10. Rules - Annual Awards: Classifications and Guidelines.

Class 1: Open Mono - Any mono image not qualifying for any of the other classes.

• Monochrome images are defined as black and white work going from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) with the various shades of grey. A black and white image toned in a single colour will remain a monochrome work.

Class 2: Open Colour - Any colour image not qualifying for any of the other classes.

Class 3: Scapes - This class includes sea, sky, urban or rural “scapes” which are basically scenic views. Any human representation in the image should be kept to the bare minimum although human artifacts e.g. cottages, ruins, castles, fence posts etc. are acceptable. The basic integrity of the original image should be retained as far as possible.

Class 4: People - This class includes portraits where the purpose of the picture is to present the person(s) to the viewer in order for the visage, character or perhaps occupation of the subject to be appreciated.

• The class is extended to include people where the strict limitations for portraits do not apply. This will include Street Photography which is photography that features the human condition within public places. Street photography does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment.

Class 5: Creative - Creative photography is a form of the visual arts which seeks to employ the technology of photographic equipment and materials in order to create images which, through the input and personal expression of the photographer, stimulate the imagination, feelings and senses of the viewer. Such images may range from a single photograph through to abstract or imagined images that go beyond what could be captured simply by taking an image with a camera, often known as 'altered reality'. The original elements of the image must have been captured by the author using a photographic process. The final image could express a story, an idea, an emotion, a concept or something entirely abstract.

Class 6: Action - Any colour or monochrome image which captures an act or deed being performed. This may be by a person, animal or machine and may typically involve sport, work or leisure activity, usually with the subject in motion,

Class 7: Wildlife - The definition used by the PAGB is applicable here. This first defines Nature Photography and then defines further limitations for Wildlife. Note that Nature images that do not meet the Wildlife criteria should be entered in an Open class.

• 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.
• Images entered as Nature 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 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.
• Guidance: This definition is published by the PAGB and so any images meeting this definition can be used in EAF and PAGB competitions. However, take care when entering for distinctions, exhibitions and competitions sponsored by RPS, FIAP and other bodies as they may use the FIAP definition which is more onerous on cloning and the presence of human elements. Note that an image meeting the FIAP definition will automatically meet the above.

Reviewed February 2022