NELSPRUIT PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
NELSPRUIT PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

JUDGING CRITERIA

NSTPS CLUB ADVANCEMENT

Nelspruit photographic society points system as below.    
If promoted using first two columns club gold and salon acceptances only excess will be carried forward.      
Example: 3 star has 50 gold and the twelve salon acceptances as required the two gold that are extra will be carried forward to the next star grading.       
If moving forward on the last column which is club points total golds require will be deducted and all salon acceptances will stay in tact. 


1 Star

  • Correct Exposure

  • In focus

  • Element of Composition

  • Picture clean well presented 

2 Star:

  • Correct Exposure

  • In focus

  • Element of Composition

  • Picture clean well presented 

  • Some Impact

  • Some knowledge of when to crop

  • 3 Star:

    • Correct Exposure

    • In focus

    • Element of Composition - Should begin to show an understanding of the importance of Lines, Shapes and Forms

    • Picture clean well presented

    • Impact (Now a strong requirement

    • Know when to crop

    4 Star:

    • Should show a full grasp of all the above principles

    • Entry level National salon standard

    • Salon standard = The top 20% of all the entries in a National competition

    5 Star and Higher:

    • National Salon standard plus

    • Entry level International Salon standard

    • International Salon standard = The top 20% of all the entries in an International competition = Top 20% in the world

    .

    Points System

    1 and 2 Star:

    • 8-12 Points - Gold

    • 7 Points - Silver

    • 6 Points - Bronze

    3 Star:

    • 9-12 Points - Gold

    • 8 Points - Silver

    • 7-6 Points - Bronze

    4 Star:

    • 10-12 Points - Gold

    • 9 Points - Silver

    • 8-6 Points - Bronze

    5 Star:

    • 11-12 Points - Gold

    • 10 Points - Silver

    • 9-6 Points - Bronze

    All Stars: 

    • 13-15 Points - Certificate of merit (COM)

    JUDGING CRITERIA AS PER CATEGORY


    There are specific criteria that's applicable to each category

    Colour Nature: (Digital Manipulation not allowed)

    1. 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.

    2. The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality

    3. Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are an integral part 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.

    4. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible. 

    5. Photographs of artificially created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, obviously set arrangements, mounted specimens including insects or animals doped or killed for macro (or any other type of photography), are ineligible,as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement.

    6. Any action which causes harm, no matter how unintentional it may be, is not acceptable. 

    7. The use of live bait and actions such as chilling, freezing, spinning or light anaesthesia of any creature is unethical and therefore not acceptable.No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted. 

    8. 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. 

    9. All allowed adjustments must appear natural.

    10. Stitched images are not permitted. 

    11. Infrared images, either direct‐captures or derivations, are not allowed.

    12. Images used in Nature Photography competitions may be divided in two classes: Nature and Wildlife. 

    13. Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have 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, non-natural macro setup*, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.

    14. Images entered in Wildlife sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above are further defined as one or more extant zoological or botanical organisms living free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat, 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. 

    15. Wildlife is not limited to animals, birds and insects.

    16. Marine subjects and botanical subjects (including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable wildlife subjects, as are carcasses of extant species.

    17. Wildlife images may be entered in Nature sections of salons and exhibitions.

    * A non-natural macro setup is defined as a macro or miniature scene set up artificially in a studio or table top arrangement used to create a fake “natural environment” for the subject being photographed. 

    Open Colour:  (Digital Manipulation allowed)

    1. In this category the subject matter is totally open. Any general type of image which would not fit into any of the other categories may be entered here.

    2. NO WILDLIFE, NATURE OR MONOCHROME IMAGES WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THIS CATEGORY

    3. All elements must be photographic; if graphic elements are included they should enhance the photographic image but not take over from it. 

    4. All graphics used should be created by the photographer using his/her own artwork. 

    5. No images or parts of images downloaded from the internet or copied from any source whatsoever may be used in work entered.

    Monochrome Nature: (Digital Manipulation not allowed)

    • Monochrome is a black and white image.

    • In this category, all general rules as in nature colour photography applies except for the images to be in monochrome

    • Any general type of monochrome image which would not fit into any of the other categories may be entered in this category.

    • A similar image but in colour may not be entered in any other category.

    • 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. 

    • 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. 

    Monochrome Open: (Digital Manipulation allowed)

    1. Monochrome is a black and white image.

    2. In this category, the subject matter is totally open. Any general type of monochrome image which would not fit into any of the other categories may be entered in this category.

    3. A similar image but in colour may not be entered in any other category.

    4. 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.   

    5. 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. 

    6. 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.