PSSA Salon Rules, Regulations & Sanctions
Photographic Society of South Africa — rules for PSSA-patronaged photography salons and competitions
Contents
1. Overview
PSSA Salons Rules, Regulations & Sanctions outline the rules for entering PSSA-patronaged photography salons and competitions, together with definitions, prohibited practices, and penalties for breaches.
The official PSSA material is often split across related documents: a landing page for salon rules, the current PSSA Salon Definitions & Conditions of Entry, and explanatory material on rules, regulations, and sanctions. Entrants are expected to act with honesty and in the spirit of the rules.
2. Key Conditions of Entry
2.1 Artificial Intelligence
May be allowed AI-assisted tools
If they stay within editing rules, examples can include:
- Denoising
- Sharpening
- Subject selection
- Sky replacement using a sky the entrant themselves captured
Prohibited Generative techniques
- In-painting (generating content into areas)
- Out-painting (extending the frame with generated content)
- Text-to-image generation
- Any significant AI alteration of content
Entrants must be able to prove authorship. Keep RAW or other unretouched capture files with EXIF data; organisers may request them for verification.
2.2 Manipulation
Strictly forbidden in Nature, Photo Travel, Street, Sport, Photojournalism, and similar restricted categories. Processing must keep the image close to the original scene.
Typically allowed (restricted categories)
- Cropping and straightening
- Basic global adjustments (exposure, contrast, colour balance)
- Dust / spot removal
- Full grayscale conversion
- Limited HDR or focus stacking (where the salon/category allows)
- Panoramas (where allowed)
Disqualifying practices
- Adding, removing, or repositioning elements
- Selective darkening / blurring to hide content
- Partial toning
- Over-processing that misrepresents the scene
- Any non-original content not photographed by the entrant
2.3 Image use and naming
- An image (including colour/mono or similar versions) may be used only once per salon.
- Titles must be unique and consistent — re-titling accepted images or using different titles for variants is sanctioned.
- “Sister images” that are too similar are treated as the same image.
- Limits apply on how many times an image can earn acceptances for “Impala Trophy” ratings in different salons (commonly a cumulative limit of 3 Salons).
2.4 Other entry rules
Entry limits
Typically up to 4 images per PDI category (check the salon brochure).
No watermarks
No watermarks, titles, or identifying text on the image itself.
Payment
Proof of payment may be required for the entry to be valid.
Judges
Judge eligibility restrictions apply (e.g. judges may not enter sections they judge).
Data protection
Personal data is handled under applicable data-protection rules of the salon/PSSA.
Original files
Organisers have the right to request original files for verification at any stage.
3. Definitions and Ethics
Images are typically categorised as Nature, Open, or Photojournalism, with further distinctions such as Wildlife within Nature. Exact wording is defined in the salon brochure and current PSSA definitions.
| Category focus | Core expectation |
|---|---|
| Nature / Wildlife | Natural subjects without undue human interference. Human-made elements are restricted unless essential to the story. Ethical welfare of living creatures is paramount. |
| Photojournalism | Documentary / story-driven imagery; processing must not misrepresent the event or scene (manipulation restricted). |
| Open | Greater creative freedom in processing, subject to authorship and AI rules (all elements photographed by the entrant). |
Ethical standards
- Welfare of living creatures: No baiting or stressing subjects for photographs.
- Honesty: No plagiarism; no breaches of decency or copyright.
- Authorship: Every element of the image must be your own photographic work (subject to category editing rules).
4. Transgressions and Sanctions
4.1 Common breaches
- Renaming images (re-titling accepted or previously entered work)
- Improper manipulation in restricted categories
- Using AI-generated or significantly AI-altered content
- Submitting non-original elements
- Entering “sister images” as if they were different works
Disqualifications can occur before, during, or after judging. Entry fees are typically forfeited.
4.2 Progressive sanctions
Sanctions are progressive and recorded per entry / salon:
- Warning letter
- Loss of that year’s acceptance points for the image(s) concerned
- Ineligibility for Impala Log Top 10
- AI-related cases may be referred to the Board
- Final warning
- Broader loss of points in non-manipulated categories
- Continued ban from Impala Log Top 10
- Loss of all acceptance points for that year
- Ban on Honours applications
- Exclusion from team entries and salon organising / judging roles
- Referral to the PSSA Board for further action
| Offence | Key consequences (summary) |
|---|---|
| 1st | Warning letter; loss of year’s acceptance points for image(s); Impala Top 10 ban; AI cases may go to Board |
| 2nd | Final warning; broader loss of points in non-manipulated categories; Top 10 ban continues |
| 3rd | Loss of all acceptance points that year; Honours ban; no team entries / organising / judging roles |
| 4th | Referral to the PSSA Board for further action |
4.3 Clearing offences, appeals & sharing of findings
- Clearing: Offences can be cleared after set periods (e.g. 24–36 months) if no further issues occur.
- Appeals: Possible within a limited window (typically 14 days).
- Sharing: Findings may be shared with bodies such as FIAP and PSA.
- Registry: Entrants can be placed on a sanctions registry.