SECTION 5:  NOVICE

This section is for novice photographers only.

Unleash your creative vision in this theme-free category. Show us what catches your eye and stirs your imagination – whether it's the way sunlight plays across your morning coffee, a candid moment between friends, or an artfully staged scene you've dreamed up. Technical precision isn't our focus here; we want to see life through your lens, in your voice. Let your images tell stories, evoke emotions, or simply celebrate the act of photography itself. This is your space to experiment, express, and explore what makes your perspective uniquely yours. Your images can be colour, monochrome or a combination.

TIPS FOR SUBMISSION:

• Focus on subjects that genuinely interest you
• Share images that tell a story or evoke emotion
• Don't be afraid to experiment with different angles and perspectives
• Consider the basic elements of composition like framing and lighting
• You may submit photos taken with any camera device, including smartphones. The key is to show us your vision, whether it's a candid family moment, an interesting street scene, or a beautiful landscape that caught your eye.

For the purposes of this Exhibition, a novice photographer is one who:

• has been actively practicing photography for 3 years or less
• has not held any solo photography exhibitions
• does not work as a professional photographer
• does not earn an income for their photographic skill or the sale of their images



USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE:

Images created or modified using Generative AI (GEN-AI) technology are not permitted in this salon. Any submitted Generative AI image (in whole or in part) will be disqualified. Entrants are reminded that all parts of the image have to be photographed by the author who is holding the copyright of all works submitted.

ALLOWED EDITING TECHNIQUES:

• On-Camera - Utilizing on-camera features and settings for image enhancements such as focus stacking and High Dynamic Range (HDR).
• Post Processing – All traditional editing features are permitted, such as black & white conversion, content-aware adjustments and replacements, double exposures, composite images, dodging and burning, focus stacking, HDR (High Dynamic Range), long-exposure blending, and vignette. For AI tools, only masking, sharpening, noise reduction, and image upscaling are permitted.
• Background - A background you have photographed or created, as long as they are your original work and properly integrated into the final image. 
• Colour With Brush Tool – The brush strokes must be applied manually by the entrant, and no pre-made brushes or automated tools (e.g., AI-generated effects) are permitted. This ensures that the creative process is entirely the entrant’s work.
• Sky Replacement – Permitted provided that the replacement sky was captured by the entrant submitting the image.

EDITING TECHNIQUES THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED:

• Images that are entirely generated electronically with no photographic origin.
• Adding external elements (e.g., stock images, clipart, or AI-generated components) to a submitted image, unless all elements are entirely created by the photographer 
• Generative AI Content Fill, Remove and Expand.
• Brushes that include shapes, textures, or effects not created by the photographer (e.g., pre-made brushes of birds, snowflakes, or other designs).
• Photograph must not contain any decorative elements like frames, borders, pin-lines, or mats. This includes the edges and markings of scanned film. When the frame is integral to the captured image, for instance a window frame or door frame that has been captured by the camera, these elements are permitted.

Photographs must be in JPEG format, with dimensions 1920x1080 pixels at 300, JPEG compression (if Photoshop used for export): 7-12, file size maximum 4 Mb. Each image must have a unique title. Titles must not include file extensions such as .jpg or .jpeg (or any other camera capture filenames). No title or identification of the maker shall be written anywhere on the face of an image.