Digital Competition Categories

Category Descriptions (Abbreviation in parenthesis)

Nature (N)

(PSA) 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.

This definition does not limit nature photography to Wildlife subjects.  Scenics, zoo shots and game farm shots are fair game for the Nature Photographer as long as human elements are not visible. 
Image adjustments for this category are restricted. Please review the section Allowed Image Adjustments below.
To learn more, take a look at this article from the PSA journal entitled "Working With the PSA Nature and Wildlife Definitions" (though note that this document has not been updated with the more recent PSA allowances for HDR images.)

People / Portraits (P)

(MVCC) People and portraiture photography is use of the photographic medium to capture the image of a specific person or a group of people.
Typical images may be from posed situations like formal portraits or model shoots as well as more candid images capturing a person or people engaged in either indoor or outdoor activities. 

Photojournalism (J)

(PSA) Photojournalism is devoted to recording current events or situations to preserve them for the future. News, features, man and man's environment, human interest . . . . . all are included.
Photojournalism images shall consist of pictures or sequences with informative content and emotional impact, including human interest, documentary and spot news. The journalistic value of the photograph shall be considered over pictorial quality. In the interest of credibility, photographs which misrepresent the truth, such as manipulation to alter the subject matter, or situations which are set up for the purpose of photography, are unacceptable in Photojournalism
Image adjustments for this category are restricted. Please review the section Allowed Image Adjustments below.

Travel (T)

A Photo Travel image must express the feeling of a time and place, and portray a land, its people, or a culture in its natural state. Photo Travel images have no geographical limitations. Ultra close-ups, which lose their identity and studio-type model shoots, are unacceptable.
Techniques that add to, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted. Techniques that enhance the presentation of the image, without changing the photo travel 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.
Image adjustments for this category are restricted. Please review the section Allowed Image Adjustments below.

General (G)

(MVCC) General is an open category.  General photography is the use of the photographic medium as an art form. The emphasis is on interest, visual impact, composition, and technical excellence. Images are not confined to any particular subject, type, or style of photography. Subjects are broad, and include scenics, close-ups, buildings, glassware, domesticated animals, hybrid / cultivated plants and still-life.

Special techniques are also allowed, and include digital and darkroom manipulation. Techniques can include, but are not limited to, diffractions, use of distortion surfaces, black light, diazachrome, multiple exposures, use of trick lenses, selective focus and zoomed exposures.

Allowed Image Adjustments

(PSA) Basic Digital Guidelines applicable to Nature, Photo Travel and Photojournalism images: No elements may be moved, cloned, added, deleted, rearranged, combined or changed in any way that affects the integrity of the image content. No manipulation or modification is permitted except resizing, cropping, horizontal flipping (equivalent to reversing a slide), selective lightening or darkening, and restoration of original color of the scene. No special effect filters can be added or applied, and any sharpening must appear natural. 

Image adjustments allowed in Nature, Photo Travel and Photojournalism competitions are as follows: 

1) Exposure adjustment. 
2) White balance/color correction. 
3) Adjust highlight and shadow detail. 
4) Adjust contrast. 
5) Black & White Conversion (Grayscale only)
6) Adjust saturation. 
7) Dust spot removal. 
8) Noise removal. 
9) Flare removal. 
10) Cropping. 
11) Resizing. 
12) Straightening. 
13) Sharpening (including focus layering)
14) Reversing (flipping horizontal). Exception: This is not allowed in Photojournalism and Photo Travel images.  You should use caution on scenics.

All adjustments must look natural to be successful. 

NOTE: The judge is asked to consider the story telling value of a photograph more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality for Nature (N), Travel (T) and Photojournalism (J) images.