ART FESTA NATIONAL SALON 2024

NATURE

Nature Photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches
of natural history, except anthropology* and archaeology*, in such a fashion that a well- informed person will be able to identify the subject material and certify its honest presentation. (Suggested*: An example will be helpful to the New Jury). The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality.
1. Human elements must not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves.
2. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible.
3. Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic
animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible.
4. Techniques that add, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. Conversion to infrared, either by digital technique or by original technique is not allowed. Stitching of two or more image is not permitted.
5. Complete conversion to grey scale Monochrome is allowed but without partial or complete toning.
6. It is perfectly legal to remove dust, flares or digital noise. Minor global colour / tone correction is OK as long as it is not selective and the final image looks natural but not dramatic. Dodge and Burn tool is for you only but use it judiciously. Selective darkening of background is prohibited. Techniques like panning, slow shutter speed or in-exposure zooming are part of your creativity. Use of filters like Polarizers and NDs are ok.
7. Drone Photography in the National Parks of India is illegal except with prior written permission from the concerned authorities. Drone images of Wild animals will be disqualified.
8. Welfare of the subject is extremely important. Use of live bait is totally prohibited. Relocated nest is a big NO NO and jury members should not award Nest images. Images entered in Nature section meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with 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.