LWRDPC Competitions

AI (Artificial Intelligence) GUIDELINES 
LWRDPC PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITIONS

Images must originate as photographs captured by the entrant. Standard editing is allowed, including AI-assisted tools that do not generate or otherwise add new content to the image. No portion of any image may include AI-generated content, stock images, clipart, or any other third-party content. The club may request original files for verification. 

Quick decision test 

• Did you capture it with your camera? 
• Did software generate content (new objects/sky/background)?  NOT ALLOWED
• Did software only enhance your pixels (denoise/sharpen/color)?  ALLOWED

PROHIBITED - NOT ALLOWED

AI-Generated Content

• No generative AI tools (Midjourney, DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Bing Image Creator, Leonardo AI, Firefly, NanoBanana, ChatGPT)
• Generative Fill / Generative Expand that creates NEW background, skies, birds, people, buildings, etc. objects (Photoshop, Lightroom)
• • OK: Using Gen Fill to expand a background. Gen Fill will analyze the nearby existing background and, using AI learning, generate new pixels to create an expanded background that simply matches the existing background.
  • NOT OK: Using Gen Fill to expand the background with a text prompt “add palm tree to enhance compositional framing”. Gen Fill will analyze the nearby existing background and, using AI learning, will generate new pixels for the background AND generate new pixels for a palm tree.

• No AI-generated sky, background, or object replacements

• No text-to-image generation

Third-Party Content

• No stock photography or stock image elements
• No clip art
• No images or elements photographed by others
• All photographic elements must be captured by the entrant

PERMITTED - ALLOWED

AI-Assisted Processing Tools

• Noise Reduction: Topaz DeNoise, Adobe Denoise, Luminar, DxO, Topaz Photo AI
• Sharpening: Topaz Sharpen, Adobe Smart Sharpen
• Selection Tools: AI-powered selections and masking
• Auto-Adjustments: Auto exposure, contrast, color balance
• Spot Removal: Dust spots, sensor spots, minor distractions, including people, objects

Traditional Processing

• Cropping, exposure, contrast, saturation, color grading
• Dodging and burning
• HDR from your own brackets
• Focus stacking from your own images
• Panorama stitching from your own images
• Composites using only your own photographs (Open/Creative categories)
• Textures and overlays

Composites

• Multiple exposures are allowed only if all image content comes from the maker’s own photographs.
• No third-party stock elements.
• No AI-generated elements. 

HELPFUL CLARIFICATIONS:

Q: What's the difference between AI-assisted and AI-generated? A: AI-assisted enhances YOUR photograph (denoise, sharpen). AI-generated creates new content (objects) that didn't exist in your capture.

Q: Can I use Lightroom's new AI features? A: Yes, if they enhance your photo. No, if they add new content.

Q: Can I use Photoshop's Content-Aware Fill? A: Yes, for Open/Creative categories to remove small distractions. No for Photojournalism. The key is it must not add significant new content or alter the truth of the scene. 

Q: What about smartphone computational photography? A: Allowed if captured in standard photo mode. Not allowed if using AI modes that generate significant content in the image.

Q: Can I composite multiple of my own photos? A: Yes, in Open/Creative categories, as long as ALL elements are from your own photographs.