COMPETITION RULES

Benoni Camera Club Competition Rules 2024 – Rev 3

 

 

 

Projected Digital Images – PDI  *(subject to change from time to time)

• • The PDI must be no more than 1080* pixels in the height, and no more than 1920* pixels in the width. Either the width must be exactly 1920 or the height 1080 pixels.
  • Images may not exceed 2000kb (2Mb)* in size.
  • Images must be submitted online to photovaultonline.com in the sRGB colour space.
  • Images must have been received by midnight the Sunday before the club meeting.
  • Any queries can be emailed to info@benonicameraclub.co.za
  • All work including post image editing must be photographer’s (author’s) own work.

Preparation of PDI images

• • Images submitted to the club or open competitions MUST be the original work of the photographer (author). Copies of other people’s work are NOT Disciplinary action will be taken against any photographer disregarding the principle.
  • On the competition night, all PDI images will be projected using a calibrated digital projector onto a white lenticular screen.
  • It is important to remember that a digital projector doesn’t have the same colour spectrum as a computer monitor. For this reason, it is vital to have your screen calibrated using a colour calibration tool. This will ensure that you screen is displaying the colours correctly.
  • Borders – It is advisable to have a border on your images (specially the dark ones). A light grey or white of 1 to 3 pixels is advised and usually works best.
  • The club has a calibration device for members to use.
  • Entrants must store and preserve intact, with no alteration, the metadata, the RAW file(s) or the original un-retouched JPEG file(s) for the submitted images (and those taken immediately before and after the submitted image(s)) for possible future motivated inspection, with no expiry, prescription or limitation of PSSA actions. It is recommended to leave the EXIF data in the submitted files intact to ease eventual investigations. It is absolutely forbidden for any entrant or his/her agent(s), acting on the behalf of the entrant, to tamper with the EXIF or original date in the files submitted to salons / exhibitors.
  • For the purposes of our salons, panels or competitions, a photographic image is defined “as being a captured image on a light-sensitive device/surface (e.g. photogram technique, film camera, digital camera, smartphone, tablet, etc.) and recorded on paper, film or in a digital format.”
  • An artificial intelligence (AI) generated image is not deemed to be a photographic image because it was created from scratch by the AI system and contains no image captured by the entrant. Therefore, this type of image will not be accepted into our salons, panels or competitions.
  • Use of AI features (limited to: clear, de-noise, masking, sharpening, subject selection, tone adjustments, upsizing image) contained within a post processing application are permitted in our competitions provided they comply with a competition’s editing criteria and do not contain any elements which were not captured by the entrant (e.g. element, texture, sky, etc.).
  • Sky replacement is permitted provided that the new sky was captured by the entrant. For all images, the Salon Director may require an entrant to provide all supporting images used in creating a composite image. All components of the submitted image MUST be their original work and MAY NOT contain the elements created or captured by someone else; and as such they hold and will retain the copyright for the image.
  • For example: it is okay to take inspiration from other photographers or artists. However, if the inspiration contains the same colour, composition, element(s), perspective, angle, subject, and tone of the original then the inspiration is not deemed to be the original work of the photographer.
  • Another example – A photographer MAY NOT capture a screen image or photograph an image found on the internet and incorporate it in a composite image that is later submitted into a salon, panel or competition.
  • All aspects of the post-processing for their submitted image must have been undertaken by the entrant with the exception of scanning of their negatives and printing of the image. The entrant may not copy any part of someone else’s image and/or artwork by any means including tracing, sketching etc.

Titling of images

• • It is necessary to give your image a title, however, it is important not to overdo it.
  • It is usually best to try to limit the title to between one and four words.
  • The use of humour is acceptable; however, it is important to assess the image, and make sure that the title, does not offend the subject.
  • Offensive language should be avoided.
  • No title, watermark or identification of the maker shall be visible anywhere on the image.

Number of entries

• • The committee shall determine the number of entries that may be submitted for competition each month, in the various sections.
  • Images can be submitted only ONCE. If a member is not happy with the award given for an image, it may be re-submitted at the next meeting, but the member will forfeit the previous award. It must be emphasised that the same image may not be renamed as a new entry.

Manipulation

• • 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.
  • Manipulation shall constitute any or all of the following modifications to the original image:
  • Adding an element to the image that was not contained in the original scene;
  • Removing an element from the image that was contained in the original scene, whether done via cloning, darkening, lightening, blurring or any other photo editing technique except for cropping and straightening;
  • Blurring parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene;
  • Adding a vignette during processing;
  • Darkening or lightening parts of the image during processing to hide elements in the original scene.
  • Moving or repositioning an element of the image that was contained in the original scene. In the categories Nature, Photo Travel, Street, Sport and Photojournalism, manipulation is not allowed.

In OPEN there is no restriction whatsoever in the way authors choose to post process an image.

The following actions are allowed and are not seen as manipulation:

• • Cropping, straightening and vertical/horizontal perspective correction;
  • Correction of lens distortion, chromatic aberrations, purple fringing, and lens vignette;
  • Flipping an image horizontal or rotate;
  • Removal of dust spots or scratch marks from sensor or scanned images;
  • Global and selective adjustments such as brightness, hue, saturation and contrast to restore the appearance of the original scene;
  • De noise
  • Flipping an image is also permissible.
  • The blending of different exposures of the same scene to broaden the dynamic range e.g. High Dynamic Range (HDR);
  • Photo stacking to overcome the limitations of the digital sensor heat artefacts in long exposures;
  • Focus stacking to widen the depth of field especially in Macro photography;
  • Complete conversion of color images to grayscale monochrome.
  • In the case of Nature HDR and focus stacking will not be considered as manipulation and may be used provided that the end result is a faithful representation of the original scene.

Please note:

HDR and Focus stacking are not allowed in Photojournalism.
Study the rules for each event as they will be unique.

While we have many editing tools available to use, be very selective on how much you use them. All the editing in the world cannot turn a bad image into a good image, but over editing can turn a good image into a bad image.

Everything in moderation.

Monochrome

• • Monochrome is a black and white image.
  • 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.
  • 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.

Categories for monthly Competition

There are 7 categories to choose from for the monthly competition. These categories are as follows:

1. 1. Wildlife and Nature (na) – MANIPULATION NOT ALLOWED
   2. Landscape and Scapes (is) – Manipulation Allowed
   3. Portraiture (po) – Manipulation Allowed
   4. Floral and still life (sl) – Manipulation Allowed
   5. Photojournalism and Sport (pj) – MANIPULATION NOT ALLOWED
   6. Altered Reality (ar) – Manipulation Allowed
   7. Pictorial / Open (pi) Manipulation Allowed
   8. Set Subject (ss)– Manipulation allowed

Please see Appendix A for the full PSSA definitions of the above categories

Judging of Monthly Competition

• • Judging can be done be by one judge, or three.
  • Awards will be COM, Gold, Silver and Bronze. A sliding scale as recommended by PSSA will be used.
  • Judging will be by category.
  • All images are judged as presented, the sliding scale (Rev 1 as Attached) is designed to level the playing field as far as the results.
  • The Judge will select the best set subject image as well as the Best Junior and Best Senior image for the evening.
  • The Star ratings are divided into two Categories, “Junior”, 1-3 Star, and “Senior”, 4 – 5 Star and further into the various berets.

Set Subject Competition

• • Set subjects are set for the monthly meetings.
  • One image may be entered for the set subject.
  • The points are also included in the monthly grading and will count toward promotion.
  • Pictures entered for the set subject competition may not be entered for judging on the same evening or any other evening.
  • The set subject competition gives 6 bonus points for first place.

Grades

In each section there are the following grades

• • 1 Star (Novice)
  • 2 Star (Beginners)
  • 3 Star (Intermediate)
  • 4 Star (Advanced)
  • 5 Star (Beret), further divided into-
    • 5 Star, Bronze Beret
    • 5 Star, Silver Beret
    • 5 Star, Gold Beret
    • 5 Star, Platinum Beret
    • 5 Star, Diamond Beret
    • 5 Star, Diamond Cluster

Note:
Every new member joining the club will be regarded as a 1 Star member.
The committee may, however, at its discretion upon application by a new member, request a panel of 12 images and grade the new member into a higher section.
The new member must in such cases submit to the committee (within 30 days of joining the club) a panel of 12 images for viewing by a panel of judges appointed by the appointed club committee. This panel can be used subsequently for grading.

The points scored will be as per the attached Sliding Scale.

• • • Best Junior or Best Senior 4 points
    • Best Set Subject 6 points

Standard Requirements for Awards

Focusing, exposure & strong composition, colour harmony, mood, impact and good editing techniques.

• • Exposure: assess whether the image has been exposed correctly.
  • Sharpness: assess whether the image is sharp or not.
  • Composition: assess whether the composition of the image is done well. Elements like form, line, shape, balance, colour, light, mood etc. should be considered.
  • Digital processing: assess whether the digital processing of the image has been done well.  Aspects like dust spot removal, saturation, contrast, colour cast, over sharpening, haphazard selective processing are to be considered.
  • Impact: assess whether the image has impact.  This is where subjectivity comes into play and judges need to be aware of their own preferences so that this does not come in the way of prejudicing the image.  Care should be taken if an image comes after a stunning image that as a judge you don’t compare this image up for assessment bearing in mind that if an image comes after.

Promotions   

One Star to Two Star
The Member must obtain 12 (twelve) gold/certificate of merit awards.
Two Star to Three Star
The Member must obtain 15 (fifteen) gold/certificates of merit awards plus 220 club points.
Three Star to Four Star
The Member must obtain 20 (twenty) golds, 3 salon acceptances plus 295 club points.
Four Star to Five Star
The Member must obtain 30 (thirty) golds plus 440 club points, plus 15 Salon Acceptances (National or International).

Note:
It is the responsibility of the member to prove that he/she has in fact gained the salon acceptances to the competition secretary. No image may have more than 3 (three) salon credits for promotion in any category.
In addition, the member must have served the club in some capacity.
The committee may, however, at its discretion promote an “out of town” member, based on their own merit achievements attained at this level.

Five Star Beret Categories

• • Gold Awards and salon acceptances in this category are accumulative.
  • Awards for Diamond Ratings and DPSSA are given in three categories, namely Nature, Colour and Mono by the PSSA (Photographic Society of South Africa).

Awards are given for achievement by PSSA Members in:

• • South African National and South African International Salons with PSSA patronage
  • All other International Salons with patronage by one or more of:
    • The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain
    • The Photographic Society of America
    • The Australian Photographic Society
    • FIAP (Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique)
    • The Chinese Photographers Association
  • Honours may either be applied for by submitting a panel for judging or by accumulating salon acceptances.

Example of a diamond rating:

a Diamond 1 Rating is a total of 15 acceptances with a minimum of 5 images with the PSSA.  https://pssa.co.za/diamond-ratings-dpssa-epssa/.

Beret:
10 Gold Awards and a Diamond 1 rating.
a Diamond 1 Rating is a total of 15 acceptances with a minimum of 5 images with the PSSA.

Bronze Beret:
20 Gold Awards and a Diamond 2 rating.
a Diamond 2 Rating is a total of 30 acceptances with a minimum of 10 images with the PSSA.

Silver Beret:
40 Gold Awards, a Diamond 3 rating or LPSSA Honours
a Diamond 3 Rating is 60 acceptances with a minimum of 20 images.

Gold Beret:
75 Gold Awards plus a DPSSA or LPSSA

Platinum Beret
150 Gold Awards plus a FPSSA (Fellowship)

Diamond Beret
300 Gold Awards plus an EPSSA (Expert Rating)

Diamond Cluster
600 Gold Awards plus an EPSSA(Mille) Expert (Mille) or a MPSSA (Masters)

Salon Acceptances

• • Salon acceptances will be acknowledged for all paid up club members, irrespective if they were submitted under another club.
  • Salon acceptances for promotion, are acceptable by any member, whether Benoni is their primary club or not.
  • Salon acceptances in the club newsletter and on website will be acknowledged, whether Benoni is the primary club or not

Trophies & Awards

1. 1. The Bertus Bruggeman Salon Acceptance Trophy

Only members with Benoni as their primary club are eligible to enter this competition, which is based on points gained through salon acceptances, as per the PSSA Impala Trophy results.

1. 2. The Golden 60-70-80-90-100 Awards

This is a special certificate which is awarded to the club member who obtains the following total number of gold awards for images in any one competition year.

The current total number of images that may be submitted for judging and set subject in a competition year is 40. Should this number be altered at any time the percentages out of the total designated will remain the same.

• • • • Golden 60 – 24 to 27 Images
      • Golden 70 – 28 to 31 Images
      • Golden 80 – 32 to 35 Images
      • Golden 90 – 36 to 39 Images
      • Golden 100 – 40 Images

1. 3. Best in Section Awards

Certificates are awarded annually for the top point scorer for the year in each section. The highest points in the Junior section and the highest points in the Senior section also receive certificates.

1. 4. Most Versatile Photographer Competition

This competition will be held in December each year. Each member may submit up to seven images, one in each category. ( in the case of beginners, eight )Only images presented during the year February to November of that year, will be accepted.

Photos entered into a category through the year, may be entered into another category for the versatility competition, as long as it meets the criteria of that category according to the judge on the evening. In the event of a tie, the image entered into the same category in the year will be the winner.

The categories are:

1. 1. Wildlife and Nature (na) – MANIPULATION NOT ALLOWED
   2. Landscape and Scapes (ls) – Manipulation Allowed
   3. Portraiture and Figure studies (po) – Manipulation Allowed
   4. Floral and still life (sl) – Manipulation Allowed
   5. Photojournalism and Sport (pj) – MANIPULATION NOT ALLOWED
   6. Altered Reality (ar) – Manipulation Allowed
   7. Pictorial / Open (pi) Manipulation Allowed
   8. Beginners Open – ( colour or Mono ) – One star workers Only

• Most Versatile

Judging will be by a panel of three judges to salon standards. They will use a scoring box at the December meeting and will score from 1 to 15 points per judge. No comments will be made about the images except about the finalists, if the judges choose to do so.

Each category will be judged separately and the best in each category will be selected. One or two certificates of merit for the runners up can be awarded at the judge’s discretion. An award will be given to the winner in each category.

• • Most Versatile Photographer

The points awarded to each image in each of the 7 (seven) categories will be totalled to arrive at “The Most Versatile Photographer of the year” award. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined on the authors’ past year performance scores.

5. Set Subject Competition

Every Club evening during the competition year there is a set subject category.
Points awarded for this category count towards promotion and for the annual set subject trophy.
Images entered in the set subject category may not be entered for judging on the same evening or on any other evening.
The Set Subject gets points for First and Second place.

Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA)

As an affiliated club of the PSSA, we have the privilege of being recognised for our achievements.

Recognition

Application for PSSA Honours

PSSA honours provide internationally accepted recognition for a very high standard in photography. Honours awarded are the Licentiate (LPSSA), the Associate (APSSA), the Fellow (FPSSA), and the Master (MPSSA), and for acceptances the Diamond (DPSSA) and the Expert (EPSSA), each of which entitles the holder to append the associated letters after their name.

In order to attain these honours, the applicant must submit a number of images as a panel as shown in the table below

• Licentiate (LPSSA) 10, Images (PDI or Print)

• Associate (APSSA) 15, Images (PDI or Print)

• Fellow (FPSSA) 25, Images (PDI or Print)

• Master (MPSSA) 50, Images (PDI or Print)

The Diamond and Expert ratings are based on the amount of salon acceptances achieved and are as follows

• Diamond (DPSSA) 125 acceptances

• Expert (EPSSA) 500 acceptances

• Expert (Mille) (EPSSA(Mille)) 1000 acceptances

Audio Visual honours are also available. For these and more detail regarding Honours, please see the PSSA website www.pssa.co.za under the HONOURS tab

PSSA Meritorious Service Award

Many clubs would like to honour certain of their members but do not have the necessary structure within their setup, so they can nominate their members to the Honours and Awards Committee of PSSA.

PSSA has established a Meritorious Service Award to meet this requirement.

This award is intended for club members who have served their clubs as well as photography in general, to a greater degree than the average club member over an extended period of time. The award is only available to full members of PSSA.

While it is not mandatory to join the Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA), it would be necessary if you would like to achieve the above honour awards.

 

Appendix A

PSSA Category Definitions

1.   ABSTRACT, ALTERED REALITY, CREATIVE or VISUAL ART – manipulation is allowed.

1.1     Abstract

An exercise in composition for the sake of art. The real identity of the abstractionist’s subject is not important and the result is not intended to be anything.

1.2     Altered Reality

An image created by altering reality in an obvious manner, created digitally or in camera. The intention is the creation of an image that conveys a feeling or message, or tells a story.

1.3     Creative or Visual Art

Images that go beyond the straightforward pictorial rendering of a scene. The image does not have to employ derivative or manipulative techniques to be Creative or Visual Art.

2.  PORTRAITURE – manipulation is allowed

2.1     Animal Portraits

A likeness, personality and mood of a living animal where the subject is dominant in the image. Portraiture is not restricted to head and shoulders and may include just a part of the face, a back view or even a full length study.

2.2     Human Interest

An image depicting a person or persons in an interactive, emotional or unusual situation, excluding recreational and sports action.

2.3     Human Portraits

A likeness, personality and mood of a living human where the subject is dominant in the image. Portraiture is not restricted to head and shoulders and may include just a part of the face, a back view or even a full length study.

 3.  SCAPES – manipulation is allowed

Scapes photography shows the spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic, with or without people. Scape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on man-made features or disturbances of landscapes, including sea/water and under water scapes, desert/mountain/forest and city scapes. Perhaps the most common is to recall a personal observation or experience while in the outdoors.

4.  PANORAMA – manipulation is allowed

A panorama is an image with elongated fields of view, with an aspect ratio of 2:1 or larger, the image being at least twice as wide as its height.

5.  MACRO – manipulation is allowed*

Macro photography is extreme close-up photography, where you get close to a small subject by physical or optical means. The size of the subject in the finished photograph is usually greater than life size and reveals detail which cannot easily be seen with the naked eye.

*Macro fits as a subsection of Open as well as Nature; when entered in a Nature section, manipulation is NOT allowed.

6.  OPEN MONOCHROME – manipulation allowed

In this category the subject is totally open. Coloured images will be disqualified.

7.  OPEN – manipulation allowed

In this category the subject is totally open. Monochrome images will be disqualified.

8.  NATURE – manipulation is not allowed

• • • • 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.

8.1  Nature Birds Only

• • • • Nature images of Birds – subjects may be in controlled conditions.
      • Photographs of feral/domestic/farm birds or mounted specimens are ineligible.
      • Human elements, if present should not detract from or overpower the subject.
      • If other animals are present the bird/s must be the main feature.

8.2  Nature No Birds

• • • • Nature includes all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archaeology.
      • Nature images include landscapes, geologic formations & weather phenomena and includes images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions.
      • Photographs of artificially created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, farm animals or mounted specimens are ineligible.
      • No birds may be entered here.
      • Human elements, if present should not detract from or overpower the subject. If birds are present the birds must be the secondary feature.

8.3  Nature Landscapes

• • • • A genre intended to show different spaces within the world, usually vast and unending, but can also be microscopic.
      • A landscape comprises of the visible features of an area and physical elements such as landforms, water, living elements of flora and fauna and abstract elements like lightning and weather conditions.
      • It could be pure nature and may include animals.
      • Man-made/cultivated subjects may not be included.

8.4  Nature Macro

• • • • Macro photography is extreme close-up nature photography, where you get close to a small subject by physical or optical means.
      • The size of the subject in the finished photograph is usually greater than life size and reveals detail which cannot easily be seen with the naked eye.

9.  WILDLIFE – manipulation is not allowed

• • • • Wildlife Images are Nature images and are further defined as one or more extant zoological or botanical organisms living free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat.
      • 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.
      • Human elements, if present should not detract from or overpower the subject.
      • Wildlife Birds Only – Wildlife images of Birds – subjects may not be in controlled conditions.
      • Photographs of feral/domestic/farm birds or mounted specimens are ineligible.
      • Human elements, if present should not detract from or overpower the subject.
      • Wildlife No Birds – Wildlife is not limited to animals and insects.
      • Marine subjects and botanical subjects (including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable wildlife subjects.
      • Birds may not be entered.
      • Human elements, if present should not detract from or overpower the subject.

10.  PHOTOJOURNALISM (PJ) – manipulation is not allowed

• • • • Photojournalism entries are images with informative content reflecting the human presence in our world and emotional impact which usually include human interest, documentary, news or sport.
      • The journalistic value of the image shall receive priority over the pictorial quality.
      • In the interest of credibility, PJ images that misrepresent the truth and model or staged set-ups are not permitted.

11.  PJ & Sport

• • • • Entries in this category should have informative content and emotional impact.
      • In the interest of credibility, images that misrepresent the truth and model or staged  set-ups are not permitted.

11.1  Street Photography

• • • • Street photography records unposed scenes in public places.
      • The primary subject is people and/or PSSA Approved Salon Definitions and Conditions of Entry – V2024.1 (2024-04-15) 1 0
      • symbols of people, at rest or in motion, alone or with others, going about their everyday activities.

11.2  Photo Travel & Street Photography

• • • • The primary subject is people and/or symbols of people, at rest or in motion, alone or with others, going about their everyday activities.
      • Close up pictures of people or objects should include features that provide information about the environment.

11.3  Sports Photography

• • • • Sports photography covers any aspect of a sporting event.
      • Images must depict an active pastime or recreation involving physical exertion and/or skill that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often of a competitive nature.
      • The level of sport can range from children playing a sport to the Olympic Games.
      • Images in this section could include the spectators or judge or umpire in a sporting event.
      • Dance productions like ballet and Air Shows are deemed not to be sport and hence not allowed in this category.

11.4  Photo Travel

• • • • A Photo Travel image expresses the characteristic features or culture of a land as they are found naturally.
      • There are no geographic limitations.

12.  STILL LIFE – manipulation is allowed

These must be the author’s original work taken where the photographer has arranged the subjects in an artistic manner. In this category a bas-relief is acceptable if it does not materially modify the original concept of the picture.

13.  TABLE TOP – manipulation is allowed

An arrangement of inanimate objects on a table top.