2022

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    CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

    NOTICE

    BEFORE AN ENTRANT IS PERMITTED TO SUBMIT AN ENTRY TO THIS EXHIBITION

    THE ENTRANT WILL BE REQUIRED TO AFFIRM THAT THEY HAVE READ AND ACCEPTS THESE CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

    AND ANY REFERENCED S4C POLICIES.

     

    Entrants are also automatically subscribed to the combined S4C/Coachella mailing list.

    This is a required condition of entering this Exhibition.

    This list is the sole means by which the Exhibition communicates results and other key information to entrants.

     

     

    Contents

    PSA/FIAP Statement on Subject Matter

    General Conditions of Entry

    Color Class (PID)

    Monochrome Class (PID)

    Nature Division

    Photojournalism Division

    PSA Statement On Subject Matter

    (Applies to all Sections)

    The fundamental rule that must be observed at all times and applies to all sections offered in exhibitions with FIAP patronage or PSA recognition 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 in any exhibition with FIAP patronage or PSA recognition.  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. This rule applies regardless of whether or not the creature being killed, injured or stressed is visible in the captured image.

     

    This policy also covers all forms of aerial photography. Entrants in PSA recognized exhibitions must comply with all relevant laws and regulations associated with aerial photography in the country in which the image was taken.

    General Conditions

    A. Image & Entry Requirements

    - What You Need to Know!

    1. Image Creation: Entries must originate as photographs (image captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally.
    2. Certification: By virtue of submitting an image, the entrant certifies the work as his or her own.  Images may not incorporate elements produced by anyone else (for example: clip art, images or art by others downloaded from the Internet). Aliases are not permitted. 
    3. Alteration and Computer Generation: Subject to Divisional restrictions (particularly Nature, Photo Travel, and Photojournalism - see right column), images may be altered, either electronically or otherwise, by the maker. Subject to the same Divisional restrictions, adjustments to enhance images or creatively modify images are allowed provided the underlying photograph is retained in a way that is obvious to the viewer. Images may not be constructed entirely within the computer.  Images must be the sole work of the author.
    4. Re-use of accepted images: Any  image that has been  accepted in this exhibition, past or present, may not be entered again in the same Division Star Ratings Class in any future instances of this exhibition.  It may, of course, be entered in any other PSA recognised exhibition but must always have the same title. Re-titling in another language is not allowed.
    5. Entry/Sections: An entry consists of up to and including four (4) images entered by a single Entrant into the same section. An entrant may only enter a single Section once.
    6. Reproduction: The entrant permits the sponsors to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to the exhibition. This may include low resolution posting on a website.  Note: Entrants who indicate that their images may not be reproduced or used “will not be eligible for awards” or inclusion in audio-visuals of the exhibition “and could be subject to disqualification” by the exhibition sponsors.
    7.  Copyright: The Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any misuse of copyright by anyone.

      Additionally, in this Exhibition:
    8. Digital Image Format: Digital images must be in JPEG format and not exceed 1,400 pixels in width and 1,280 pixels in height. Images larger than the permitted size will automatically be rejected along, if time permits,  with a request to resubmit a correctly sized image. There are no restrictions of filesize or of names of files (as distinct from restrictions on titles of images - see below).
    9. Entry Process: Only online entries using the entry process provided can be entered. Email and CD entries are not accepted.
    10. Compliance & Disqualification: The content of images must comply with these General Conditions and with the  Division and Section definitions listed on the right side of this page. Images that - in the sole opinion of the judges or the Exhibition Organizers - do not comply are likely to be disqualified (DQed) - that is, rejected - so the entrant may be aware of the problem when considering entry into other PSA-recognized exhibitions. A reason is given for such Disqualification. See the S4C Exhibition Policy on Disqualifications for more detail, and in particular that an original image capture may need to be provided to counter the exhibition organizers' or judges' decision regarding image disqualification.
    11. Identical Images: for purposes of 4 above, images are considered to be Identical Images if they are the same image or a like "in camera" or a "reproduction" duplicate of that image regardless of media, format, or title.
    12. Double Entry in Same Exhibition: An Image or an Identical or a near Identical Image - or a monochrome version of an image - can only be entered once in the same S4C Exhibition.
    13. ALL MEDAL-WINNING IMAGES AND RANDOMLY SELECTED OTHER IMAGES WILL BE CHECKED FOR ORIGINALITY OR COPYRIGHT VIOLATION.

    B. Image Titles

    - Do's and Dont's!

    1. Unique Titles: Each image must have a unique title that is a description of the image. That unique title must be used for entry of that image or of an identical Image  into any and all PSA-Recognized exhibitions.
    2. Content of Titles: Titles must be 35 characters or fewer. No titles may be visible to the judges, and nothing in the image may identify the maker. Titles may not include file extensions such as .jpg or .jpeg (or any other camera capture filenames such as IMG 471). Titles may not consist of personal identifiers possibly augmented by a number; or include words such as “untitled” or “no title”. Titles may not consist solely of numbers unless those numbers are prominently contained within the image, such as a contestant number in a race.
    3. Monochrome and Color Image Titles: Color and Monochrome images from the same capture that share substantial pictorial content in common will be considered the same image and must be given the same title.

    C. Fees

    - Thank You for Entering Our Exhibition!

    1. Fees and Payment: The entry fees are: 

      US$12 (Exhibition Fee) plus  US$6 per Section.

    2. All fees must either be paid via PayPal or by Credit Card using the Sponsor's online payment system. Cash or checks are NOT accepted.
    3. Due Date: Fees must be paid on or before the Closing Date of the Exhibition.Any entry without the appropriate fee having been paid will NOT be judged. 
    4. Discounts: Subject to certain conditions, discounts are available for combined entries of 10 or more entrants with a single payment. Contact s4cex-info@pcms-photo.org for details.

    D. Entrant Eligibility

    - Anyone Can Enter (almost)!

    1. Eligibility: With exception noted in the following paragraph, this exhibition is open to anyone; however, an entry may be rejected when the Sponsor or the Exhibition Organizers, in their reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to exhibition rules and these Conditions of Entry (see last section below of these General Conditions for additional detail). Membership in any photographic organization is not required.
    2. Sanctions and Penalties: Entries will not be accepted from any entrant who is currently sanctioned penalized  by PSA. Images will not be accepted that are currently banned by PSA. Entrance fees are NOT refundable in these circumstances. 
    3. Entrant: To receive proper Star ratings credit from PSA, entrants must provide their names and country exactly the same in each exhibition. Aliases are not permitted. Please contact PSA in the event of name changes or relocating to another country. Using one's name differently in different exhibitions exposes the entrant to the risk that many of their acceptances may not be recognized by Star Ratings.

    E. Exhibition Operations

    - How We Run the Exhibition!

    1. Exhibition Process: This Exhibition will be conducted in accordance with the rules of PSA.
    2. Entry Presentation: An entrant's images will not be presented to the judges consecutively. An entrant's four images will be distributed through four rounds of judging in that section. Distribution of images will be in the same round order as submitted by the entrant. However, in this exhibition, once having scored the images, judges may then jump around the order and re-consider their scores.
    3. Image Preview: Every image entered is previewed by experienced members of our team. If they spot an image that does not comply with these Conditions of Entry, the entrant is given the opportunity to replace their image before it reaches the judging stage.
    4. Remote Judging: This exhibition is judged remotely over the Internet. First, judges independently score each image from wherever they are located; judges have the time to consider and re-consider their scores over several days. Second, judges collaborate via videoconference to select Medals and HMs. Images are always presented full size to each judge.
    5. Acceptance Range: No more than 35% of all images entered into a given Section will be accepted. This Exhibition also sets as a target that no fewer than 29% of all images entered into a given Section will be accepted.
    6. Judge Viewing: Images are viewed by the judges on computer monitors with resolution at least 1400W x 1280H pixels that can display the images in their native resolution without re-sizing. That is, monitors  must be capable of displaying the images at 100% of the image's resolution, and the images must be displayed at exactly of their resolution (that is, the images will not be enlarged beyond 100% of their resolution).
    7. Monitors: Judges are required to use color-calibrated monitors.
    8. Exhibition Catalog/Gallery: The official catalog of the Exhibition will be in the form of a PDF downloadable from the Exhibition website. Other catalogs containing images or with links to images will also be made available. These catalogs will also constitute on-line galleries. For examples of catalogs and on-line galleries from prior year S4c exhibitions, click here.

      Additionally, in this Exhibition:
    9. Awards and Honorable Mentions: PSA medals (Best of Show) will be sent by first-class mail by the date specified in the Overview. At most 2 attempts will be made to deliver the medal at Exhibition expense in the event of failed deliveries. All other awards, including Honorable Mentions, will be delivered electronically in the form of certificates by the same date. Entrants may choose to print these certificates locally or store them in electronic format for later viewing.
    10. Judge Recusal: Image scores by judges who are close relatives or partners of the entrant will not be counted in the total score of that image. An average of the other judges’ scores will be used. Such images are also not eligible for medals or honorable mentions, although they may be accepted into the Exhibition. Judges may not enter any Division/Section that they are judging.
    11. Exhibition Catalog/Gallery: The official catalog of the Exhibition will be in the form of a PDF downloadable from the Exhibition website. Other catalogs and galleries containing images or with links to images will also be made available.  For examples of catalogs and on-line galleries from prior year S4C exhibitions, click here.

    F. Important Notifications

    - What You Are Agreeing To!

    1. Breaches of Rules: If, at any time, it is determined in the reasonable discretion of the exhibition organizer or the judges before, during, or after the judging of an exhibition that an entrant has submitted entries where one or more images may fail to comply with these Conditions of Entry, including the stated definitions, the exhibition organizers reserve the right to delete the entry from the exhibition and void any or all acceptances or awards in connection with the exhibition. Fees may be forfeited or refunded in these circumstances. The entrant acknowledges that the decision of the exhibition organizers or the judges is final

       In order to ensure that images comply with the Conditions of Entry and definitions, the exhibition organizers may carry out reasonable measures to verify that:

      a) the images are the original work of the entrant and
      b) the images comply with the rules and definitions as set out in these Conditions of Entry.

      These steps include, but are not limited to, questioning any entrant, requiring the submission of RAW files or other digital files representing the original capture of the submitted image(s), confronting the entrant with evidence that one or more submitted images fails to comply with the Conditions of Entry (also known as Entry Rules), and offering the entrant a reasonable opportunity to provide counter evidence to refute the exhibition organizer’s evidence by a set deadline. Such entries that are not cleared or are still questionable after the entrant has presented evidence may be considered in breach of these Conditions of Entry, and declined. Such entries may be referred to PSA for further investigation of possible ethics violations.

      PSA retains the right to investigate in any way all complaints/suspicions of breaches of entry conditions, impose sanctions if deemed necessary, void the acceptances of any image found to violate the PSA rules, include the entrant’s name on the list of sanctions provided to Exhibitions, and share such investigations with FIAP. Entrants automatically agree to these terms by the act of entering the Exhibition and agree to cooperate with any investigation.

      If another party is submitting images on the entrant’s behalf, the entrant will still be held responsible for adhering to these Conditions of Entry (Entry Rules) and will be subject to sanction for any violations to these Conditions of Entry and PSA’s Statement of Ethics that may result. If another party is processing images for an entrant or submitting images on the entrant’s behalf, the entrant will still be held responsible for adhering to all Conditions of Entry including the specific conditions in the relevant definitions.
    2. Posting: By virtue of submitting an entry, the entrant permits the Sponsor to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for display and/or publication in media related to the exhibition. This may include low resolution posting on a website. Entrants who indicate that their images may not be reproduced or used will not be eligible for awards and they and the offending images will not be eligible for inclusion in the audio-visuals of the Exhibition. Furthermore the offending images could be subject to disqualification at the sole discretion of the Exhibition Sponsors.
    3. Image Disqualification: Images may be disqualified (DQed) from competition and not scored or accepted if the Exhibition Organizers or the Exhibition Judges decide that the image does not conform to these Conditions of Entry. In such cases no refund of fees will be made to the entrant. The Exhibition Organizers make reasonable efforts to review entered images for conformance to these Conditions of Entry and may give the Entrant the opportunity to submit replacement images if the Exhibition Organizers believe that the original submission should be disqualified. Such opportunity for resubmission may only be offered if the image is submitted in ample time before the Closing Date of the Exhibition.
    4. Email List: By virtue of submitting an entry, the Entrant further accepts that his/her email address will be used for communicating information about this Exhibition; may be used for announcements of future PSA-recognized exhibitions sponsored by either the Sponsor or by the PSA Council of which the Sponsor is a member (the Southern California Council of Camera Clubs); and may be used by PSA as indicated in the next paragraph. The Entrant may opt out of this email list after the Exhibition by notifying s4cex-info@pcms-photo.org.
    5. Sharing of Information with PSA and other organizations: By entering this exhibition, the entrant is explicitly consenting to the personal details supplied by the entrant, including email addresses, being held, processed and used by the exhibition organizers for purposes associated with this exhibition. The entrant also explicitly consents to such information being sent to organizations that have accorded official recognition, patronage or accreditation to this exhibition. The entrant acknowledges and accepts that entering this exhibition means that the status and results of the associated entry may be made public. 

      Such information is used , for example, in connection with PSA's Star Ratings and Distinctions' programs, and its Who's Who and Image of the Year activities.

       ALERT: opting out before the Exhibition catalogs are posted can result in the Entrant not receiving important Exhibition status information such as scorecards and the posting of the Catalog.

    Division/Section Conditions

    Projected Image Division:             Color Class

    There are two sections:

    Color General and Color Theme (Animals - not humans!).

     

    Please click here to enter or use the tab above.

     

    Images must meet the requirements of the General Conditions at left. Also, images eligible for entry into the PID Monochrome Class (see below) may NOT be entered into this Exhibition's PID Color Class. Spot color images with a greyscale background, however, may be entered.

     

    Section 1: Color General

    There are no other restrictions on content.

     

    Section 2.: Theme (Animals - mammals - but not humans -reptiles, birds, fish, invertebrates- including insects, shellfish etc).No human or part of human may be visible.

     

     

    The image must be eligible for this Division (see Important Note above) and be dominated by one or more members of the animal kingdom excluding human beings. 

     

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    Projected Image Division: Monochrome Class

    There are two sections:

    Monochrome General and Monochrome Theme (Human Expression).

     

    Please click here to enter or use the tab above.

     

    Images must meet the requirements of the General Conditions at left and the Requirements for a Monochrome Image (see below).

     

    Section 1: Monochrome General

    Any Monochrome Image may be entered into this Section. The content is unrestricted.

     

    Section 2: Monochrome Theme (Human Expression)

     Any Monochrome Image may be entered that is dominated by one or more human beings that strongly display expressive feelings such as joy, pain, anger, grief, longing, fear, etc.

     

    Requirements for a Monochrome Image

    An image is considered to be Monochrome only if it gives the impression of having no color (i.e. contains only shades of gray which can include pure black and pure white) OR it gives the impression of being a grayscale image that has been toned in one color across the entire image (for example by sepia, red, gold, etc.).

     

    A grayscale or multi-colored image modified or giving the impression of having been modified by partial toning, multi toning or by the inclusion of spot coloring does not meet the definition of monochrome and shall be classified as a Color Work.

     

    In addition, for the purposes of this exhibition:

    Borders, if any, must be colored the same as the overall image, that is, in shades of grey for a greyscale image; or toned in the same color as the rest of the image for a toned image. Pure black and pure white are acceptable shades of any color.

     

    Monochrome images may not be entered into PID Color  sections.

     

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    Nature Division

    There are two sections:

    Nature General and  Nature Wildlife. 

     

    Please click here to enter or use the tab above.

     

    Images must meet the requirements of the General Conditions at left and must meet the requirements for Nature Photography (see below).

     

    Attention is drawn to the PSA Statement on Subject Matter (which applies to all sections). This is shown at the top of this page.

     

    Section 1: General

    Images entered into this Section may be any image that meets the below requirements for Nature Photography and the below specific requirements of this Exhibition.

     

    Images entered in Nature General meeting these requirements can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant (that is, still in existence) 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. 

     

    Section 2: Wildlife 

    Images entered into this Section must meet the below requirements for Nature Photography, the below requirements for Wildlife Photography, and the below specific requirements of this Exhibition.

     

    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 Nature Wildlife sections in this Exhibition.

     

    Nature 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.

     

    Requirements for Nature Photography

    (applies to both sections): 

    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 color 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.

    Wildlife Photography

    (applies to Section 2, Wildlife Photography): 

     

    In addition to the restrictions on Nature photography, to be eligible for any Wildlife award images must meet the following conditions:

    • Zoological organisms must be living free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat of their own choosing. 
    • Images of zoological organisms that have been removed from their natural habitat, are in any form of captivity or are being controlled by humans for the purpose of photography are not allowed. 
    • Botanical organisms may not be removed from their natural environment for the purpose of photography. 
    • Images that have been staged for the purpose of photography are not allowed.  

    In addition, for the purposes of this Exhibition, applying to both Sections:

    • Any border added must be a single border of white or grey, between 3 and 5 pixels in width. (Entrants are, however, advised that borders of less than 5 pixels may appear incomplete in the smaller images used in the final Catalog due to jpeg artifacts.).
    • Greyscale images are permitted but toned images are not permitted.

    Entrants are encouraged to read the PSA Nature Division "GUIDE FOR NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND JUDGES"  for further clarification.

     

     Only Wildlife photographs may be entered in the Wildlife Section. Photos elible for the Wildlife Section may also be entered in the General  Section (subject to the Re-Entry rules in General Conditions).

     

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    Photojournalism

    There are two sections: Photojournalism General and Photojournalism Human Interest. 

     

    Please click here to enter or use the tab above.

     

    Images must meet the requirements of the General Conditions at left and must meet the Requirements for Photojournalism (see below), including the special requirements for this Exhibition regarding toned images, vignettes, fisheye techniques , and borders.

     

    Section 1: Photojournalism General: Any image that meets the Requirements for Photojournalism specified below.

    Section 2: Theme (Human Interest)

    In addition to meeting the Requirements for Photojournalism, Human Interest images must depict a person or persons in an interactive, emotional or unusual situation, excluding sports action. 

     

    Requirements for Photojournalism images

    (applies to both sections): 

    Photojournalism images are images with informative content and emotional impact, reflecting the human presence in our world. The journalistic (story-telling) value of the image shall receive priority over pictorial quality. In the interest of credibility, images that misrepresent the truth, such as those from events or activities arranged specifically for photography or of subjects directed or hired for photography, are not eligible.

     

    Techniques that add, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. The only allowable modifications are removal of dust, scratches or digital noise, restoration of the existing appearance of the original scene, sharpening that is not obvious, and conversion to greyscale monochrome. Derivations, including infrared, are not eligible.

     

    In addition, for the purposes of this Exhibition, applying to both Sections:

    • Toned images are not allowed. Any monochrome image entered met be entirely grayscale monochrome.
    • Vignettes and fisheye techniques are not allowed.
    • Any border added must be a single border of white or grey, between 3 and 5 pixels in width. (Entrants are, however, advised that borders of less than 5 pixels may appear incomplete in the smaller images used in the final Catalog due to jpeg artifacts.).
    • In addition to the above, all adjustments must appear natural

    Entrants are encouraged to read the PSA PJ Division "ILLUSTRATED DEFINITION OF PHOTOJOURNALISM" for more clarification.

     

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