Page 30 - Cape-Camera-May-June-2025

May-June 2025 Cape Camera Cape Camera May-June 2025

Which edits are legal in Nature?

Manipulation of Nature images is an area where salon entrants often unwit-

tingly transgress the international rules that PSSA also follows. This is often
because entrants do not understand what you may do, and what not, when
editing images for a Nature category, where manipulation is prohibited. The

illustrations on these pages are from a presentation Jill SNeeSby did at the
2024 PSSA Congress in Parys. The presentation was also showen to CTPS mem-
bers at the end of last year when Francois Roux discussed manipulation.

Since PSSA started checking the winning images in non- A: Enhancing an image’s details involves refining ele-
manipulation categories, it was concerning to realise how ments already present in the photograph, which is ac-
many Nature images were manipulated — often without ceptable, as it does not alter the reality of the scene, but
the author realising that they were transgressing. improves clarity. Applying a blurred background during
To assist salon entrants, answers to questions members post-processing constitutes a significant alteration to
asked about Nature edits, were published on the PSSA the original image.
website. These guidelines ensure that the photograph Q: May I darken the background in a Nature photo?
remains a truthful representation of the scene as origi- A: Excessively darkening the background is considered
nally captured. For example: manipulation because it alters the natural lighting and
Q: Why may I sharpen a Nature photo, but I may not blur environmental context of the scene. While adjustments
the background? to exposure or contrast are generally accept- To p31

Removing and adding elements are not allowed. In Nature categories it is strictly prohibited to edit an image
so that elements that were originally captured (above left) disappear (above right). Even though the effect (right) could
be achieved with a change in depth of field, that is not how the image was captured.
In Nature you may not add any element to the scene you captured (below left). The image below right will be disqualified.

30 Cape Town Photographic Society