Nature Definition
At AVCC, in all our competitions we follow the PSA's Nature Definition, excerpted from the PSA web-site immediatley below.
PSA Nature 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 while maintaining high technical quality. Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements enhance the nature story. The presence of scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals is permissible. Photographs of artificially produced hybrid plants or animals, mounted specimens, or obviously set arrangements, are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement. No techniques that add to, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted. Techniques that enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the nature story or the pictorial content are permitted. All adjustments must appear natural. The removal, or manipulation, of colors contained within the original image to enable the production of monochrome images is permitted.
A good way to remember the rules is: "NO HAND OF MAN" is permitted in a nature image.
To see examples of the nature definition, view Sue Abrahamsen's Nature Definition Slide Show.
The table below summarizes the adjustments one is permitted to make to a nature image.
