YPS National Salon 2026

Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject and certify its honest presentation.

The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while maintaining high technical quality.

• Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves.
• Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible.
• Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals, domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible.
• No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted. Conversion to infrared, either by digital technique or by original technique is not allowed. 
• It is perfectly legal to remove dust, flares or digital noise. Minor global colour/tone correction is OK as long as it is not selective and the final image looks natural but not dramatic. Dodge and Burn tool is for you only but use it judiciously. Selective darkening of background is prohibited. Techniques like panning, slow shutter speed or in-exposure zooming are part of your creativity. Use of filters like Polarizers and ND filters are ok.
• Stitched images are not permitted.
• Drone Photography in the National Parks of India is illegal except with prior written permission from the concerned authorities. Drone images of Wild animals will be disqualified.
• Color images can be converted to greyscale monochrome. But partial/complete toning is not allowed.
• Infrared images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed.
• Welfare of the subject is extremely important. Use of live bait is totally prohibited. Relocated nest is a big NO NO and jury members should not award nest images.

Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes images taken with subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms,botanical gardens, aquariums and any enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
In accordance with Para II.8 E of FIAP  Document 048/2025 E “Pictures created by artificial intelligence are not allowed in this salon! All parts of the image have to be photographed by the author who is holding the copyright of all works submitted. Offenders will be sanctioned for life! ”