YPS International Digital Salon 2022

Specific to this Salon

The following rules are specific to this Salon. We encourage you to read the remaining terms and conditions and familiarize yourself before uploading pictures.

• The following types of pictures will be disqualified in this Salon:
  1. Pictures of women/men in partial or full nudity that may be inappropriate for view by people of all ages.
  2. Pictures of bird nests, birds feeding young ones and other similar pictures that may endanger the lives of the subject.
  3. Pictures of animals and birds in captivity.
• Pictures already accepted in earlier YPS Salons are not allowed to be uploaded to this Salon. This is in line with the Rules laid out by many of the organizations that have provided patronage to this Salon. To help participants recall their pictures that have been accepted in the past YPS Salons, we have added a facility to view their pictures accepted in YPS Salons since 2016, where they have participated using the same email ID. The final responsibility of adhering to this Rule is with the participant.
• Pictures that have close resemblance to another picture of the same author that has already been accepted in a past YPS salon or has been submitted by the author under another section in the same salon will be disqualified. Pictures that have only minor differences to the point that one picture could be easily mistaken for the other fall under this category.
• Picture Titles are mandatory and should be less than 35 characters.

Useful features

The Salon software has certain useful features that help you maximize your participation.

• At the time of upload, you can see at the bottom, the pictures that have been accepted in past YPS Salons.
• Pictures can be deleted and replaced and title can be updated any time till the last date.
• In case a picture selected for upload does not conform to size specifications, a resize guide is displayed suggesting how to resize.
• A back-end review team reviews each picture uploaded. In case the picture does not conform to the Salon rules an email notification is sent. Please replace the notified picture or reply if you are not in agreement. We may not be able to do this for pictures uploaded in the last minute.

General Terms and Conditions

Eligibility

• Photographers from all countries can participate - Individual Photographers of any country or origin can participate in the Salon except those in the sanctioned lists of PSA, FIAP and FIP.
• Persons in Sanctioned Lists will not be allowed to participate - Persons found to be in the sanctioned list / red list / barred list of PSA, FIAP, FIP and any of the bodies providing patronage to this salon will not be allowed to participate. A notification is shown when the user registers. If you think that you have been wrongly matched, please get in touch with us for review.
• Jury members and Members of the Salon Committee shall not participate.
• Only one registration per person is permitted - Each person can participate under only one identification. Creating multiple login accounts for the same person using different emails is prohibited and will cause all entries to be disqualified. Fees collected, if any, will be refunded for such duplicate registrations.

Rules for Registration & Uploading

• Register with complete and correct details - At the time of registering please make sure that the details entered are complete and correct. YPS will not be responsible for inconveniences caused on account of incorrect details entered while registering.
• Fees must be paid upfront - Participants will be able to upload pictures only after payment of required fees. Fees once paid is not refundable unless otherwise agreed by the Salon Committee.
• Entries must be submitted only through the Salon web-site - Only pictures submitted through this website will be considered for the contest. Pictures received through emails or other means will not be considered for the salon.
• Upload under correct sections - It is the responsibility of the participants to upload the photographs under the correct section. Photographs not matching the section under which they are uploaded will be disqualified during judging. Please verify the sections after uploading to make sure that you have uploaded under correct sections. You can remove an uploaded picture and re-upload again under the correct section any time till the last date for submission. If there is a doubt about whether a picture will qualify under a section, please refer to the definition of the sections available on this web-site. Here are some general conditions related to sections:
  • Photographs not matching the section under which they are uploaded will be disqualified during judging.
  • Monochrome images cannot be entered under the COLOR Open Section.
  • Full color or partially colored images cannot be entered under MONOCHROME Open Section.
  • Grayscale images are permitted under the restricted sections of NATURE and TRAVEL. But toned images are not allowed under these sections.
• All images must include an image title – Entries without a title are not accepted. If proper titles are not provided on or before the day/s of the judging, those images shall not be presented to the jury or will be rejected during judging. In such cases with invalid titles, the same will not be validated for PSA Star rating or included in the Who’s Who publication. Titles must be in English with no accented characters and cannot exceed 35 characters as per PSA requirements.
• Submit correct titles for images — While we do monitor and screen entries for invalid titles, it is the responsibility of the entrant to mention accurate titles during the time of uploading his/her entries. YPS will not create titles of images entered by the entrant/s.
• NUDES NOT Allowed in this Salon - Pictures of human beings, with the exception of toddlers, in partial or full nudity, that are inappropriate for view by children will be rejected.
• Pictures endangering nature are not allowed - Pictures of bird nests, birds feeding young ones and similar other pictures that may endanger the lives of the subject are not allowed for submission.
• Images Accepted in earlier YPS Salons are not allowed - Pictures that have already been accepted in the past YPS Salons are not eligible to be submitted again in this Salon. The rule applies irrespective of the title under which it was submitted or the category or section under which it was submitted. Participants are required to conform to this while uploading.
• Same picture cannot be submitted under multiple sections - A picture can be submitted only under one section in the salon. A picture cannot be submitted under multiple sections either in its original size and color or in cropped format or in color converted format.
• Restrictions on Borders — Decorative/Wide borders are not allowed in the restricted sections of NATURE and TRAVEL. For the purpose of this exhibition any border added to a Nature or Travel digital file must be a single border of white or grey, no greater than 3-5 pixels in width
• Submission limits per section — The web-site enforces a maximum limit of 4 pictures per section. The participant can remove a picture and upload a different one any time till the last date for submission.
• Drone Images must conform to PSA Drone Policy — There is a PSA policy on the use of aerial photography - aircraft, helicopters and drones. The PSA policy on aerial photography using aircraft, helicopters and drones can be found at https://psa-photo.org/index.php?psa-policies. For example, drone images of people are allowed only if the author has written permission from those people. Drone photographs of animals and birds are not allowed. Drone photographs in National Parks and wild areas is not permitted.

Rules for submission of Digital Images

• Format and Color Gamut - All images submitted must be in JPEG format and the Color Gamut must be set to sRGB. The projection equipment/laptops used during judging are calibrated to display colors correctly if the picture is in sRGB Gamut. Please make sure that the colour profile of your pictures is sRGB.
• Maximum image dimensions permitted - This Salon uses online judging. Pictures should not exceed 1920 pixels on the width and should not exceed 1080 pixels on the height. The dimensions are checked at the time of uploading and pictures exceeding any of the dimensions will not be allowed to be uploaded. Pictures with resolutions equal to or less than these dimensions will be allowed to be uploaded. Please note that the YPS Salon software will not resize your pictures and pictures will be presented to the jury in the resolution in which they were uploaded.
• Maximum image size permitted — The maximum size of each image submitted to the salon must not exceed 4MB.
• Orientation - Pictures will be displayed in the same orientation in which it was uploaded. Hence please correct the orientation and resize before uploading.
• No identification marks on the picture - The picture should not contain any added text/image/watermark that shows the title, name, logo or other forms of information attributable to the submitter.
• Submit Complete and Correct particulars about picture - Please make sure that the Title and other details required while uploading a picture, are entered properly. The system allows you to edit the Title any time till the last date for submission.
• Post-processing and subject fitment - Please refer to descriptions of individual sections for understanding subject matter fitment and restrictions on post-processing.
• DPI does not matter - It does not matter what the DPI setting of your picture is. Any value should be fine.
• Validate Exhibition-readiness - Award winning pictures will be on display at the Salon Exhibition. If you want your picture to be displayed at the exhibition, you should be able to upload pictures with more than 3000 pixels on the long-side when requested. Pictures less than this resolution will not be printed.

Judging

• Applicability of PSA and FIAP Rules and Standards - The Exhibition will be conducted in accordance with the rules of the PSA and FIAP. Where there are differences between the PSA and FIAP rules, the stricter of the rule shall be applicable.
• Pictures in Random Order – Pictures of the photographers will not be presented consecutively. They will be presented in a random order.
• Open Online Judging – Judging for this Salon will be conducted online with jury scoring the images on their own computer systems. YPS will make sure that the judges have the right equipment for judging as per PSA/FIAP rules. If the timezones permit, YPS may make arrangements for webcast of latest scores of fully scored images. The awards will be finalized through web-meeting among the jury or through other means agreed with jury. Final results will be announced on the website and if timezones permit through a webinar.
• Jury Panel has the final say - The decision of the Panel of Judges is final and binding with respect to selection of pictures for awards. No further appeal questioning the correctness of decisions will be entertained.

Publishing Results

• Web-site will display results - This Salon website will be the primary channel for release of results followed by emails to all the winners.
• Digital Catalog - Youth Photographic Society will issue a Digital Exhibition Catalog to all entrants. The same can be downloaded from the salon web-site. If a printed catalog is offered, it will be at a cost. Cost of the catalog and method of ordering will be communicated to the participants through emails.

General Terms and Conditions prescribed by PSA

• Disqualification Norms
  • No Monochrome images to be entered in the Colour division (PIDC).
  • No Colour images to be entered in the Monochrome division (PIDM).
  • Images entered in Photo Travel not pertaining to divisional restrictions would be low marked.
  • Images entered in the Nature division would be subject to Nature divisional definition and noncompliant images would be disqualified.
  • As per CB-1 (Exhibition Requirements from PSA outlined below), images may not be constructed entirely with a computer and must be the sole work of the author. Judges having doubt would call for RAW/composite images to which entrants would need to present these digital files within the stipulated time and not providing such may call for stringent action.
  • Toned images are allowed in monochrome division (PIDM), provided it gives the impression of being a greyscale image that has been toned in one color across the entire image.
• Image and Entry Requirements - This exhibition is open to anyone; however, an entry may be rejected when the Sponsor or the Exhibition Organizers, in their reasonable discretion, believes the entry does not conform to exhibition rules and these Conditions of Entry. Membership in any photographic organization is not required.
• Sanctions - Entries will not be accepted from any entrant who is currently sanctioned by PSA.
• PSA Star Ratings - To receive proper Star ratings credit from PSA, entrants must provide their names and country exactly the same in each exhibition. Aliases are not permitted. Please contact PSA in the event of name changes or relocating to another country.
• Image Creation - Entries must originate as photographs (image-captures of objects via light sensitivity) made by the entrant on photographic emulsion or acquired digitally.
• Certification - By virtue of submitting an image, the entrant certifies the work as his or her own (Images may not incorporate elements produced by anyone else (for example: clip art, images or art by others downloaded from the Internet). Aliases are not allowed. The entrant permits the sponsors to reproduce all or part of the entered material free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to the exhibition. This may include low resolution posting on a website. Note: Entrants who indicate that their images may not be reproduced or used "will not be eligible for awards" or inclusion in audio-visuals of the exhibition "and could be subject to disqualification" by the exhibition sponsors. The exhibition assumes no liability of any misuse of copyright.
• Alteration and Computer Generation - Subject to Divisional restrictions (particularly Nature, Photo Travel, and Photojournalism) images may be altered, either electronically or otherwise, by the maker. Adjustments to enhance images or creatively modify images are allowed providing the underlying photograph is retained in a way that is obvious to the viewer. Images may not be constructed entirely with a computer and must be the sole work of the author. All parts of the image have to be photographed by the author who is holding the copyright of all works submitted.
• Re-use of Accepted Images - Once an image has been accepted in this exhibition it may not be entered again in any future instances of this exhibition. It may, of course, be entered in any other PSA/FIAP recognised exhibitions but must always have the same title.
• Entry - An Entry consists of, up to and including, four (4) images entered by a single Entrant into the same Section. An entrant may only enter a specific Section once.
• Titles - Each image must have a unique title. That unique title must be used for entry of that image or of an Identical Image into any and all PSA-Recognized exhibitions. Titles must be 35 characters or fewer. No titles may be visible to the judges, and nothing in the image may identify the maker. Titles must not include file extensions such as .jpg or .jpeg (or any other camera capture filenames such as IMG 471). Titles may not consist of personal identifiers possibly augmented by a number; or include words such as "untitled" or "no title". Titles may not consist solely of numbers unless those numbers are prominently contained within the image, such as a contestant number in a race.
• Color and Monochrome of the same image - Color and Monochrome images from the same capture that share substantial pictorial content in common will be considered the same image and must be given the same title. (Please note that this Salon does not allow an image of the same origin to be submitted under multiple sections.)
• PSA Statement on Subject Matter - There is one hard and fast rule, whose spirit must be observed at all times and applies to all sections offered in PSA recognised exhibitions.
• The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph. - This means that practices such as baiting of subjects with a living creature and removal of birds from nests, for the purpose of obtaining a photograph, are highly unethical, and such photographs are not allowed in any PSA exhibitions. The purpose of this policy is to prevent any interference with other individuals or animals which will or may cause a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupt the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment. Entry in this exhibition requires exhibitors to agree to this and other PSA policies.
• Compliance with Conditions - The content of images must comply with these General Conditions and with the Division and Section definitions listed in these conditions. Images that - in the sole opinion of the judges or the Exhibition Organizers - do not comply are likely to be disqualified so the entrant may be aware of the problem when considering entry into other PSA recognized exhibitions.

Summary of Reasons for Disqualification on Entries in this Salon

• Participant has been placed under sanctioned lists of patronage bodies.
• Pictures "similar" to the ones already accepted in the past All India and International Salons of YPS.
• Same or similar picture, whether in color or monochrome, has been submitted under multiple sections in this salon.
• Pictures containing names or watermarks identifying the photographer either on the picture or in the title.
• Pictures submitted under incorrect sections:
  • Monochrome images cannot be entered under the COLOR Open Section.
  • Full color or partially colored images cannot be entered under MONOCHROME Open Section. (Toned images are allowed provided it gives the impression of being a greyscale image that has been toned in one color across the entire image).
  • Grayscale images are permitted under the restricted sections of NATURE and TRAVEL. But toned images are not allowed under these sections.
• Pictures violating rules mentioned in this document. Here is the list:
  • Pictures having titles exceeding 35 characters or has non-English titles or titles with Accented Characters.
  • Pictures not conforming to permitted dimensions, file size, file formats and color gamut.
  • Pictures of human beings, with the exception of toddlers, in partial or full nudity, that are inappropriate for view by children.
  • Pictures endangering life or welfare of subjects like pictures of nests and breeding or pictures of frozen lives etc.
  • Drone images not conforming to PSA policies related to drones found under https://psa-photo.org/index.php?psa-policies
  • Pictures not originating as photographs - e.g. Digital painting
  • Pictures identified to have issues with ownership either with the original photo or with any additional content added to the picture. Judges having doubt would call for RAW/composite images to which entrants would need to present these digital files within the stipulated time and not providing such may call for stringent action.
  • Objects created by humans, and evidence of human activity, are allowed under the NATURE section only when they are a necessary part of the Nature story.
  • Photographs of human-created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domesticated animals, human-created hybrid animals and mounted or preserved zoological specimens are not allowed under NATURE section.
  • Pictures with decorative/Solid Borders exceeding 5 pixels in with submitted under NATURE and TRAVEL sections.
  • No modification that changes the truth of an image is allowed under the NATURE section. Permitted post-processing operations are - Cropping, Noise Reduction, Dust & Scratch removal, Conversion to full grayscale, Image stitching, Focus Stacking, Exposure Blending.
  • Techniques that add, relocate, replace or remove any element of the original image, except by cropping, are not permitted under the TRAVEL section. Permitted post-processing operations are - Cropping, Noise Reduction, Dust & Scratch removal, Conversion to full grayscale.
  • Close up pictures of people or objects submitted under TRAVEL section must include features that provide information about the location.
  • Images from events or activities arranged specifically for photography, or of subjects directed or hired for photography are not permitted under the TRAVEL section. Please check PSA websites mentioned under Rules for Travel section for guidance.
  • Vignettes are not allowed under the TRAVEL section.
  • Partially colored images are not permitted under TRAVEL section. Other derivations, including infrared, are also not permitted under TRAVEL section.
  • Fish-eye images are not allowed under the TRAVEL section.

PSA Statement on Subject Matter

There is one hard and fast rule, whose spirit must be observed at all times and applies to all sections offered in PSA recognised exhibitions.

The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph.

Legal Requirements & Disclaimers

• Data Protection - By entering this exhibition, you are explicitly consenting to the personal details you have supplied, including email addresses, being held, processed and used by the exhibition organizers for purposes associated with this exhibition. You also explicitly consent to such information being sent to organizations that have accorded official recognition, patronage or accreditation to this exhibition. You acknowledge and accept that entering this exhibition means that the status and results of your entry may be made public.
• Originality & Ownership - By submitting an entry, the entrant certifies the work as his/her own (aliases and proxies are not permitted). In the case of composite images created from multiple photographs, all photographic components used in the composite-image must have been photographed by the entrant and the entrant must hold copyright for all the components included in the picture.
• Right to use - The entrant permits Youth Photographic Society to reproduce all or part of any of the photographs entered for the contest, free of charge for publication and/or display in media related to any activities of Youth Photographic Society.
• Misuse - YPS assumes no responsibility related to any misuse of pictures by public in violation of the copyright held by the author.

Agreement to Terms & Conditions

By entering this exhibition, you are explicitly consenting to the personal details you have supplied, including email addresses, being held, processed and used by the exhibition organizers for purposes associated with this exhibition. You also explicitly consent to such information being sent to organizations that have accorded official recognition, patronage or accreditation to this exhibition. You acknowledge and accept that entering this exhibition means that the status and results of your entry may be made public.

When an entrant fills in the Entry Form to submit an entry the entrant will see a feature to affirm, he or she has read these Conditions of Entry when he or she fills out the entry form. If the entrant does not so affirm the entry will not be submitted.

All entries shall conform to the stricter of these definitions for acceptances to be validated by all the International Organizations granting recognition or patronage.

Non-Compliance to Salon Terms and Conditions / Breach of Rules

The following paragraphs describe the outcomes of not following the terms and conditions of the Salon as specified by the Patronage houses. YPS will be obliged to comply with any measures proposed by the Patronage houses.

FIAP

By the sole act of submitting his/her images or files to a salon under FIAP Patronage, the entrant accepts without exception and with no objection the following terms:

• that the submitted images can be investigated by FIAP to establish if these obey to FIAP regulations and definitions even if the entrant is not a member of FIAP,
• that FIAP will use any means at its disposal for this undertaking,
• that any refusal to cooperate with FIAP or any refusal to submit the original files as captured by the camera, or failure to provide sufficient evidence, will be sanctioned by FIAP,
• that in case of sanctions following the non-compliance with FIAP regulations, the name of the entrant will be released in any form useful to inform the breaches of the rules. It is recommended to leave the EXIF data in the submitted files intact in order to ease eventual investigations. If, at any time, it is determined in the reasonable discretion of the exhibition organizer or the judges before, during, or after the judging of an exhibition that an entrant has submitted entries where one or more images may fail to comply with these Conditions of Entry, including the stated definitions, the exhibition organizers reserve the right to delete the entry from the exhibition and void any or all acceptances or awards in connection with the exhibition. Fees may be forfeited or refunded in these circumstances. The entrant acknowledges that the decision of the exhibition organizers or the judges is final.

FIAP Notice

In order to have legal authority on those who do not respect the rules of FIAP, this salon requires participants to confirm by ticking a box next to which the following text :

"I hereby expressly agree to FIAP document 018/2017 Conditions and regulations for FIAP Patronage and FIAP document 033/2021 Sanctions for breaching FIAP regulations and the red list. I am particularly aware of chapter II Regulations for International photographic events under FIAP patronage of FIAP document 018/2017, dealing under Section II.2 and II.3 with the FIAP participation rules, the sanctions for breaching FIAP regulations and the red list."

PSA Terms

In order to ensure that images comply with the Conditions of Entry and definitions, the exhibition organizers may carry out reasonable measures to verify that:

1. the images are the original work of the entrant and
2. the images comply with the rules and definitions as set out in these Conditions of Entry

These steps include, but are not limited to, questioning any entrant, requiring the submission of RAW files or other digital files representing the original capture of the submitted image(s), confronting the entrant with evidence that one or more submitted images fails to comply with the Conditions of Entry (also known as Entry Rules), and offering the entrant a reasonable opportunity to provide counter evidence to refute the exhibitionorganizer's evidence by a set deadline. Such entries that are not cleared or are still questionable after the entrant has presented evidence may be considered in breach of these Conditions of Entry, and declined. Such entries may be referred to PSA for further investigation of possible ethics violations.

PSA retains the right to investigate in any way all complaints/suspicions of breaches of entry conditions, impose sanctions if deemed necessary, void the acceptances of any image found to violate the PSA rules, include the entrant's name on the list of sanctions provided to Exhibitions, and share such investigations with FIAP. Entrants automatically agree to these terms by the act of entering the Exhibition and agree to cooperate with any investigation.

If another party is submitting images on the entrant’s behalf, the entrant will still be held responsible for adhering to these Conditions of Entry (Entry Rules) and will be subject to sanction for any violations to these Conditions of Entry and PSA’s Statement of Ethics that may result.

PSA Notice

When an entrant fills in the Entry Form to submit an entry the entrant will see a feature to affirm he or she has read these Conditions of Entry when he or she fills out the entry form. If the entrant does not so affirm the entry will not be submitted.

PSA Statement on "Subject Matter" & Policies

There is one hard and fast rule, whose spirit must be observed at all times and applies to all sections offered in PSA recognised exhibitions.

"The welfare of the subject is more important than the photograph."

This means that practices such as baiting of subjects with a living creature and removal of birds from nests, for the purpose of obtaining a photograph, are highly unethical, and such photographs are not allowed in any exhibition with FIAP patronage or PSA recognition. Under no circumstances may a living creature be placed in a situation where it will be killed, injured or stressed for the purpose of obtaining a photograph. This rule applies regardless of whether or not the creature being killed, injured or stressed is visible in the captured image.

The purpose of this policy is to prevent any interference with other individuals or animals which will or may cause a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupt the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment. Entry in this exhibition requires exhibitors to agree to this and other PSA policies.

There are also concerns about the use of aerial photography, drones, helicopters, low flying aircraft. These should not cause any interference with other individuals or animals which causes a disturbance in their normal activity or disrupt the way any individuals or animals interact with their environment.

Entry in this exhibition is conditional on accepting these policies. The content of images must comply with these General Conditions and with the Division and Section definitions listed in these conditions. Images that - in the sole opinion of the judges or the Exhibition Organizers - do not comply, will be disqualified so the entrant may be aware of the problem when considering entry into other exhibitions with FIAP patronage/PSA recognition.

Further details on the PSA's drone policy may be found at https://psa-photo.org/index.php?psa-policies#drone

The content of images must comply with these General Conditions and with the Division and Section definitions listed in these conditions. Images that - in the sole opinion of the judges or the Exhibition Organizers - do not comply are likely to be disqualified so the entrant may be aware of the problem when considering entry into other PSA recognized exhibitions.