WCPF Category Definitions
Nature
Nature means Images where living organisms are the primary subject matter. The story telling value of an Image will normally be weighed more than the pictorial quality.
Nature includes:
- Images taken with subjects in controlled conditions such as zoos, game parks, botanic gardens, aquariums and enclosures where the subjects are dependent on man for food. Scientific bands, tags or collars are permissible.
Nature excludes:
- Images where the subjects are obviously domestic animals or plants.
- Images where an obviously artistic treatment has been applied.
Processing of the captured image, by cropping, exposure adjustment, colour correction, noise minimisation, dodging/burning, HDR, focus stacking and sharpening, is permitted, as is cloning of image defects and minor distractions including overlapping elements.
An Image appearing to meet these criteria will be accepted as Nature. The Judges will normally assume that any Image presented to them is eligible.
Access to some biological subjects may be restricted. Where that is relevant, then Photographers warrant that they have followed relevant codes of practices and hold any necessary licences.
Portrait
An image of a human, which can be either in a studio or in a more informal setting, and can be anything from a study of the head and shoulders to a full length subject.
Landscape
To include the landmass, but not to include a building or people as the major subject, although they can be included as a minor element of the picture if they add to the scene. Water and managed landscape can be included, including coastal scenes.
Close-up(Macro)
Any subject which is recorded in such a way as to not fit the whole frame owing to the closeness of the camera to the subject. The subject does not have to be larger than life size, although true macro images are included in the category, and can be of any subject matter.
Open Category
An image for submission in the Open category can be edited ( or not ) completely at the individual photographer’s own interpretation.
Creative Category
A Creative image is one noticeably different from an image as viewed through the camera lens. The submitted image must have originated as image or images captured by media sensitive to light or other electromagnetic radiation. All elements of the image must have been captured or generated by the creator of the image. The use of third party images such as clip art is not allowed. All creative techniques including combined images and montages and HDR are acceptable.
Monochrome
Monochrome Images include:
- An Image in tones of neutral grey ranging from transparent/white to opaque/black.
- An Image in a single colour:
- A Print using a chemical process such as sepia, cyanotype, etc.
- A digitally produced Image ‘colorized’ in a single hue
Colour Images
All images other than those above are defined as colour images.A black and white image which has been modified by the addition of partial toning or by the addition of one colour to any part of the image is a Colour Image.