Photo comp rules

[Tortoise]

Just wondering re the photo comp rules:

Basic photo manipulation is allowed including: Panorama stitching, levels, curves, HDR.

The 'including' suggests it's not a complete list - while the comps are obviously not intended to 'photoshop' competitions.

I'm thinking that a little cropping would be more basic than the types of manipulation mentioned. It's needed anyway for normal printing sizes from compact cameras - so I routinely give myself a bit extra to play with, giving myself a little extra choice for the final print. Is this legit for the competitions?

I'd also like to do a little dodging or burning - again, a fairly basic old darkroom method, I think less dramatic than the colour manipulations mentioned. Can this be legit or not?

Not sure who to ask, so I thought I'd start here.

[Tortoise]

oops - probably should have put it in Games & Competitions...

[wildwalks]

Hi Tortoise

It sounds like you are on the right track with you thinking. It is obviously very difficult to draw a line in the sand with these types of rules. Traditional darkroom techniques seem reasonable - crop, re-frame (re-align center of image), exposure and colour balance correction (such as dodging and burning) all seem fair to me. I think as along at the final images closely remembers the original image then all is good.

Try to retain the EXIF data for the image so that system can check the image date at upload.

Hope that helps.

I look forward to seeing the image

Matt

[Tortoise]

Thanks Matt. Might have to try to get my act together now

[Tortoise]

Hi again, Matt. Seems that doing anything to an image in GIMP deletes the stored info re that image. I've attached the original file to the email for 'proof of date' - not sure if that's the best way to handle it or not. I get easily bamboozled by technical stuff

[doogs]

shouldn't the September Poll Be up and running??

[wildwalks]

Sorry Dogs -- yep it should have been done a few days ago.
My bad - there was a problem with the photocomp module and life has been very busy -- but got it fixed this arvo.
thanks for the prompt.

Matt