General Definition

Entries must originate as photographs (image-capture of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally. By virtue of submitting an entry, the entrant certifies the work as his/her own and permits the sponsors to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to the exhibition. This may include low resolution posting on a website. The exhibition assumes no liability for any misuse of copyright. Images may be altered, either electronically or otherwise, by the maker and artwork or computer graphics created by the entrant may be incorporated if the photographic content predominates.

1) PHOTO TRAVEL (color and monochrome)

A Photo Travel image expresses the characteristic features or culture of a land as they are found naturally. There are no geographic limitations. Images from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography are not appropriate. Close up pictures of people or objects must include features that provide information about the environment. Techniques that add, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. The only allowable adjustments are removal of dust or digital noise, restoration of the appearance of the original scene, and complete conversion to greyscale monochrome. Other derivations, including infrared, are not permitted. All allowed adjustments must appear natural.

2) NATURE (color and monochrome)

Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archaeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify its honest presentation. The storytelling 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. 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 used in Nature Photography competitions may be divided into two classes: Nature and Wildlife. Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above 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.

Images entered in Wildlife sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above are further defined as one or more extant zoological or botanical organisms free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat. Landscapes, geologic formations, photographs of zoo or game farm animals, or of any extant zoological or botanical species taken under controlled conditions are not eligible in Wildlife sections. Wildlife is not limited to animals, birds, and insects. Marine subjects and botanical subjects (including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable wildlife subjects, as are carcasses of extant species. Wildlife images may be entered in Nature sections of Exhibitions.

3) WATER (color and monochrome)

In this theme, we expect very various contents of ideas generally associated with water.

4) LINES (color and monochrome)

In this theme, we expect very various contents of ideas generally associated with lines shape in all possible variations.

5) OPEN COLOR

In this theme we expect very various contents of ideas, which is characteristic for some mainstream of the modern photography artistic production wide world. Generally, we expect photographic works in some major thematic entities:

  • classical landscape in the associative and experimental way;
  • colors, shapes, shadows as a crucial element of photography art;
  • portraits, as precious sparkles of the life by all form and entities;
  • photography works with some interesting details in the contest and the crucial meaning of it;
  • creative photographic research, as a struggle for identity, spiritual an emotional space, creating the new document and sensibility of the present time;
  • macro and micro world that surrounding us, but stays invisible for many of us;
  • photography that shows the everyday reality of life, with specific moments of transience of human beings. The logical connection between ambient and life in this ambient;
  • all living world in all their aspects and phenomenons of many different shapes of life

Any pictorial treatment of a subject which contains the element of good arrangement of composition and reflects the interpretation of the photographer.

6) OPEN MONOCHROME

In this theme, in genre meaning, we expect, almost all as in the OPEN color theme, but given as a granted gift in monochromatic artistic frameworks. That is especially sensitive expressiveness and specific culture of the photography with admixture of nostalgia and patina that is tightly connected with the pioneer period of photography art. That kind of photography is very often synonyms area simply called – LIFE.
FIAP Definitions of Black and white photography (Monochrome):
A black and white image containing various shades of grey from black to white is considered to be monochrome w. A black & white work toned entirely in a single color will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black & white category; such a work may be reproduced in black & white in the catalog. On the other hand, a black and white work modified by a partial toning or by the addition of one color becomes a color work (polychrome) to stand in the color category.
PSA Definitions of Black and white photography (Monochrome):
A monochrome print is defined as having no more than one color but may be any single color.
i. A monochrome print is defined as having no more than two colors: monochrome plus one other color, or:
ii. A monochrome print is defined as having no more than one color, but it may be any single color.