Image Evaluation: Nature
| Evaluator: | David Meisenheimer, APSA, EPSA |  |
| Contact Address: | 15938 Bridle Ridge Drive Monument, CO 80132 |
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| Phone #: | 719-481-2347 | |
| E-mail: |  |
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| Definition: | Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict observations from all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archeology, in such a fashion that a well informed person will be able to identify the subject material and to certify as to its honest presentation. The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality. Human elements shall not be present, except on the rare occasion where those human elements enhance the nature story. The presence of scientific bands on wild animals is acceptable. Photographs of artificially produced hybrid plants or animals, mounted specimens, or obviously set arrangements, are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation, manual or digital, that alters the truth of the photographic statement. Authentic Wildlife is defined as one or more organisms living free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat. Therefore, photographs of zoo animals or photographs of game farm animals regardless of the game farm’s use of wildlife terminology are not considered wildlife images Makers may perform any digital enhancements and modifications that improve the presentation of the image that could have been done at the time the image was taken, but that does not change the truth of the original nature story. Cropping and horizontal flipping (equivalent to reversing a slide) are acceptable modifications. Addition of elements, removal of elements other than by cropping, combining elements from separate images, rearranging elements or cloning elements are not acceptable.” |
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| References: |
PSA Nature Division Links Page
Florida Birds July 2006 (pdf) (as published in the January 2007, PSA Journal and provided here with permission of the author and PSA). |
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