Am i allowed to edit photos that i want to submit in a photography contest if in the description of the...

Question

contest, nothing is mentioned about it not being allowed? i'm asking in general, like, does the art of "photography" include photo manipulation, without it being considered as cheating?

Answer 1

The rules either would allow such, or specifically disallow such manipulations.

Dont forget that composit photo images have been around long before any digital photography existed.  Plus, adjustments in exposure, color and contrast has ALWAYS been done in darkrooms.  Not to mention cropping the frames.

There are contests that expressly forbid ANY kind of post photo shoot adustments.  There are purists in the photograph world that even frown upon cropping an image.  To them, EVERYTHING captured on the negative is sacred.  Some of these purists even run contests.

I have no problem with their attitude.  They make their rules, for their own esthetic reasons and more power to them.

But, I can tell you, even since my film days, I'd be lost without the skills and tools to make corrections in the darkroom, or, in Photoshop.  Then again, most of my paid work  has been commercial in nature, and these kinds of adjustments are par for the course.  I'd LOVE to always get it right the first time.  But I'm not about to throw out a negative frame and lose a client for no better reason than, "Oh well.  The camera didn't capture it, so, never mind."  No way!  If I can fix it, I'm going to use it!

Answer 2

Techniques such as color balance, levels adjustment, dodging and burning are definitely allowed. As long as the image represents what was in front of the lens when the image was taken, it will be OK. Photographers have been modifying contrast, shifting colors and locally adjusting brightness for about as long as techniques to do those operations has been available.

Once you start adding/removing objects or similarly creating something that wasn't what was in front of the camera, then you are creating a "digital composition". As long as an altered image is clearly labeled as a digital composition and not represented as a simple photograph, then all is well. It is up to the competition's jury to decide whether or not digital compositions are allowed.

Answer 3

i wouldnt because most contest dont allow it