographic Society)
- APSEM (Australian Photographic Society Exhibitors Medal)
In 2015 I was awarded the Nature Medallion by the Australian Photographic Society.
I regularly judge competitions at club, national and international levels.
I frequently present workshops for photography clubs on photographic techniques and image processing.
I am the Membership Vice President of the Photographic Society of America (PSA) and I am happy to assist you with any PSA related matters.
Good luck to everyone with your “Nature” Images.
If you have any questions please contact me on suewinsley@iinet.net.au
