Burpengary Camera Club
Critique Explained
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2024 / 2025 Image Definitions
NOTE: images may be presented in colour or monochrome across all themes
Doorways (Do)
An image showing a building doorway. The image can be colour or monochrome. A doorway is described as the space in a wall through which you enter or leave a room or building - the space where a door can open or close.
Mono (M)
An image of any subject presented in the full black and white spectrum
Low Light (LL)
Low light photography encompasses capturing images in dimly lit conditions with minimal ambient light available. It can be anything from subdued indoor lighting to low light night photography.
Animals (A)
Images of living untamed or domesticated animals (including pets) in natural or other outdoor environments that may include objects made by humans. Images may feature single or multiple animals. Indoor set-ups with natural or artificial lighting are not allowed. Creative post-processing, including composites is allowed.
Scapes (Sc)
A pictorial representation of land, sea, seashore, or urban environments that captures the aesthetic appeal of these outdoor settings. It brings the viewer into the scenery and perfectly captures the settings, mood and feeling in the location. It can focus on wide angle shots of landforms, rivers, estuaries, seas, seashores, city skylines, streetscapes and the like. It may also involve closer shots of features of these environments. If humans or animals are in the image they should not be the main focus but rather be intentionally present ot give a sense of scale to the image.
People / Portrait (P)
An image of a person or people from the waist up or a full length shhot. This amy include accessories an bcakgrounds in character with the subject. The image may be taken in a formal studio setting or in the community at large. It may be in colour or monochrome. Must be a live human being (mannikins, statues or ornamnents will not be accepted)
Aged (A)
An image that shows a life long lived. Can be animate or inanimate including humans, animals, buildings, cars, books - anything that is showing old age. May be in colour or monochrome.
Open (O)
Images that do not fit any other category and may be either colour or monochrome. The subject content is unrestricted and may include creative images with all forms of manipulation permitted excluding AI
Freeze Frame (FF)
Use your settings on your camera to stop the movement that is happening in your photo. As the photographer you want to get your shutter speed & aperture to work together to create a sharp photo, freezing the motion of your subject
BLACK AND WHITE (BW)
Black and white photography is the art of using different tones of grey, ranging from white to black, to create compelling images. Black and white photography removes any distraction of colour and helps the viewer focus on other aspects of the photo, such as the subject, the texures, shapes and patterns, and the composition.
Nature (N)
•Uses the APS Interpretation of the 2021 International Natures Definition.
•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.
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Passed definitions from the Tewantin Shield inter club competition 12-11-2023
People (P)
A photograph of a person or people that can be close-up portrait, or whole/part body. The person/s in the photograph must be the focal subject however the image could also depict their environment or a broader scene. Can be candid or posed. Must be a live human being (manikins, statues, ornaments will not be accepted).
Pictorial (Pi)
A picture of any subject which has strong pictorial appeal, i.e. good composition and lighting. Can be colour or monochrome, except where stated ‘Monochrome Open’ colour images will not be accepted.
Rust (RU)
An image that shows the weathering and oxidisation on any ferrous metal
Texture (TE)
an image showing the surface texture of any manmade or natural material.
Rust is excluded from this category
Scapes (SC)
An image featuring an expansive view without humans dominating the scene - urban, rural, sea, sky scapes, and traditional landscapes are all included in this category. A landscape is a photograph of natural scenery with land and sky based elements displayed in a pictorial fashion. It may include evidence of man, people, animals, even part of the sea provided that none of these addional elements dominate the photograph. A seascape is a photograph of natural coastal scenery, a wave study, or a picture of the open sea, provided always that the sea is the centre of interest of the photograph. People, boats and man-made structures may be present as incidental to the photograph. (APS definition)
Social documentary (SD)
Social documentary photography is the recording of what the world looks like, with a social and/or environmental focus, and aims to draw the public`s attention to ongoing social or environmental issues. it is often associated with the photographer providing a critical review/assessment of these issues and how people act on them. in these cases, the photographer also often advocates for the people impacted, trying to draw the public`s attention to the topic documented. images need to be black and white (grey tonal range) and not toned with any colour.
Architecture (A)
Pictures depicting the interior or exterior of any manmade structure portraying the surface texture, lighting, colour, or geometry and emphasising the character or beauty of the structure. People, statues and fountains may be included but not be the dominant point of the image.
Food Photography (FP)
Food photography encompasses images where food is the main or prominent element within the frame. This genre allows for the inclusion of people engaging with the food, provided that their involvement contributes to conveying a narrative.
Creative (C)
Creative or experimental photographs display a novel effect because of an unusual combination of objects and /or unusual viewpoint. Photographs in which the images have been modified during or after exposure by using an experimental technique are also eligible in Creative/Experimental sections. The photograph must always have a basic photographic image. Digital manipulation processes may be employed provided the original photograph was exposed by the entrant. (APS definition)
Long Exposure (LE)
LONG EXPOSURE : Long-exposure, time-exposure, or slow-shutter photography involves using a longduration shutter speed to sharply capture the stationary elements of images while blurring, smearing, or obscuring the moving elements. Long exposure photography captures one element that conventional photography does not: an extended period of time.
Action (A)
A person or people doing something in a non-leisurely manner. E.g. sport, emergency, at play or at work.
Nature (N)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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
Subject Matter Statement
The fundamental rule that must be observed at all times is that the welfare of living creatures is more important than any photograph. This means that practices such as baiting of subjects with a living creature and removal of birds from nests, for the purpose of obtaining a photograph, are highly unethical, and such photographs are not allowed. Under no circumstances may a living creature be placed in a situation where it will be killed, injured or stressed for the purpose of obtaining a photograph. Images that show live creatures being fed to captive animals, birds or reptiles are not permitted under any circumstances.
There are also concerns about the use of aerial photography, drones, helicopters, low flying aircraft. These should not cause any interference with other individuals or animals which causes a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupt the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment. Entrants must comply with all relevant laws and regulations, associated with aerial photography, in the country in which the image was taken.
(APS definition)