Judging Criteria
for
NSS Photo Salon
Technical Criteria
Provide an image that is in focus and correctly explosed.
The following are considered defects:
Sections of frame not correctly exposed.
Over-exposure ("burned in" so no detail is
present)
Under-exposure (insufficient light on area of interest)
Sections of frame out of focus.
Image not sharp when it should be.
Not correctly focused
Camera or subject moved during exposure
Blurred by water on lens
Inappropriate depth of field
Double images (overlapping images caused by multiple flashes).
"Worms" (streaks of light created by moving a light with lens open).
Scratch on film.
Artistic Criteria
Provide an image that has a pleasing arrangement of objects,
lines, contrasts, and colors.
Use horizontal or vertical format when appropriate.
Have a strong center of interest.
Position center of interest following "Rule of Thirds"[1]
Have cavers look into the center of the frame or towards the camera.
Leave open space in the direction a person is headed.
Align less significant elements so as to draw attention to center of interest.
Avoid backgrounds which distract from center of interest.
Crop edges of frame to fill the frame or eliminate distractions.
Effectively employ direction and intensity of lights.
Front-lighting, side-lighting, back-lighting.
Hard light, soft light, hard shadows, soft shadows.
Key light, fill light, highlight.
The following are considered defects:
Frame not level.
Significant objects "cropped".
Most significant object "too centered".
Person on edge of frame looking out of the frame.
Distracting shadows or beams of light. Burst of light from the flash is in
picture when not appropriate.
Reflection from person's glasses
Unusual object in picture (often placed in it for scale).
Impact Criteria
Provide an unusual point of view.
Stir viewer's imagination.
Convey a sense of action in progress.
Capture excited or intriguing facial expressions
Invoke an emotional impact.
Cause the viewer to associate with image based on their experiences.
Convey a message.
The following are considered defects:
Image is boring.
People in frame appear "posed" - lack of a sense of movement.
Out-of place or distracting facial expressions.
Lack of color when appropriate or ineffective use of color.
Caver Appeal
Provide an image with subjects that have strong appeal
to the caver community.
The following are general suggestions:
Scenes of cavers on rope, in tight crawlways, or in water
passages invoke strong interest.
In general scenes that portray people caving invoke more interest than those
that only show a cave feature, or a static person looking at a cave feature.
Photos of cave formations invoke interest to the extent the formation is unusual
or is presented from an unusual point of view.
Humor Criteria
Provide an image that invokes humorous reaction.
Portray bizarre situations.
Capture odd juxtapositions.
Provide title that invokes amusement when associated with image.
Enhanced and Surreal Imagery [2]
Provide an image that is unusual and captures the interest
of the viewer.
Manipulate photographic image with a computer in a noticeable way.
Photograph a montage of previous photographs
Enhance a slide with a gel or multiple gels
Demonstrate non-standard lighting
Light scene with carbide lamp.
Trace object with colored light during long exposure.
Cause cave formation to fluoresce
Include multiple images.
Multiple exposures of same film with objects in different positions
Multiple exposures of same film using different focal lengths
Long exposure of moving object
Use special filters
Colored
Diffraction grating
Multiple image
Develop film with unusual processing
Include unusual subjects.
Models in atypical attire
Subjects performing uncommon actions
General Criteria
The following types of entries will not be accepted
for judging [3]
Not related to caves or caving
Promotes unsafe caving practices
Depicts practices flagrantly violating cave conservation ethics
Depicts practices flagrantly detrimental to land owner relations
Pornographic images
Written by Paul & Lee Stevens
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Imagine a pair of parallel lines dividing picture into
thirds horizontally and another pair of lines dividing picture into thirds vertically.
The most significant visual element of the frame should be placed where two
of the lines intersect.
[2] Judged based upon the image presented, not the technique
used to obtain it. The image does not have to be natural to caves, but must
be related to caves. The impact of the image is more important than satisfying
the traditional photographic criteria.
[3] Unless they are likely to be perceived as educational
or humorous by an audience of cavers.
