What is my own work for competitions?

[ericmark]

Clearly one can't use photos taken by some one else, even as part of a composite photo, but what about brushes, masks, and filters?

In the UK the photo magazines often come with CD's which have advise on how to enhance your photo, one showed how to make it look as if the tide was in, when in fact it was out, and to make the water reflection look right one went into filters and selected a displacement map given free with the magazine.

The same with a triptych, it gave masks to place the three pictures in, and with brushes there was a brush offered which made it look as if a sun beam had lit up an area of the picture like for example a farm house.

Photoshop also has some brushes and filters which also emulate reflections in water, and it would seem anything which was included in Photoshop as it comes out of packet is allowed, so this seems a bit of a grey area.

For the local Photography club there is not problem, I am a beginner so anything goes. But good photos can be used by club for inter club competitions, and as I improve (I hope) I don't want to fall foul of the rules.

[Marko]

Not exactly sure what the question is here....

Magazines and competitions have criteria that change all the time...

Sometimes though when too many masks/effects are used - it won't be considered photography anymore but rather mixed media. Not sure if that helps.