Judging Criteria for the
NSS Photo Salon

Technical Criteria

Provide an image that is in focus and correctly exposed. 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).

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Provide an image that invokes humorous reaction.
  
• Portray bizarre situations.
  
• Capture odd juxtapositions.
  
• Provide title that invokes amusement when associated with image.

• 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

• 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