Important information for CCC members re nature and wildlife images
Note that images already meeting the separate FIAP Definition of Nature will satisfy this less restrictive definition.
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 story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality.
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.
Processing of the captured image, by cropping, exposure adjustment, colour correction, noise minimisation, dodging/burning, HDR, focus stacking and sharpening, is allowed.
Cloning of image defects and minor distractions, including overlapping elements, are permitted when these do not distort the truth of the photographic statement (acceptable in PAGB and SPA Competitions ONLY).
Images entered as Nature can have landscape, 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.
Access to biological subjects may be restricted. By entering a PAGB event, Photographers warrant that they have followed relevant codes of practices and hold any necessary licences.
Guidance
Guidance on implementation and interpretation of the PAGB Definition of Nature is available separately, and may be read in conjunction with this Definition.
Wildlife
Images entered in Wildlife sections 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.
The following may be a helpful aide memoire in deciding if images meet the above definition but in case of any doubt, the official FIAP/RPS/PAGB/PSA definition will take precedence.
SPA Individual Print & PDI Competition Rules - May 2018
What IS allowed:
- Techniques that remove elements added by the camera, such as dust spots or digital noise.
- Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without altering the content of the original scene, including HDR, focus stacking and dodging/burning.
- Colour images converted to greyscale monochrome.
- Natural history subjects including wild animals, birds, insects, marine and botanical (including fungi and algae).
- Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals (and if present must not be removed).
- Images of natural history subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are dependent on man for food.
- Factual titles that describe the subject.
What IS NOT allowed:
- Any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.
- Stitched images.
- Infrared images.
- Anthropology or archaeology.
- Human elements except if an integral part of the nature story (e.g. barn owls adapted to a human environment).
- Images of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral or domestic animals, or mounted specimens.