Themes

THEME DEFINITIONS

FIAP Definition of Monochrome

A black and white work fitting from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black and white work toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black and white category; such a work can be reproduced in black and white in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage. On the other hand a black and white work modified by a partial toning or by the addition of one colour becomes a colour work (polychrome) to stand in the colour category; such a work requires colour reproduction in the catalogue of a salon under FIAP Patronage.

FIAP Nature definition

Nature photography records all branches of natural history except anthropology and archaeology. This includes all aspects of the physical world, both over water and underwater.

Nature images must convey the truth of the scene. 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 threatening a living organism's life or welfare 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.

·       Photographs made where the scene is natural and the animal is unharmed in a carefully managed environment, such as Zoo, rescue centers, and ethically managed natural environment farms are permitted.

·       Attracting or controlling subjects through the use of food or sound for the purpose of photographing them is not allowed. Maintained situations such as provided supplemental food due to hardship caused by weather conditions or other conditions beyond the animals' control, where photography is incidental to the feeding of the animal does not fall under this provision.

·       Controlling live subjects by chilling, anaesthetic, or any other method of restricting natural movement for a photograph is not allowed.

Human-made elements shall be permitted under the following circumstances:

a.     When they are an integral part of the nature story, such as a songbird singing atop a fence post a manmade object used as nest material, or a weather phenomenon destroying a man-made structure.

b.     When they are a small but unavoidable part of the scene, such as an unobtrusive footprint or track in the background.

c.     Scientific tags, collars, and bands are specifically allowed.

When photographing at a zoo, sanctuary, or rehabilitation centre, it would be construed that the

photographer ensured that it’s properly accredited and conforms to best practices.

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 colour 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 colour

FIAP Photojournalism Definition

Photojournalism entries are images with informative content and emotional impact, reflecting the human presence in our world.

Content Guidelines

·       The journalistic (story-telling) value of the image should receive priority over pictorial quality.

·       Images that misrepresent the truth, such as those from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography, are not eligible.

·       When Human Interest is specified, those images depict a person or persons in an interactive, emotional or unusual situation, excluding sports action.

Editing Guidelines

·       Processing or editing must be limited to making the image look as close to the original scene as possible.

·       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.

Creative (Experiment) Photography Definition

Show us Creative photography that presents viewers with ordinary objects in an extraordinary way through the creative use of composition, light, editing, and more. Experimantal photography, sometimes called non-objective, or conceptual photography, is a means of depicting a visual image that does not have an immediate association with the object world and that has been created through the use of photographic equipment, processes or materials. An experimental photograph may isolate a fragment of a natural scene in order to remove its inherent context from the viewer, it may be purposely staged to create a seemingly unreal appearance from real objects, or it may involve the use of color, light, shadow, texture, shape and/or form to convey a feeling, sensation or impression.

We are looking to reward originality, experimentation, and imagination. This category actively encourages the creative use of the medium of photography in all its forms - from photograms to cutting-edge photographic techniques. Subject matter can be varied and may include abstract and conceptual ideas. All manners of editing, digital blending, and layering are allowed in this category.