Welcome to the Guides page, your comprehensive resource for mastering essential photography club processes and enhancing your photographic journey. Here, you’ll find valuable information on a range of topics, from the importance of screen calibration and step-by-step instructions on registering and entering your photos on Photovault to understanding diamond ratings and the Honours system. Additionally, we’ll guide you through the process of advancing to higher star ratings, ensuring you have all the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in our community. Dive in and explore each section to elevate your skills and participation in our vibrant photography club.

Good General Practises

Screen Calibration

Screen calibration is the process of adjusting your monitor to ensure that the colors, brightness, and contrast displayed are accurate and consistent with industry standards. This involves using specialized software and sometimes hardware tools to fine-tune your screen’s settings, so the images you see are true to their original colors and tones. Proper screen calibration is essential for photographers, designers, and anyone involved in visual work, as it ensures that the images are represented accurately across different devices and media.

For detailed instructions on how to calibrate your screen, you can refer to this: Screen Calibration

How to Register on Photovault

For more information on how to register on Photovault, follow the instructions on this document.

How to Enter Your Images on Photovault

For more information on how to enter your photos on Photovault, follow the instructions on this document.

How to Resize Your Images

At NPC and the PSSA we require that the images you enter into Club events or Salons should be HD (1920px by 1080px) for a more detailed guide on this process follow the instructions on this document.

Current NPC Rating Structure

NPC has gone over to the TOP scoring system. The judge scores the image out of a total of 15. The number of the score is equal to the following:

Judge ScoreScore Rating
0 – 6Disqualified
7 – 8Bronze
9 – 10Silver
11 – 12Gold
13 – 15Certificate of Merit

Fore more information regarding NPC Star rating and scoring structure read this document.

Star Ratings

NPC works on the star rating system. When you start your photography journey at NPC you will start at 1 Star. When achieving your silver, gold and Certificate of Merits scores you will move on to higher stars until you reach 3 Star. Then you are required to start taking part in PSSA Salons and international salons.

For more information on when and how you will achieve higher star ratings read this document.

PSSA and Related Guides

What are Honours?

The Honours Division controls the awards made to members in recognition of a high standard of photographic ability and/or service to PSSA and to photography in general.

Application is only open to full members of the Society. Anyone interested in applying for Honours may join at the same time as applying. Proof of status of current membership must be included with your application.

Honours may either be applied for by submitting a panel for judging or by accumulating salon acceptances. 

Panel submissions may be made twice annually with the closing dates being 25 January and 1 July.

Salon Honours may be applied for at any time during the year.

For more information on how to apply for your honours follow this link.

What are Diamond Ratings?

Diamond Ratings are for achievement by PSSA members in:

•  South African National and South African International Salons with PSSA patronage
•  All other International Salons with patronage by one or more of:
o  The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain
o  The Photographic Society of America
o  The Australian Photographic Society
o  FIAP (Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique) 

For more information on how to apply for your diamond ratings follow this link.