Nature Division

Images must conform to this Exhibition's General Conditions of Entry and PSA's Statement on Subject Matter

• Section 1  Nature 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: Nature 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.

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).