A variety of works by members of the Professional Photographers of Colorado

THE CATEGORIES

PPC provides a diverse range of competition categories designed to refine your expertise or enhance your skills in specific areas. Each participate is encouraged to explore the listed categories and elevate your creativity and proficiency to new heights.

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PORTRAIT

Child Portrait

Portrait of a child or children between the ages of 7 months and 16 years old.

High School Senior Portrait

Portrait of an individual 17-19 years of age.

Newborn & Maternity

Portraits of infants under 6 months old, individually or with a group. Portrait of pregnancy, including a person individually or with a group.

Natural Portrait

Images that depict the natural beauty of a subject(s). Lighting and posing should portray and enhance the personality and character of the subject. Post-production techniques are not to be an essential part of the final photograph. Family portraits are appropriate in this category so long as they are not highly stylized concepts.
Images that use extensive makeup or props to transform the natural appearance must be entered in the Illustrative Portrait category.

Illustrative Portrait

Images that include extensive styling, creative photo techniques, specialized makeup, or props are allowed. Post-production techniques are encouraged and may be an essential part of the final story in the photograph. Composite and non-composite images and highly manipulated images (Photoshop or similar) are allowed in this category. Painted portraits also belong in this category.
The Maker MUST create or photograph each element in this category. No stock, AI derived content, or other images the maker did not expressly created by the maker will be allowed.
The originally captured image(s) (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by PPC.

Day Of Wedding

Images in the Day of Wedding category must be made in connection with an actual
wedding event (not a stylized session). Images must reflect the personality of the
subject(s) and/ or illustrate the story of the event. They must include some visual
reference(s) that define the wedding event (traditional clothing, church flowers, etc.).
Composite images are allowed as long as post-production is not a significant part of
displaying the essence or the personality of the subject(s).
The Images must have been captured at the time of the wedding event, not at an earlier or later date.

ILLUSTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL & SCENIC

Landscape/Nature

This category is for photography that showcases natural elements, such as landscapes, cityscapes, trees, and close-ups of natural scenes and textures. Aerial, macro, and astrophotography are included in this category.
It is allowed to crop, rotate, select dodging and burning, reduce noise, sharpen, adjust color/black-and-white, apply grain, as well as basic retouching. Photo stitching, focus stacking, multi-exposure, etc., is allowed as long as it is shot at the same time and in the same place as a consecutive sequence, seconds or minutes apart. It IS allowed to use such tools as cloning, healing, patching, liquefy, or similar tools.
The originally captured image (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by PPC.
Painted or composited images are NOT allowed in this category, they belong in the Illustrative category.

Illustrative Landscape, Nature, and Wildlife

An Illustrative or graphic depiction of any landscape, nature, and wildlife subject. Composite and non-composite images and highly manipulated images (Photoshop or similar) are allowed in this category.
The Maker MUST create or photograph each element in this category. No stock, AI derived content, or other images the maker did not expressly created by the maker will be allowed.
The originally captured image(s) (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by PPC.

Commercial

Images intended to be used by a commercial client to promote or brand a product or
company. This category includes advertising, fashion, beauty, still life, food, architecture,
and corporate photography.
Must clearly demonstrate a commercial intent or application, note images may be
reassigned if commercial intent is not evident.
Not permitted: Landscapes, wildlife, sports, or general imagery without a clear commercial purpose

Drone/Ariel

Images captured from airborne devices including drones, aircraft, helicopter, or hot air
balloon.
Images taken from elevated platforms or positions including but not limited to i.e. cliff, canyon edge, high floor of a building or top of a monument are not not acceptable in this category.
It is allowed to crop, rotate, select dodging and burning, reduce noise, sharpen, adjust color/black-and-white, apply grain, as well as basic retouching. Photo stitching, focus
stacking, multi-exposure, etc., is allowed as long as it is shot at the same time and in the same place as a consecutive sequence, seconds or minutes apart. It IS allowed to use
such tools as cloning, healing, patching, liquefy, or similar tools.
The originally captured image (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by PPC.
Painted or composited images are not allowed in this category, they belong in the Illustrative category.

ANIMALS

Pets & Domestic Animals

Portrait of a companion animal or animals, as well as domesticated livestock animals. Wildlife, wild animals, and zoo animals are not allowed in this category. Images that include a subject or subjects other than Pets or Domestic animals are not allowed in this
category (no people).

Wildlife

Images must depict actual wildlife in a natural habitat. Cropping, rotating, selective dodge and burn, reducing noise, sharpening, adjusting color/black-and-white, applying grain, and minor retouching is allowed. Photo stitching, focus stacking, and multi-exposure are allowed as long as it is shot at the same time and in the same place as a consecutive sequence, seconds or minutes apart.
It IS allowed to use such tools as cloning, healing, patching, liquefy, or similar tools.
The originally captured image (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by PPC.
Painted or composited images are NOT allowed in this category, they belong in the Illustrative category.

ARTIST & REPORTAGE

Artist

Conceptual or constructed imagery created through compositing or significant transformation.
May include multiple photographic elements and/or graphical components
The primary subject must originate from imagery created by the entrant
Added elements must be created by the entrant or legally acquired (stock images are allowed).
Significant post-production, compositing, heavily painted and artistic transformation are permitted
Requirement: All source elements used to create the final image must be included as thumbnails within the submitted file for judging reference.

Reportage

Images that illustrate an actual public or non-public event, life, an area of human interest, telling news that has meaning in the context or record of events, high impact, and/or lasting emotional response. Images that illustrate sporting events ARE accepted in this category.
ONLY basic color and brightness adjustments, cropping, dodging, and burning in are allowed. Only single-capture images will be accepted. Composite and multiple-exposure, or in-camera, file-stacked images will not be accepted.
The originally captured image (in RAW or jpg) must be available if requested by PPC.